Coombe Wood in the rain Friday afternoon

My neighbour and I went to Coombe Wood in drizzly rain on Friday afternoon.

The flower beds by the entrance are full of colour. 

The prairie bed - can't really say prairie beds plural at the moment because the plants have grown so much and spilled all over the bark paths making them very difficult to walk along, and creating the impression of one big semi-circular bed.

Dotty buds of thallictrum (meadow rue). A friend from the art group I'm part of gave me a meadow rue the other day - with delightful open flowers on. The flowers at Coombe Wood aren't open yet.

The buds around this echinacea look like designs for buttons.

Looking through one variety to another. 

Acer seeds - how different they all are. This Acer has very green and widely spread wings. Others have red or pink wings and seeds - and some varieties have wings that are much more V shaped.

Hydrangea - these have come out a lot since my last visit.

In my thoughts hydrangea petals are oval or round - but not so! Look at the shape of these.

Wonderful variety in the middle - bobbles all exploding - all sorts of shades of green, pink and purple.

Sorry - more coming - I got a bit carried away here - I love the variety of shapes and colours, the smooth petals (bracts actually) around the edge with their jagged edges, and all that's going on in the middle.

And just when you think you've seen everything....

...the little bobbles in the middle of the bracts start erupting with stamens etc. as well.

A younger flower head just beginning to open. 

It was refreshing to be out in the rain after a couple of hot days.

This looked like a smoke bush but I thought they were red. Maybe there's a green variety as well?

Spindleberries not yet ready to do their dramatic display. 

Slender leaved acer with pinky seeds. 

Lovely cheerful sunflowers - heads bowed a little in the rain.

A damp bee still finding nectar/pollen. 

We noticed the sea holly stems - what a wonderful colour.

Nicotiana 

Enjoying the profusion of plants. 

Another damp bee. 

Teasels.

We were looking at the purple flowers when my neighbour noticed the bud - what an unexpected shape. So neatly pleated at the top!

My neighbour commented on how pretty the little flashes of pink looked peeping through the white flower.

Abutilon beginning to flower (the dark orange bell) - seen through purple and orange.

Love in a mist (nigella) pod. (Wonderful colour) 

Rain drenched bright red flower. 

Such bright orange - and the lemon ones nearby. 

Prety pink and white combination with sprays of blue.

A cascade of pinks and blues appear to be tumbling down this bank between the ferns.

We were very glad we braved the rain - it was a very enjoyable and refreshing walk.

Thank you very much for joining me.