the last early visit of the season - Kew

the only thing I won't miss about the early opening at Kew is the ridiculously early time I get up to enjoy them...
once again, out before sunrise.. and boy, was it cold first thing!

 as I stood on the station platform, the plane trails were tinged with the pink of the rising sun in the sky...

 there was quite a crowd in early today for the last weekend of the 8am opening. 

 and a low mist hovering over the surface of the pond which proved very hard to capture

 the moon hadn't yet gone to bed either!

 I knelt down by one of the urns for another got a the mist...

before heading down the Broad Walk

 the huge spider's web was hard to capture..

the sedums were looking amazing

 and the asters, although some of them are fading (in colour as well as bloom)

 despite the real chill ( not enough for frost mind) the sky was blue

 and the colours possibly more advanced than in the few short days since I was last here...

the Princess of Wales hiding behind the trees

 I had another go today, it looks almost black and white. 

It is the dew or condensation on the glass catching the sun that is causing such a fabulous image, as I went closer to have a look this time

 I went down the salvia border again.   Still had trouble with the pink ones... must be my eyes not responding to the pink maybe!

 dappled shade and sun

 wonderful reflection in the still pond

I was surprised to see they were watering the grass alongside the pond, although it has been quite dry... maybe they've re-seeded or relaid the turf.  the drips caught the light nicely though!

 passing the pond again as I headed off in a different direction

 glimpse of the trees through the holly hedge at the side of the rose garden

 a load of seagulls sitting on the roof of the palm house

 the branch of this tree pointing off at an angle caught my eye today

 the pagoda in the distance, the route lined with changing trees

 this one is a Pin Oak

it's reddening leaves silhouetted against the sky

there really did seem to be more colour (well change of colour) since Wednesday - bit like my hair! 

 Parrotia Persica ( a native of Iran, unsurprisingly)

gorgeous colours

 I headed for the lake, so went past the Temperate House....

 I'll say it again, I am really going to miss this fabulous light early in the mornings.

next time it will be 2 hours later ....

 patterns in a tree stump

 Temperate House's turn to hide behind the trees

 I cut through under the Walkway to the lake


you get an idea of the size (18m up)

 as I approached I could see a lot of geese and ducks on the water

 a gaggle of geese sailing under the bridge... the leader was a bit ahead!!

 popular spot!

gorgeous light

 tree on the island in the middle turning red

 stunning reflections

 it was so still and peaceful (apart from my radio in my ear playing the Ryder Cup Golf, I had to stop myself whooping and hollering as Europe played well)

rounding the top of the lake

 I headed down Cedar Vista towards the Pagoda, had a quick look at the Japanese garden, thinking there'd be lots of changing acers but they hadn't yet so will keep that for another visit.

 approaching the Temperate House from the other end, the avenue of prunus trees are beautiful

 and full of berries

 pretty little funghi

 trees are laden this year

against the blue....

 more geese, feeding in the grass

 looking up, deep red berries

 looking down, saw this leaf with a white wispy covering.

I don't know what it is, I think my cousin has come across something similar so she may remember

 decided it was time to go for a coffee and cake break (it was approaching 10 now)

so headed back past the side of the Temperate House

 I headed back to the Victoria Gate cafe hoping I wouldn't be photographing ALL the same trees again.....

 bed at the Palm House

 inside, they were decorating the beams

 sat in the sun - now gloriously warm, drinking my coffee and eating my new favourite, toffee and banana cake....


didn't stop long though, headed back towards the Temperate House, but took a different route through the trees

 I followed a little boy and his dad up the stairs to the top

 the plants are definitely growing!

 reflection in the little pond by the waterfall

 through the window

 gorgeous shadows on the ironwork

 and the floor

 back down, little flowers...

opening into pretty little amber-y yellow blooms

 pretty fluffy little (well quite tall) plant

if I photographed the right label, it's called
thamnocortus insignis...  bit of a moutful

 it was lovely, glistening in the sun

 asparagus

 cape honeysuckle

 pretty little purpley-blue flowers

on slender stems

 osteospermum, African Daisies.

glistening after a drink

 when I walked outside, the sky was amazing - obviously a busy flight day, there were plane trails everywhere....

 a wide angle was called for!

 through the window

 I walked across the grass towards the maples outside the Sherwood gallery...

 getting a bit sidetracked on the way

 this is one of my favourite autumn trees...

I sat against the trunk and enjoyed the view for a few minutes

 before heading back down the path towards the Victoria Gate

a huge English Oak tree

 with a huge canopy of leaves

 I went into the Palm House....

 where the old misting up of the lens kept happening ha ha

 Dioon Spinulosum

an endangered cycad , from Mexico - with the largest cone of any plant, according to the label.

the trunk is stunning

 I love the way inside the Palm House the light from the windows shines through the leaves of the palms and other plants..

 everything is so big!

semi misted, but atmospheric

 down at the end of one of the paths I found some gorgeous flowers

crinum asiaticum.    it was so pretty

 water lily pad

 close up  of one of the statues outside the Palm House

 I sat on a bench for a while in the sun...

 before nipping off to the Princess of Wales glasshouse


through the woodland walk, the crocus had opened, when I was there this morning in the chill early air the sun hadn't opened them yet

 large flowering cactus

 little aloe, so pretty

 echeveira leuchotricha  - soft and pretty

loved the way the light was playing on it

 there's a smaller version of this growing one of the stairways, never noticed this bigger one until today, I only stopped (looking for the water dragons) as someone was looking in it's direction..

 it was fab! and no, I can't remember what it is.

 the "big stink" arum growing still...

 so many different colours of this around.  (no, don't know what it is either)

 eucalpytus

 palm, outside

pyrus leaves.  love the coloured spots!

 it was time to head home.


the sedums on the Broad Walk in full sun now

 grasses

 big bed by the exit/entrance

and this clematis was in someone's garden, but I still had my camera out!


thanks for sticking with me, hope you enjoyed our very long walk today! 

5 hours, over 500 photos...