What a beautiful morning (Coombe Wood walk)

What a beautiful sunny morning! I stopped at the post office first to post a parcel - and had to pause to take a photo of the gorgeous white blossom against the blue sky

and masses of catkins too - but I didn't see the little clusters of cones until looking at the photo later.

On to Coombe Wood where the flower beds are rapidly filling out with pansies and polyanthus flowers, with the tulips leaves pushing up between them.

The gardener was working in the herbaceous border, cutting back the old growth from last year. 

A close look at the mahonia flowers - the scent is still lovely.

The gardener has cut down all the grasses in the prairie bed now and new shoots are beginning to show.

 The daffodils were all leaning forward. 

 Assorted bees and crocuses.

The middles are so interesting. 

The pampas grass has been neatly cut creating three large stubby mounds.

The gardener had moved across to work in the flower bed behind the little hut. He told me that he had just seen a red admiral butterfly. I went to have a look. The first butterfly of 2018. It had a slightly damaged wing. I hope it copes with the snowy weather that's supposed to be on its way this weekend.

The gardener took some photos too. 

I went to look at the chains of creamy waxy bells dangling in the sunshine.

As I made my way back to the path I passed  the gardener again - he had moved across to another flower bed, trimming off more of the dead material from last year.

This little tree is beginning to show tiny red leafy shoots.

The scent of onions wafts around these plants. 

All that's left of the yellow witch hazel flowers. 

The gardener has made creative use of some old branches and tree trunks

Tiny red buds. 

Very muddy paths. 

These leaves have come out since my last visit. 

Lime green new leaves. 

 Pinky tinged leaf shoots. 

Herbaceous border mulched. 

Clumps of daffodils under the big beech tree. 

Pink azaleas. 

One of the herbaceous borders from the other end.

Every barrow of mulch has been trundled across by the gardener. Quite a task.

Looking across the top flower bed. 

Seed pod from last year. 

New flower - petals about to emerge. 

Euphorbia - stunning colours and crazy shapes.

Tiny daffodils. 

Thank you very much for joining me.