Summer in Ray Wood

Cornus kousa

Now that the glorious spring display of rhododendrons has faded and the leaf canopy has expanded I have been curious to see how the summer unfolds in Ray Wood, but having been planted with consummate skill by Jim Russell there is still much to see. Although the floral display is quieter, there are lots of interesting plants in bloom now, and the cool greenness of the wood itself is delightful. Shafts of sunlight illuminate flowers and foliage rather attractively, as seen in some of these images from today.

The flowers of Magnolia officinalis are deliciously fragrant.

Deutzia ningpoensis

Rosa davidii

Rhododendron  'Lava Flow' is one of last to remain in flower

Although the Rhododendron flowers are mostly over, many have very attractive new growth: this is R. pachysanthum.

A good clean pink Lilium martagon:

There is a dense groundcover of ferns in many parts of Ray Wood, mostly natives, like this Dryopteris filix-mas, but also some intersting exotics.

An interior view of Ray Wood: 'green and pleasant' is an apt description.