When I arrived the gardener was clearing the tulips and all of the underplanting in the flower bed nearest to the gate. It always seems such a shame to be clearing all those bedding plants when they're still flowering so beautifully - but the gardener needs to make the flower beds ready for the summer planting.
The gardener told me that the lower beds are being manured this year - the upper beds were done last year. I'm impressed with the systems the gardener has in place.
Fern in the sun
Ceanothus (?) and Pink Cistus - I love these colours together.
and again I spent quite a while studying the amazing structures at the centre - orange anthers on slender yellow filaments and that glowing stigma in the middle.
Many of the yellow azalea flowers are dropping - sliding down the long style and getting trapped on the bulbous stigma so they dangle like ballerinas.
A different yellow - poppies in the sun.
Kneeling on the grass next to the flower bed - getting in among the bees.
Looking closer.
Cistus bud (?)
The neat rows of blossom on the Judas tree have burst open becoming quite unruly.
New shoots in the prairie beds.
This little tree had been quite severely pruned - now bursting into life.
I was very glad to see the repaired floor in the little hut. The other day when I stepped in I had felt decidedly unsafe awhen the rotten floorboards moved quite a lot at the edge.
I used to think this little metal lump was a doorstop but it's the pivot - this used to be a a revolving summerhouse that could rotate to make the most of the sunshine. It's much more obvious with this slightly lop sided cirlular cut out section of floorboard. (I wonder if the door frames and doors will ever be replaced.)
More attempts at photographing sunlit acer seeds. I keep trying!
Darker alliums.
How neat they are when they are busting out of their papery casings (sepals?)
The banana plants have been set free from their covering since my last walk but they still have the protective straw packed around them.
Heading up the path into the woods - lovely light through the leaves.
I can't resist another close look at amazing anthers - the pollen producing part of the plant - these are like miniature vessels overflowing with pollen.
Now that the yellow azaleas are fading there are others taking their place.... the peachy yellow flowers are all opening now
as well as the sugar pink flowers.
This is a much larger rhododendron bud.
Wide open in the sun.
Brick coloured buds - they look furry
Opening as yellow flowers
Woops -another acer seed shot!
Weigela flowers opening.
Weigela flowers - looking closer. Some have a delicate pastel pink blush. The petals look as if they have been sugar frosted and there's a tiny white spider climbing out of the flower on the right.
In the shade today but when it's in the sun this plant looks bright lime green - loads of buds getting ready to open.
Spindle berry flowers - they look as if they're made of plastic.
Gorgeous slender acer leaves in the sunlight.
One of the bigger alliums beginning to open.
Two kinds of fern in the sun.
The gardener was still working hard, clearing the first flower bed and making very good progress.
Thank you very much for joining me.
Another gorgeous visit!
ReplyDeleteThank you Helen
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