Dawyck in Colour

The sun was shining so we decided to pay a visit to Dawyck Botanical Gardens. We hadn't been for a while and there was now much more colour in the garden than during our previous visit. The bluebells were almost over but the trilliums had only just started and both the white

 and the red varieties were putting on a great show. 

At this time of year however it's the rhododendrons who are the stars and I loved how this enormous one was tucked behind the trunk of an equally huge tree.

 And the one above was much like a bridal veil spreading her petals in passing.

I'm sure I have posted a similar picture of ferns before here but the sight of so many of them together in their fresh greenery proved irresistible and I just had to take another snapshot.

These are the thorns of Rosa Sericea. It was in flower but the flowers themselves are fairly non-descript. Small and white they are overshadowed by the gigantic and very red thorns that stand proud of the stems of this rose with the flowers and the foliage trying to make their way around them. You can see the bluebells in the background as well as some white late flowering daffodils.

But the highlight are the rhododendron flowers dripping in blooms. The famous rhododendron/azalea walk in Dawyck isn't quite there yet but it won't be long now so we will try and go again soon. I don't want to miss that spectacular yearly display.