Tuesday morning - Coombe Wood again!

I've done a lot of walking over the last few days but I'm not very likely to turn down the opportunity for a walk in Coombe Wood! This morning I went for a long walk with another friend - a freind who likes textiles, mosaics and photography etc. It's really interesting how walking with different people changes the experience - it never gets boring! Different people notice different things - conversations, interests etc. all vary.

I don't know about you but when I used to look at trees I would just see green and not look closer. As a result I missed all the different shades of green and the flowers which often don't show up very well on trees. This tree caught my eye yesterday with its showers of yellowy "inflorescences" (I think that's the right word for them), which are several inches long and almost invisible among the leaves.  I tried to get a better photo this morning - yesterday's was blurred.

Looking closer at the fading tulips - shapes, patterns, textures, colours all changing.

As we came around the corner I noticed more of the pink cistus flowers were out - they looked lovely next to the little blue flowers.

Aquilegia in the sun. 

Back to the tiny blue flowers where we watched bees rummaging among the flowers - they moved fast and I only managed to get rear views.

My friend noticed these tiny lemony coloured flowers and their drooping buds.

To the alliums and I was describing to my friend what had happened here yesterday with my other friend and how she had inspired me to adjust my viewpoint. After a little while of photographing from low down my friend was lying on the ground on the bark path looking up at the alliums while crouched down low and photographed bees.

at least I think they are all bees - they are quite different shapes!

 White allium. 

I made more attempts to photograph the acer seeds (always trying to get a better photo!) which look like red stained glass in the sunlight.

Flowers like forget-me-nots - but entirely different leaves - very attractive green-veined silvery leaves. I looked them up when I got home - it's a variety of Brunnera.

Tropical looking. (Yellow palm flowers visible.) 

This plant looks as if it has snowed - each white blob is a little white bell. I really don't like the smell of this plant - but my friend didn't find it as objectionable as I do.

The developing Korean pine cones, lit up by the sun, look like lights on a Christmas tree.

Back to those pink and cream bells that Ihad photographed yesterday. The sun was further round today as it was a bit later

and the into the wooded area - dappled shade and sunlit leaves.

Stigma and stamens - amazing tiny structures. 

Yesterday I'd been focussing on the red rhododendrons but today something else attracted my attention - the shadows of the fern and the contrasting colours of the young citrusy green ferns against the shiny red rhododendron petals and the darker green of the thick rhododendron leaves. 

Yes - I got a bit carried away. Love these shadows! 

The peachy azaleas were open today - very few were open yesterday.

Sunlit yellow azalea with peachy ones behind. 

 A huge rhododendron covered in big flowers. 

Another attempt at those red winged seeds. 

Spindle berry flowers in the sun. 

Tree peony. 

Sunlit leaves. 

Pink buds and white blooms - on the same plant. 

Gorgeous bluey purple with delicate stamen shadows.

Purple pansies. My friend is very aware of texture - these are quite velvety.

Thank you very much for joining me again.