It seems quite ridiculous to say that Cambridge University Botanic Garden looked even more lovely and amazing today than it usually does, but this is none the less true. From the daisies on the lawn to the campion, lady’s smock and oxeyed daisies in the long grass and the orchids in the chalk garden, or from the roses to the Iris sibirica to the foxgloves, everything looked quite wonderful.

There are daisies all over the grass paths and edges

Is this an early purple orchid?

Oxeyed daisy

White campion

My purpose in nipping in for an hour was twofold: I wanted to photograph white flowers, and I wanted a present from the Garden Shop for a baby to whom I am shortly to be introduced. It was of course remarkably difficult to stick to white only… and apologies for those plants not properly identified: I’m always reluctant to grope around in deep foliage for the labels.

Iris

Valeriana phu, in the chronological beds

Cistus

White foxglove

Gorgeous but unidentified…

White nigella

Prunus trilobata

Philadelphus cymosus ‘Conquete’

In the rose garden…

Rosa multiflora

At this point, the weather started to look threatening…

The rambler over the shelter in the scented garden

so I hoofed it for home, not because I melt in the wet but because I didn’t have a waterproof bag for the book I bought:

In fact, only a few drops fell, so I took some snaps of some of my own white(ish) flowers:

My white poppy

My new clematis ‘Jeanne’s Pink’, from Waresley Park Garden Centre

Cornus kousa ‘China Girl’

Wonderful Clematis Kamschatkensis (not sure if this is how it’s spelt?), which gets better every year.

Next up, purple flowers…

Caroline