Catching up - A Coombe Wood Walk 11th June

This was my first walk in Coombe Wood after my time in Cornwall but due to family circumstances I have got a bit behind.

Two weeks had passed since I was last there and what a lot of growth had taken place in that time!

A couple of the flower beds near the entrance were still waiting for their summer planting - others were done - we'll come back to them later.

The vine has scrambled to the top of the trees. 

The are grapes are like tiny green dots lower down on the vine but higher up it's still mostly "flowers"

Grape vine flowers - and baby cones (?) far left on the pine (?) tree - they look like little brussel sprouts.

Fern pattern - crossed fronds.

 Silk tree leaves unfolding making beautiful patterns against the sky.

It intrigues me how different all the little stripey insects are and how many aren't even bees - however I am pretty sure this is a honey bee. Bees pack pollen into the pollen paniers on their back legs (one is clearly visible in this photo), mixing in a little nectar to keep it all together. The hairs in and round the top of the pollen baskets also help hold it all in place to be taken back to the hive to feed the offspring.

Some bee like creatures have spindly little legs and pollen baskets - others have hairy legs like this one and no pollen baskets - the pollen sticks to their legs instead.

Prairie planting springing up. 

Tall grasses - I was surprised to see the little yellow flowers dangling down.

No petals left on these alliums now - green seed pods swelling. 

What a delicious scent was coming from these white flowers with pink middles and bundles of very upright stamens.

Love in a mist......fascinating structures.....what an extravagant design! The mist part of the name is because of the thin threadlike finely divided leaves under the flower.

I love the intense colours in the middle as the purple and blue seem to bleed into each other.

Crazy long twisty structures at the top and unruly stamens. 

Looking closer at some dome like flower heads - tiny white flowers brushed with pink.

 Quaking grass seeds - incredible little things.

Gorgeous golden ferns unfurling. 

So many leaf colours 

Tiny white pearl-like buds open into fluffy flowers with egg yolk middles.

Foxgloves with freckled insides. 

The lovely scent of honeysuckle. 

Heart shaped leaves blushing red. 

The tree with huge lime green leaves has lost all its lilac trumpet-shaped flowers and dark seed pods are forming.

The fading remains of the rhododendrons hang behind the bright foxgloves

Australian pine with plenty of lovely new growth.

What is happening here? Tiny white flowers with pink anthers hidden inside, becoming darker and then the stamens turn pink when the petals fall off?

A much bigger shrub festooned with shaggy white flowers.

Cornus covered in white bracts. 

Tufty plant - I'm pretty sure that when it comes out it's even paler than this.

I missed most of the lovely sugar pink peonies. I love this delicate colour and the yellow of the stamens visible inside.

Here's the top flower bed - sunflowers and underplanting. 

Little flower bed still to be planted - surrounded by luscious ferny growth.

Allium close up. 

Antirrhinums - some like the old snapdragons I remember from childhood and other different variations.

(Not Coombe Wood) There was a fabulous sunset that evening.

Thank you very much for joining me.