Kew, predictably

Once more Saturday found me heading to Kew.. it wouldn't be Saturday without it! 

 another very grey morning but not too cold

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 the Broad Walk, looking plain without the Christmas additions...

I headed first for the Princess of Wales glasshouse to look for dragons..

my eye was caught by this mahonia

there were lots of blooms

 inside, they are getting geared up for the Orchid festival next month (starts 9 Feb) and some of the planting has commenced

the younger water dragon was back on the branch, no sign of the second youngster or the adult

I checked all round the POW for the other ones, but saw none; so I decided to come back later.

 but there was plenty of colour inside the POW

 these orchids are there  most of the year but will be joined by many more for the festival

you'll probably get sick of seeing photos of them

  I came out of the POW and went round to the rock garden,  a glimpse of sun on the horizon through the alpine house never materialised

 so I had to content myself with colour in the alpine house

 lovely tiny flowers

 outside the waterfall was flowing fast

and a mass of bullrushes in the foreground

 a mass of berries on a tree that I couldn't get close enough to from the path to read the label

you know how much I love the Palm House framed by dogwood

 so much new growth

just look at all these flowers

time for a pit stop of hot chocolate and cake (early today, and inside, not outside weather this week)

 and masses of hellebores too

I carried on towards the Temperate House, making sure to check out the witch hazel again,
even on a grey day the yellows and oranges shout out at you

this was an intriguing tree (can't remember now  parrotis something or other)  love the reddish pink

 I headed inside the temperate house

 where a wave of perfume hit me from various plants

this one

 this was gorgeous

 and the jasmine - beautiful

pattern on a watering can caught my eye

 whilst the tagetes that were clambering up the pillars have been cut back, there are still plenty of blooms

 I had to duck under the leaves of this that were overhanging the path, but liked the way the light was coming through the holes in the leaves

 had to stop at these again this week

 coming out of the Temperate House I headed for the lake, past the Treetop Walkway, which was still devoid of people so is obviously still not open again.

time for an ultra wide angle to emphasise the scale (and the grey clouds!)

 weird tree trunk features

 the only part of Christmas at Kew yet to be dismantled, everything else has gone. 
No doubt the frogmen will be in during the week to remove the boats/stars

the swans were swimming amongst them

 I headed back towards the Palm House

 pausing to take some closeups of the sculpture

this one is from the phone

 it was hot inside the Palm House and when I eventually got my lens to de-mist I wandered round

 you always get good light shining through these palms



there was some kind of wedding fashion shoot going on as a couple in a wedding dress and suit were being photographed against the tropical backdrop.


I saw them again outside later

 the gulls love to perch on the urns (yes, empty for now)  to preen

 there was still only sign of one of the water dragons, I had hoped I might catch their lunch time but not today.

I checked the middle of the plant up in the cool orchid section where I'd seen the dragon last week, but there was no sign of it there this time.

 misty shot but with the longer zoom on (haven't been carrying it with me but as I had it with me today had better use it)

 more signs of prep for the orchid festival

it will be interesting to once again see the display develop week by week

 the theme is Colombia this time so  imagine these "birds" relate somehow

 back outside I went down the Broad Walk were about the only colour (other than green/brown)  were from the hellebores

 after a trip to the "conveniences" I headed for the exit

 love the way these were growing

 lots of snowdrops around

 and as I walked past a tree I saw these purple fruits,  the tree was labelled date plum.  well they are quite plum-like I suppose

 fruit, but no leaves... odd. 

I don't remember seeing this tree in fruit before (unobservant, probably as it was a big tree so obviously very old!)


That's it for today, hope you've enjoyed the trip again.

Hopefully next time it might be sunny!