Dahlia

With the temperature rising I took the opportunity to visit Houghton Lodge Gardens near Stockbridge. As usual, the gardens were looking wonderful, but the resident alpacas (and their companion sheep) were not to be seen - I think they were hiding from the unseasonably hot sun in their huts!  I soon took their lead with a visit to the café to sit and sup coffee and cake on the patio under the shade of a large parasol.

Although I am not that fond of "blowsy" flowers like some of the dahlias, I do like the architectural splendour of the pom-pom varieties, so here is one from the long border.