Wildflowers

I was reminded recently whilst driving to get my car repaired that the thistles were in bloom soon  . I could see them on the distant hillside as I drove past and I was determined this year not to miss their flowering. Normally by the time I get round to walking around to see them the have metamorphosed from vibrant purple to a dried but still beautiful dried golden flower head.

So this morning I trotted off over the hill to see what i could see.

There have been some pretty decent rains lately so the hillside (or at least one side of it) was in full bloom with weedy growth. I say one side of the hill because there must have been some recent burnoffs to rid the hill face of feral fennel bushes which are taking over the landscape from the natural scrub. One side black and tarry, the other teaming with weedy floral beauty.

Happily I traipsed along picking  flower heads to make a wild bouquet 

Over this hill is where the thistles normally grow. i was suitably disappointed when confronted with yet another brown landscape, this time the area where the expressway had been developed and half the hillside used as a dumping ground. This area (commendably) has been cleaned up but in the process they have bulldozed all the thistle plants that were to be my photographic opportunity. Disappointment to miss yet another display of beauty. A little further along the path I found one hidden beauty, just for me and you, a little show of glory to take your breath away.

My favourite

And the bunch of flowers I picked I ended up giving to mum when I went and had a cup of coffee with her, directly after the walk.