Kew at Easter - in close up

Despite another weekend of railway engineering works I was headed for Kew - I went shopping yesterday and treated myself, finally, to the macro lens I have been yearning after for AGES!  

So, weather and lack of trains aside (and yes, I got wet)  off I went.

I am really pleased with today's pictures and there could well be more than normal.....

sit back with a cuppa and enjoy.

 started at the Palm House, just as the rain started!

 and look, Elizabeth, the urns are finally planted up.. Told you it would be for "spring" (ha ha, it was freezing today!)

so, onto closeups then with the new telephoto macro lens (not used to a telephoto (single focal length) lens, kept trying to zoom in!!

 close up of the primulas in the urn

 the kids event for Easter (it's been running for a week already I think) is a Peter Rabbit theme although there is also a dragon trail too... didn't pick up a leaflet so not sure why...

 the Broad Walk hellebores

and euphorbia centres... look at the drips of rain on the edge!

(this lens makes me happy!)

close up of one of the led sensors in the Hive...

part of the Hive... looks like a Dalek head!!

 I love rusty metal!

 soft fluffy magnolia coming into bloom..

 lichen on a branch

sadly some of the activities for the Easter event have had to be moved to one of the buildings - there was so much rain over the last few days the tents have been flooded out

shame, they look so pretty 

 tiny blue flowers...

 my hands were frozen and it was raining on my new lens so I headed into the POW glasshouse to warm up.... wiping off my lens and trying to de-mist it.... oops..

 but it was so nice to get even closer closeups of the remaining orchids

 weed in a little pond...  plant weed, not me!! 

 these were tiny!

 skeleton leaf

 pattern in a rock

 in the Alpine house now... where everything is miniature anyway....

 the grass garden is starting to grow up again

 no sign of Mr McGregor though, the rain must have put him off (it had stopped by now luckily and my hands were warming up)

 had a peak in the Bonsai house - never normally do, as it doesn't appeal to me, but this acer was gorgeous.  and had just been watered too, obviously!

 the roses are starting to grow on the pergola again...

 brick pattern in the pergola

magnolia in front of the slope of daffodils behind..

 ah, there be dragons....

 Canada goose..drinking in the muddly puddles in the grass.

 loads more blossom on the flowering cherry this week,

I headed to the cafe for coffee and cake (raspberry and pistachio - gorgeous) - I didn't linger as it was crowded -

 I headed along the camellia walk ....

 so many varieties....

all sopping wet!

 mahonia

 this tree had had several camellia blooms placed in branches! 



I went into the gallery to see the new exhibition that's taken the place of Life in Death... no photos allowed...

oops... couldn't resist, (didn't see the sign till I'd taken this, to be truthful)    the room looks so different without the garlands, and only the walls covered in artwork...

 looking over at the Temperate House, the big restoration hoardings have come down... 5 weeks to go!

it was nice to be able to see it again without the boarding in the way.

raining again...

 work still going on, but great to see through to the plants inside

 more prunus, coming into flower

walked past the treetop walkway, didn't go up today, but headed for the lake....

 two adult swans were being fed by some visitors, (I know there is only one here!!)

 amazingly enough, the sun was trying to come out!



walking along the side of the lake, the path was very muddy and slippery

but there were some reflections to be had

 at the end of the lake were a couple looking at the water, past some adult geese ....

aww, sweet! 

 nobbly bits on a tree...

 magnolia 

 I could hear geese calling but couldn't see them, till I looked up in the tree!

 this was one of the parents of the baby geese.... well, not the actual parent but this breed of goose...

 don't think this magnolia is any more fond of the cold and wet than I am....

even with my flash new lens I had trouble getting the camera to focus on the forsythia... have noticed the same with daffodils, must be the yellow....

 Palm House hiding behind fir trees

 I noticed that the Waterlily house had re-opened after it's winter spruce up...





so in I popped...

 where I changed lens for a minute... didn't let the steam disappear first.... but I love the atmosphere..


it looks so empty in there as all the perimeter planting has been cut back

 view from the inner doorway... which seems to have been taken down -  I'll have to check back to last year!

 the spring planting is really flourishing now, the Fritillaria Imperialis are coming on nicely...

 just missed these geese coming in to land in the pond! 

time to head home...

thanks for looking and enjoying my new lens! (hopefully)