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.