The morning light

This morning's beautiful sunshine had me out bright and early in my fluffy dressing gown and wellies. I could see the light streaming through the newly emerging purple foliage of some of my shrubs and there was a heavy dew, even a slight touch of frost on the grass.

Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'

I love purple foliage and there was only one tree with purple leaves when we moved here which is a small tree which I assume to be some kind of purple sycamore. I've since planted shrubs and another tree with purple foliage, and other shrubs and plants with interesting or variegated leaf colours, but more about them another time.

The young emerging leaves of the purple sycamore, with
a horse chestnut in the background

Mature leaves

Bearded iris with dew on the petals

A bud emerging from its papery cocoon, looking like ice

Heuchera with emerging flower stalks

Bugle (Ajuga reptens) looking like it is covered in ice crystals from the dew.

I'm also going to add a photo I took yesterday in the last of the evening sunshine. I took this through the kitchen window so it is not as clear as it should be, but I was too lazy to go outside and I loved the way the last rays were shining on my purple smoke bush.