Hi! I decided to start a separate blog to show some of my photos - I love to take photos but I know that they may not be very interesting to many people. I seem to spend a lot of my Saturday mornings (depending on what football match is on Tv early at lunchtime) and obviously on the weather!
A couple of years ago I really enjoyed a TV programme made by Alan Titchmarsh, gardener and TV broadcaster extraordinaire here in the UK; that followed Kew for a year - imaginatively called, A Year At Kew. And I decided that I'd like to try my own photographic version.
So I took out an annual membership and away I went! I get a bit carried away when I take photos and end up with loads and loads - in a visit lasting a couple of hours, I can easily take a whole roll of film - or more, depending on what's in season and if there are special events on.
It is amazing to see the changes between visits, when life springs back into the plants and trees. Although autumn is probably my favourite time, you get some spectacular displays all through the year. Crisp frosty mornings, bright sunny days, I've been there! So to start off this blog, and to stop the rambling, here are a few of my favourite pictures that I've captured over the last couple of years.
This is possibly my all time favourite photo - I was at Kew early on a cold autumn morning late in 2008 and the sun was shining brightly through the water drops on this fountain. I became obsessed with this fountain - I still am, 2 years later!! You do have to be lucky to catch just the right time of day/year/weather but this day it was PERFECT. I thought about entering it for Kew's Photographer of the Year competition but chickened out. I always leave my camera set on automatic and trust to luck!
Don't you just love how the sunlight has caught the water drops?! I must have taken 10 or 15 shots that day... just of the fountain - I won't show you them all, that would be silly!! But I did keep swapping lenses, zooming in and out, you name it!
Between Christmas and New Year 2008, I took another trip to Kew and the lake was (partly) frozen, you can just about make out the ice (BOY was it cold...):
Each year in February, they put on a stunning Orchid Display in two of the glasshouses - these are from 2009 - displays to look like giant presents!
Orchids intertwined with these frothy looking airplants.
A month or so later, the spring colours were coming out in all their glory. This Japanese Cherry borders the lake I love so much!
I love this one with the Palm House in the background.
21.3.2009
Beautiful tulip displays! (21st March 2009 - this year they're not even through the soil!)
Then in early April, I was lucky enough to find this courting peacock in full display - I got very carried away with him too, and took loads of photos. I know they are meant to be unlucky, but he was sooo beautiful.
Three weeks later, I went back to see the bluebells in full flower and luckily it was another sunny morning!
The peacock was still in full love mode that day too! I loved the way his tail feathers were carefully draped over the bench that 5 minutes before I had been sitting on changing my film!
Wow! we've only got till April last year! I bet you are all bored by now so I will leave off for today!
Again I was crouching down shooting up through the plant - good job it hadn't been raining!
August now - this is the Palm House
Here's "my" fountain again - I told you I was obsessed with it! This time I've taken it from a different angle (for the sun) using some bushes to border my shot! This was 19th September. Another lovely bright day. 
I love autumn - the flower borders are just full of gorgeous colours.
This is 3rd October. Last year's autumn colour wasn't quite as good as the year before but this is one of my 2009 favourites though. The joy of going to Kew first thing in the morning (I time it to arrive just before they open at 9.30) is that there are fewer people in the way of my photos! 
This is the newest of the glasshouses at Kew - the Princess of Wales Conservatory, opened in 1987. I love the shapes of this one. This is where they have the orchid displays in Feb-March. 
