What a difference a week makes (Coombe Wood)

Catching up - sorry this will be long. Monday 12th (with a friend) and Monday 19th June (on my own) - and we'll be jumping between the two dates . . .

19th A tree by the gate was covered in white bottle-brush-like flowers.

The pond was clear on the 12th and I didn't take a photo till the end of my walk but a week later it was covered in a green film with a combination of shadows and reflections.

12th The flower beds were ready for the next planting. 

19th The gardener had been working very hard and most of the flower beds were now full of plants which will soon fill the beds with colour.

19th The sprinkler was showering the young plants on a very hot morning. The refreshing spray was very welcome to the plants (and me).  

12th The tops of the orange candelabra primulas by the pond are still gorgeous shades of orange and yellow.

12th One uniquely shaped rectangular primula vialii in the middle of all the usual rocket shaped flowers.

19th Look how much they have changed shape in a week.

19th Flame like red and orange

 12th A cascade of acer leaves at the top of the little crooked steps. 

19th Pink with almost luminous centres 

19th A carpet of tiny white flowers 

19th - except they aren't pure white. They have miniscule pink stripes.

12th A row of heavy headed alliums leaning against each other for support.

19th Some of the seed heads have fallen off and there's a lot more leaning going on.

12th Poppies

12th Two bees scrambling about in a poppy. 

19th Sunlit poppies - how they shine in the sun.

12th Sadly the little hut is quite damaged revealing that some of the wood at the bottom is rotten. I hope repairs will happen.

12th Palm and banana plants.

19th Sunlit remains of the palm flowers

19th Sunlight and shadows on the palm leaves

19th Touches of colour appearing in the prairie beds. 

19th Not long ago this was a blanket of purple honesty flowers - now a mass of seeds - first turning green

followed by the familiar brown fragile papery seeds

19th Ferns in the sunlight. 

19th A tangle of orange curly ferns unfolding

12th Very small bell shaped flowers with hairy petals and tiny flicking out scalloped hems

19th Foxgloves

12th I was very surprised that this bird could sing so loudly with it's beak so full.

19th Little pink flowers with long stamens sticking out like pearl headed dressmaking pins.

19th - white froth of flowers - again with spiky stamens reminding me of those pins again.

12th Abundance of growth narrowing the pathways. 

Looking closer at the pink froth of flowers

12th Cornus bracts

19th The bracts had already changed from green to cream to white and now are turning pale brown and "petals" are starting to fall off.

19th Spindleberry flowers

19th Teasels in the sunshine

19th Sunlight and shadows

19th Huge Crown Imperial fritilaria seed pods

19th Roses in the sunlight. 

19th Big pink poppy

12th Purple clematis with white markings - like a star.

12th White flowers with blushing pink centres

12th The quaking grass, looks fluffy now the "buds" have opened.

12th A little robin hopped around very close to the bench where my friend and I stopped to sit and chat.

12th Big red poppy

19th Big poppy losing petals and stamens and revealing the huge seed pod.

12th Purple and yellow

19th Gardener planting

12th The clear pond

19th Big black bird on the rock

The bird hopped down 

and approached mother duck and her ducklings. 

Mother duck headed off with her nine ducklings

The fluffy little things played , fed or hid in the reeds.

Thank you very much for joining me