in late December... that in between Christmas and New Year time... No prizes for where I was headed. Hope you'll enjoy the walk..
I arrived shortly after opening time (thanks to the trains!) and the December sun was low in the sky and the frost was heavy on the ground...
there were shadows everywhere...
frosty leaves on the grass
signs of growth though
sun catching the Hive (I did walk up to it, but there were barriers up preventing me from walking up the slope to view from inside)
only just after ten, but lots of people on the Broad Walk, walking off the Christmas excesses!
frost on the plants glistening in the sun
and the grass by one of the benches, shining brightly - I took loads of this, had trouble deciding which to include...
the Hive again, behind the bare trees
heavy frost on the grass, leaving footprints behind me as I walk across it
love how the frost defines the shapes of the leaves....
constant changing of lenses to get different effects...
the frost looks furry on this one!
playing shadow-shapes!
and some one-handed photography!
purple cabbage, not much left in the vegetable garden currently
long lens on, into the frosty distance..
through to the Rock Garden, the water sparkling
close up of this - the label said Scilla something or other and appears to be related to the asparagus family...
so pretty! it was tiny!
and the sun, bright now out in the Grass Garden, still looking fabulous (I have totally changed my mind about grasses!)
and the sky so blue...
pockets of frost, having to avoid the people taking their own photographs..
into the Secret Garden. Love the teasels in the sunshine...
and tiny buds against the light
the alpine house, looking outer-space like in the sun
you have to keep turning round to see what it looks like from the other direction with the sun shining from a different angle...
round to the Palm House pond now...
gorgeous reflections coming up!!
just look at the dogwoods!
walking towards the Arboretum now across the wet frosty grass
bare trunks, this way, that way!
Witch Hazel
a different fountain (Elizabeth, the water only runs when you push the nozzle but yes, comes through his mouth)
grasses round the edge of the lake
the frost melting in the sun on the Henry Moore sculpture,
bobbles on the booby......
more pretty reflections
there were lots of children playing with the Christmas baubles in the tree, I was playing "angry old woman" muttering under my breath, don't do that, you'll break them, as their parents watched on... occasionally stopping them from hitting the tree too hard!
I was getting hungry by now (it was gone 12 by now) so I headed for the exit past some more great branches!
All in all it was a beautiful day, cold but not unbearably so, (mainly because there was no wind) - hope you've enjoyed them!
