Madingley Wood - Elf Cups and other Fungi among the Snowdrops

A visit to Madingley Hall this morning in bright sunshine revealed a single Scarlet Elf Cup along with a couple of Slime Moulds with number of different fungi and slime moulds among the newly emerging Snowdrops, Aconites and Spurge Laurel. More fungi etc to follow.

Madingley Hall Gardens

There are plenty of spring flowers already in flower at Madingley Hall Gardens including the snowdrops and the great collection of Hellebores. Unfortunately the woodland walk, which is a mass of snowdrops, is closed at the moment as there is tree surgery being done. Hopefully they will reopen in a couple of weeks and the snowdops will still be in flower.

Anglesey Abbey January 26th

 We visited Anglesey Abbey last Friday on a beautiful 'spring' sunny morning to admire the spring flowers already well into bloom. Not the easiest flower photography conditions for white and yellow flowers! I experimented photographing high key into the light  - needed a bit more care with focal points and depth of field but like the overall impression of delicate flowers and spring sunshine. Even a few early bees around foraging on the daffodils

Flowers at Madingley Hall

We took a walk around Madingley Hall Gardens yesterday - the frost had gone but it was still chilly. However, lots of flowers are already in bloom. Some of these are expected like the Flowering cherry and Wych Hazel. Other species in bloom were Snowflake, Spurge Laurel, Snowflake, Mahonia, Garrya, Berberis, Hellebore, Jasmine, Iris, Aubretia, Aconite, Green Hellebore, Primrose and Strawberry

Aconites and Other Spring Flowers Girton

It is several years since I walked around Girton College grounds so today I decided to explore the perimeter path and was rewarded with some impressive spring flowers - the aconites and snowdrops in full bloom while daffodils and crocuses are now opening. Very different to my first February in Cambridge where the grounds were frozen or under snow from Boxing Day till March 6th.