Friday morning -in the sunshine (Coombe Wood)

A beautiful hot sunny morning with clear blue sky and the tulips were looking brilliant.

Little wide open tulips - such a vibrant colour.

Round the corner from the pond there was so much to see along the path by the stream. It took me at least 20 minutes to get to the top of the steps, stopping every few seconds to look at something else.

 Blossom.

Tiny tulips with sun shining through them.

Masses of little orange flowers.

Tiny bluey-purple flowers. 

Acrobatic bee.

And more tiny tulips.

Clusters of little yellow mahonia flowers illuminated by the sun.

Buds

Delicate acer leaves. 

White buds on a shrub at the top of the steps (yes I got there at last!) 

Bright shiny red petals. 

At the top of the steps I remembered the white Snakeshead frittilaries I'd seen last time at the bottom of the steps and went back for a look.The red chequerboard patterned frittileries have come out since my last visit. 

Small star shaped magnolia - petals falling. 

Allium buds in the prairie beds. 

Magnolia. 

I sat in the sun on a bench under the magnolia for a while enjoying the sweet scent of Daphne flowers and stroking the cat that had come to keep me company.

Judas tree buds.

White blossom. 

The mistletoe is still visible among the red buds. 

Beautiful pink blossom

Little red azalea buds. 

Acer leaves. 

Anemones. 

Korean pine

Sumach.

White buds. 

White rhododendrons.

Copper beech.

This corner is overwhelming with the colours of the acers and magnolias and the scent of  shrubs at the front.

Further along - the Pieris (flame tree) 

Fresh green acer - such a pop of colour against the dark pine in the background. 

Big magnolia - like cups and saucers. 

Rhododendrons. 

Bluebells among the white long stemmed oniony smelling plants.

Little shaggy magnolias. 

White petals were driftng down around me. 

The colour of this acer with the sun shining through it took my breath away.

Among all the green a tree covered in white blossom.

Further along - more white blossom.

And another different kind of white blossom. 

Tree peony sprouting. 

Bright pink magnolia. 

The beech tree showing new green leaves.

The gardener cutting the edges of the grass. 

Bright red rhododendron or azalea.

Pink buds - hawthorn? 

New seed pods forming - like chains of little horseshoes.

Back to the tulips.

Ferns uncurling.

Tulips again.

A clump of tiny daffodils.

A bulrush - this one looked as if it was almost smiling.

Thank you very much for joining me.