Unexpectedly, Kew..

A very wet Kew.   I wasn't going to go today, a) the forecast was atrocious and b) there was another train strike ....
But, I was lying in bed watching You Tube and saw that the rain might not start as early as they had previously said.   So....

Two buses later I was at Kew soon after 10 (no more early opening, remember!)   Because it was a bus journey I went in the Victoria Gate I use for earlies... next time it will be the other gate, so a different starting picture...

 the beds have been cleared and dug over

no doubt by next week there will be new winter planting in them...

as soon as I arrived, it started to rain..  so that was a good decision then.....

as you can see, the urns on the wall of the pond are still planted.. No doubt they'll be emptied by next visit.

 the big tree at the left of the start (from this direction) of the Broad Walk is developing some fabulous autumn red!

 it was only spitting with rain still for now...

 decaying lily heads

 I think these may be Japanese Anemone ..possibly

the wind kept swaying the euphorbia!

 I was going to walk over to see these closer, but forgot...

 teeny tiny purple flowers

in amongst the grasses

 love these pink and white flowers, there are still loads of them left.

a few weeks ago a lady asked me if I knew what they were... there is no label.  so I still don't know!

 mauve daisy-flowers.

you can see rain on them!

 there was a huge drift of them   spent ages photographing them

 must go and look at the name on this tree!

it's fascinating

 the huge tree next to the hive is changing rapidly

 took a quick walk up...  think this is through the floor from below..

 view from the path up to the hive across the Broad Walk and beyond

 the huge tree through the hive

 this is another lovely autumn-changing tree next to the hive.

still has a way to go...

 but it has some great leaves

 inside the Princess of Wales glasshouse, I needed to warm up, I was COLD!!

 love this little water feature

 this plant reminds me of a Dale Chihuly glass piece. .... I mention him because I was delighted to read in my latest copy of the Kew magazine, that next April he is again heading to Kew for an exhibit.... I will be counting the days!

the ferns as you go into the tropical zone seem to be larger than ever

 the contrast in cold and wet outside and the warmth inside, made my lens really mist up badly. 


let's just pretend I was going for a soft focus look....

 still no lizards....  this looked like a funghi.. I knew it wasn't though...

 it is a lotus flower head

 cactus about to flower

 lithops - living stones - in flower.
they are behind glass so had to hope for the best.

funnily enough they were talking about these on Gardener's World just last night...


never noticed them in flower before!

 this tree is just outside the POW

stunning.   pouring with rain, now!!

but the rain was really refreshing the colours and making them zing!

 some sad little crocuses.. No way, we're not opening today! they were saying...

 down the pathway behind the pond. another red beauty..


took loads of this...

will share a few; don't want to bore you!

 despite the rain, still light and bright!

 rain bouncing in the pond..

 this is another beauty...
rain sitting in the dips in the leaves

 this is always a shot that Kew use to celebrate autumn... it's one of my favourite views too.
the red has really intensified since last weekend.

 the big maple outside the gallery has lost loads of it's leaves..

 bit too soggy to rustle through though!










The main reason I braved the weather today though, was to see the new art exhibit in the Shirley Sherwood gallery...

the art of ancient oaks, a series of drawings (portraits, they describe them as)  by Mark Frith. 

 in the room where Life in Death was..


I snatched some pictures, will take better and more next time...

I was shivering with the cold, lol!

 they are fabulous though!

back out into the rain...

 walked through the wet leaf litter

 splashed through puddles into the Temperate House...

 Angel's Trumpet

 the camera was as cold as I was, it was really struggling to focus on this!

think it's time to head home

 love these little orangey-yellow flowers

freylinia lanceolata

 I saw them last week, but I think there are more blooms now

resting on my palm, to show how small they are

 love how the lower branches are tumbling over the path

 daisy

 the prunus trees outside, in the misty murky wet!

 I took a short cut to the exit

 but had to stop to photograph this tree, it's gorgeous,

headed for the bus... a long tortuous journey home, caused by traffic, rain, roadworks

took me 3 hours....


hopefully next week, the weather will be kind and the trains will be running!!

thanks for looking.