Kew - eventually

 Well today was a bit of a disaster... first train running late, no problem, got to Clapham Junction... where chaos reigned due to signal failures affecting where I needed to go... ended up having to get a very slow bus from Clapham to Richmond. Journey eventually took 3 hours - got thee at 11..  Teamed up with another lady at Clapham also on her way to Kew.  

So.  a belated opening shot... 

a dull grey day,  and people in the way!!  

I had missed my time slot for the orchids so it was off to try and find Kim..

the lady I had teamed up with, was meeting a friend who kindly picked us both up in Richmond and drove us the short way from there to Kew, (her friend turned  out to be Paralympian cyclist Fabienne Andre.  ) 

 so I ended up going in through a car park at a different entrance, so this is really my  opening shot! 

Sorry, I cheated! 

the beds at the Palm House are very yellow too, the daffodils are opening up nicely and the round beds are full of something else yellow!

it had thrown me off kilter somewhat being late so I went through the Palm House 

before Kim Whats App'd to say where she was..

came out of the middle of the Palm House and across towards the lake, heading for the woodland where Kim was

along side the new bit of the Mediterranean garden 

and the Temperate House

when I caught up with Kim we headed for a cup of tea.. and cake. (for me)  which I forgot to photograph...

at the cafe - the Pavilion cafe this week.  

the lemon drizzle cake I had was very nice!

it was a very grey day, but no rain.. and mild, as forecast, which made a nice change after recent weeks

I like this view of the Temperate House through the trees..

the International Photographer of the Year exhibition is on again

there were some fabulous entries,  even if a lot of them are manipulated layered images, all kinds of things I don't do with my photos! 

I'd never win a competition!

by the edge of the path near the winter garden 

I was getting in my stride a bit now with photos. 

bit too much leaf litter around the crocus and I was still on my normal zoom lens, not changed to macro yet 

still lots of colour from the dogwood

and the willow looking beautiful again

onto macro now for some closeups

the hellebores were fabulous today,  hundreds of flowers in various colours

the moss and lichen on this tree as you walk up the winter garden, is beautiful 

and I love the curving branches

towards the top there are several edgworthia bushes and they smell fantastic

that and the witch hazel was much better last week in the sun though 

the direction we walk in, we exited the winter garden onto Camellia Walk which is starting to bloom nicely

further along Camellia Walk are a couple of magnolias - one of which is starting to open.

will have to take a soggy walk to the magnolia glade next week to check progress there. 

it's likely to be very boggy with all the rain we've had

planting outside the cafe opposite the Palm House 

Kim wanted me to make angry faces with 3 fingers for 3 hours to get here....

more camellias on our way to the rock garden

at the end of the evolution garden another edgworthia 

at the foot of the slope here 

walking along the rock garden perimeter

lots of things flowering 

looking across the rock garden 

into the alpine house 

fritillaria looking good 

outside the alpine house

past the carbon garden 

there's a magnificent magnolia in the grass opposite the hive, 

and that is starting to open, too

Kim says this picture is called ' this is how the day went' 

crocus near the waterlily house

amongst lots of daffodils 

outside the Palm House

a long snaking queue waiting to get in to the orchids.  

I checked the train websites before I left, in case I needed to get a bus home, (my alternative route bus, not the one from this morning)  but it said they were running. so I headed back to Richmond to check - there was one coming shortly and I was home in the usual 90 minutes - much better than outwards! 

thanks for looking - a shorter blog than usual (you're probably grateful )  - let's try again next week!!