More Bluebells

Another glorious day and, as we will not get a walk tomorrow, we decided to have a longer one today.  So, we set out for Shipley Hill to see the Bluebells in the woodland there.  We were very glad we did.  They're magnificent.

A photograph seldom does justice to the sight of a carpet of Bluebells, but with a little digital enhancement, they stand out just as well as they do in the 'flesh'.

Around the Old Hall gardens, the Rhododendrons and Azaleas are beginning to open their flowers.  Large-flowered and very showy, they add yet more colour to the countryside, just as there seems to be such a glut of it.

A closer look reveals the spots on the inner surface of the petals and the delicacy of the stamens.

The darker coloured Rhododendrons are not yet open, but the whites and pinks are beautiful enough.  They look even better in the glorious sunshine we're having at the moment.

Walking on from the hill, we headed for the village of Mapperley again and headed back homeward through a flock of free range chickens scratching in the sun, then via the old West Hallam colliery site.  A Lilac tree in one of the village gardens attracted my attention as we passed, not only for it's flowers, but also it's fragrance.