Pink Sunrise

I have decided to take a break from the waterfalls for now, I still have a few pictures from that day out to share but maybe another day... For today (and tomorrow) however I wanted to share a splash of spring colour. Visitors to my blog will know that I love photographing flowers and spring is a great time to get some early colour.

The second day during my recent week off I got up at 4 am and set off for Snowdonia in North Wales to capture some early morning shots of the mountains at dawn. I have got some great images to share in the days ahead. 

After my trek up the mountain and back I decided to stop off at Bodnant Gardens to see what I could see. I was a little disappointed to be honest because there were only a few different varieties in bloom although there was lots of fresh new growth and a profusion of greens.

The first flowers to see were the tulips at the top of the page, the bright sun really shows the flowers off at their best.

The next picture is of a Magnolia coming into bloom, the tree as a whole was loaded with flowers and was a spectacular sight but I felt that this individual flower made a great picture.

The next image is of a Hyacinth, I think they were getting to be past their best but I managed to find this specimen in a sheltered spot and so it was not too badly damaged by the wind. Again the sun helps to bring out the rich colour of this delicate flower.

The final picture today is my favourite from today's selection. It was a tiny flower, no more than a few inches tall and it was growing in the shaded border in a trellised walkway. The main feature of that part of the garden will be different varieties of Clematis and this little gem will probably be seen by very few visitors and so i was thrilled to spot it and get a few shots. It is a variety of Muscari called Pink Sunrise, which after my early start and the sunrise I had enjoyed seemed very apt indeed.