When it's Spring Again...

...I'll bring again,  Tulips from Amsterdam Kew , The forecast for today was sunny but with a keen cold wind... they weren't wrong there.. luckily most of the time I was at Kew I was sheltered from the wind.  So. tulips you say... I can oblige there. I took 150 photos today, so this will be a photo heavy post (not all of them though I promise!)

outside one of the eatery places!

 the Parterre outside the Palm House, looking splendid.. 2 weeks ago when I was here, there was barely a bloom out, certainly none of the tulips.  I got a bit carried away here... will let the beauty speak for itself..

 I was talking to a lady also taking photos here, and said how I'd love to take a shot from above.. no low-flying aircraft to hand,  but I did have an idea...







I went into the Palm House and up the stairs to the walk way round the top... the humidity misters were going full pelt so the windows had all misted up, but I wiped the water away.. not bad, not really what I hoped for, but not bad!

 back down on ground floor, this is a new feature for this year, all done in tulips and hyacinth again, had all bloomed since I was here 2 weeks ago. Hope you can read the info, it was easier to do this than try and remember it all!

beautiful!

 inside the Waterlily house, recently re-opened for the season (last time I was here) showing signs of new growth in the pond

 back outside, took these narcissus, planted in tubs along the Palm House Lake and on the steps outside the Palm House, looking beautiful against the sky (lots of crouching!)

Taken whilst I was climbing down the stairs in the Palm House, love the wrought iron staircase.

 palm trunk

 

 walking round the lake, snapped this robin - thank goodness for autofocus!! am thrilled with this, thought I'd missed him. (or her)

 magnolia still looking good

 flowering cherry, beautiful

 Walking through late narcissus, trying to find the fritillery, that Kew had put on their FB page, meant to be loads, but didn't find the right paths obviously!

 this branch was bare 2 weeks ago too

 laid full stretch on the grass for this one - good job it's been very dry!

 and outside the Princess of Wales glasshouse, more of the same tulips as the Palm House, but loved them against the shapes of the POW glass

 angles and repeating patterns

 bluebells

 weeds, but so pretty!

 more magnolia - nearly at the gate to go home now!













no idea what this one is, but it's a huge big shrub right by the entrance

knobbly trees, for a bit of relief from all the "frou frou".

and loved this Himalayan Birch.

wow, that was a marathon - hope you're still with me!

Anyone see Shaun? (or, Kew at Easter)

Kew always lay on special events at Easter and Christmas.  This year Shaun the Sheep was going, with some of his chums... It was cold there today, really cold and I think Shaun was in hiding...

 although it may just that I was there as soon as they opened as usual.
did find a wooden one!

raindrops on tulip leaves

 when I went to Coombe Woods yesterday, I was amazed that the magnolias there are so far behind Kew - it's not that far away in terms of miles,  here at Kew lots of them are nearly over

 as you can see by the pink carpet under the trees!

overlapping branches from two trees, like raspberry ripple!!

 did see a little bit of sun for a few minutes!

 Forsythia everywhere, beautiful yellow (I was holding this up to photograph as it hangs down and I wasn't going to get onto the wet muddy ground!)

 beautiful Snakes Head Fritillery.

 catkins

pretty stripey tree trunks.

 ribes, flowering currant

 Flowering Cherry, with the Palm House in the background

 I love this view at this time of year - but it's very short-lived

 such pretty flowers

 and the mossy branches, too.

 the spring bedding in front of the Palm House - tulips starting to bloom

still plenty of hellebores about

 more blown magnolias!

 and a gorgeous peacock strutting through the beds

 bronze scarecrow guarding the vegetable beds from the "Kew on a Plate" tv series. not sure if they're filming another series, or just keeping the veg going.

 and a rather large artichoke

and tulips, there were none of these in bloom at Coombe Woods yesterday.

and a final magnolia

with it's mossy branches

By this time (about 2 hours) I was so cold I had to head for home... Shaun is there till next weekend but I'll be at Ally Pally so unable to go back then.