Kew - colour, sculpture and garlands..

Headed for Kew again, to say a farewell to the Sculpt at Kew exhibits which finish tomorrow. 
The way the trains worked today, meant I was there early so walked round to the Victoria Gate entrance and joined a queue!! 

 so I started here again, lots of colour still although the dahlia are starting to flag a bit - there's been no frost though yet which is what normally does for them!

 walked past the still flowering rose garden (although obviously loads fewer blooms now) to find some colour... was on my way to one of the art galleries for a new exhibit....

 the first of many different groups of funghi I found today

 these look fabulous in spring, covered in blossom, and now splendid in autumn clothes too!

 and the sun came out!

 witch hazel

 nearly tripped over these ones!

 then saw these growing in the edge of a bed

as you can see!

 this is the little clump at the bottom of the above picture

 the callicarpa leaves look almost as purple as their berries...

 although I think I may have missed them at their best.

 these were stunning

 and the tree was strewn with them! (it's a Sea Buckthorn)..

 colour at every turn... Palm House in the distance.

would have laid right down but the grass was dampish...

 didn't realise I'd caught this little girl as I crouched down to take some leaves shots...

 they were so scrunchy I had to have a good scuffle through them.


but I had finally made it to the gallery for the exhibition... I wasn't to be disappointed (I had an idea what it was like, I'd seen it in the Kew magazine that comes with my membership)...

 Just flipping WOW

It's called Life in Death, and is by Rebecca Louise Law
it was inspired by Egyptian funeral garlands, and contains
3750,000 preserved blooms, grasses, cones...

I have included most of the photos I took - you walk through a narrow pathway round them...

it's on til next March, I will be returning!! 

 the lights are from the ceiling, it's fairly lightly lit (does that makes sense?)  and it's very peaceful... although there were quite a lot of people in there

I stepped back inside after I'd walked through, as I caught a sight of the details on my way past it again



the way the gallery is set up, is there is a way in, you walk through, and come out a different doorway... but then walk back round the room to the exit, past a few tantalising no entry doorways... cue a few more pictures!

they hang from ceiling to floor...
absolutely beautiful!




ok, back out into the sunshine now...

 where the Sugar Maple from last week has shed more leaves (to scuffle through a second time today!)

 lantern like dangles (no other word for it!) on the Varnish Tree

 walking through the grass, I saw loads of these leaves... they looked like banana skins!

they were quite hard, (I was going to bring one home, but couldn't keep it flat in my camera bag and as it bent, it started to tear which revealed a softer, green inside)

the tree labels (there were two, Korean Locust and Honey Locust.  not sure which these had come from..

 but looking at the Korean Locust, probably that one! 

 red vine leaves at the Pavilion restaurant (long queue for food so headed past..)

Saw a great reflection opportunity in the gallery window through the willow sculpture

 I was heading for the lake again, and hopefully some more reflections (although the sun had gone in now)

 I walked down the right hand side (as I was approaching) this time

 but crossed the bridge and carried on down the other side

 a great squawking revealed two geese in the tree... they sounded as if they were acting as look out, as there were more in the water... odd!!

waited for ages for both swans to have their heads out of the water at the same time!

I wanted to go and see the Treelings again, although they are part of Artful Autumn so there till the end of October unlike the sculptures.

 took a couple of close ups..

 so much variety in the willow colours

 another couple of pics at the top of the lake,

 the treehouse was shut again, still not seen inside...

walked round the woodland walk

bright berries

 third scuffle of the day in the leaves!

 right, better see some of my favourites for the last time!

 when I went round the back of this one, a bird had pooped on it, and it had dripped right down his back between his but cheeks, lol!!  I didn't take a pic, no!!

 as I walked through the Rock Garden I couldn't believe it when I saw some sculptures I hadn't noticed before!  good job I went that way...

 I was on the path above them, so went down the steps...

 some more of these

 loved the turtles, they look like they're flying! (a la Disc World!)

 this one was hard to capture....

 so I exited stage left and went past the long bed full of salvias, so much colour!

pinks and purples...

on the other side of the path, stopped to watch the bees.. this one was reversing out of the bloom!

 several more of these!

 the grasses were waving in the wind... so much variety of colour

 this one is for Lesley. 

 this is for me - and Sam - think it's my all time favourite...

 although these run it close!

 didn't include this, it was one of a series of 5, glass and some glass with slate, didn't really think them much, but it was better backlit!

 almost swaying in the breeze, against the tree

 another favourite

 great feet!

 Broad Walk colour

 you get a sense of the size against the trees

 more berries

 think she is my favourite.....oh!!  well yes another one!

 too tired to walk any closer!










the magnolia by the gate still doing weird things
It's probably not weird at all, just I've never seen it before in this stage!

thanks for keeping me company again on this latest mega-walk (forgot to turn the pedometer on for the first hour, lol!)  the last three and a half  hours were just under 7000 steps, 6 and a bit km   Photo count, 330 odd!