Kew - the Thailand themed Orchid Festival

Today saw the opening of the 2018 Orchid Festival at Kew - this year's theme is Thailand.  Each year they seem to out-do themselves..  As you know, the display has been being installed over the last few weeks so I've seen bits and pieces... today was the grand opening and there was a big queue at the gate for the 10 am opening (despite their best efforts with the rail replacement bus for half of my first train journey I was there in time for that)

I took a swift walk past the Palm House pond (which looked as if it might be part frozen, but wasn't in fact) to head straight for the Princess of Wales glasshouse...
settle back and enjoy... this is a photo heavy post (when aren't they!)

we saw this last week..

 but the pillars in the desert section have been draped with colourful fabric

they've always called them Chinese Water Dragons before...
however!!

 I love it in plant form! 

 I remembered to view the centrepiece from this angle...
lens still a bit misty from the humidity..

 the centrepiece crafted in the middle of the pond, is based on a Palace outside Bangkok

I went up the steps for a view from higher...

 hundreds of orchids frame the pillars

 up on the higher level, the bromelliad area is always festooned with arches... this year they are more spectacular than ever!

 it was hard to keep everybody out of my photos!  but you do see how big the arches are!

 you have to remember to look up as well as down

 a cart filled with orchids

 by the paddy field and "Bruno" the water buffalo...

 

 love this flower filled boat

another arch - I always love the ones they mix with airplants

close up of the "ceiling" of the arch

 back through the door to the desert area, a little bridge

 live music was playing that you could hear throughout the glasshouse,















provided by

 heading back through to the other exit,

more parasols and lanterns

 love the reflection

 outside, for weekends only during the Festival, a pop up street market stall...

 serving food and cocktails... only at lunchtimes, though so I was too early!

 I decided to head for my own refreshments

(coffee and a piece of sticky toffee pudding...yum yum)

 before paying another visit to Life in Death.

took some shots up into the ceiling this time...

 this one reminds me of a piece of tapestry

 outside, the drifts of crocus are spreading

 walked under a tree, this rotting pine cone caught my eye

 clumps of daffodils in the grass - the blooms starting to emerge

 walking round the side of the Palm House on my way home I climbed a grass bank to take a shot over this tub....

(not one of the ones on the edge of the pond, they are still empty   -  well, unplanted, they are full of frozen scummy bird pooey water!)

 these have the same primulas in that are in the beds in front of the Palm House

 at the foot of the wildflower meadow in front of the Hive, I spied yellow....

went for a closer look at the crocus...



they were on quite a slope....

crouched down to take this close up.... and when trying to stand up promptly fell back on my bum! 

luckily there wasn't so much rain to make the ground really wet, but I did get a bit muddy!



Headed for my torturous journey home .... next time I go I hope the trains will run! 



Thanks for looking!