Kew - orchids, blossom and sunshine

So, the month long annual orchid display comes to an end this weekend, and I had to make another visit!  A long queue greeted me, meaning I was some minutes getting in (all be back to normal next week!)  as I hurried to the Princess of Wales glasshouse..

 at this point the skies were very grey...

 as I took a short cut across this patch of grass to catch up the first people ahead of me, a swan flew across the water.  You might be able to see if you enlarge it.  I had the wrong lens on to ger closer.

 I had to wait outside for a moment or two whilst they made sure not too many people were already inside...

 last look at the "coffee mule" (my name)

 I decided not to wait behind all the people wanting to take the route past the main display first, and cut round to the left again...

 didn't take too many of the "river" this time as they seem to be fading a fair bit after their month in the spotlight 

 Noticed someone I often see, taking a picture of this, so I copied her!

the eyes of the jaguar

 spotted these brown orchids today!

 water drops, will always get me!

 managed to get a fairly decent one of this yellow orchid for once

 love this browny one. 

 you know this dark purple one is one of my favourites,  the "pot" at the bottom is half full of water

 more water drops!

 I doubled back round past the pond, this is one of the big circular tubs in the water

 and the crowds viewing

 my favourite arch

 bottle brush

and in pink

the one of these I took on my camera came out blurry, good job I took one on the phone too!

 I had to take more of this (grevillea, thanks to a commenter on my WOYWW post this week who has them in her garden in Australia) 


I love their curly spirals

 I decided to cut short my final visit to the orchids and went outside

admiring the beds of daffodils either side of the entrance (exit, for now, though)

 different varieties, all shining in the sun now

 although there were clouds overhead!

the alpine house, stark against grey...

 It wasn't quite 11 so I decided to head for breakfast in the Orangery restaurant..

pausing only for a grey view of the Hive

 and the bed at the start of the Broad Walk, growth is abounding now!


this will be a riot of colour before long

they just had enough sausage left to do me a toastie

 I sat with my back to the door, but when I came out the sky was turning blue, although the wind was still strong


I walked up the Broad Walk

 pausing for snatches of colour here and there

 the acid colour of the euphorbia were glowing in the sunshine

 I went inside the Palm House, the sun was shining through doors and windows and made this palm trunk shimmer

it doesn't quite show in the picture sadly

 stopped to admire this again

went in search of blossom on trees

 and I was delighted to see that despite strong winds last weekend, although some had blown to the ground, there was lots still on the trees.


this is prunus (flowering cherry I believe)

 the magnolias again...

 it was very muddy underfoot (we've had quite a lot of rain too)  so it was a bit slippy..

 but, as you can see, the sky is blue and the sun out - so what's a bit of mud on your boots!

 I walked amongst the huge trees

before tearing myself away and toward the lake
which is close by)

 the grasses  were shining, and blowing in the wind!

 a goose snoozing in the sun

 beautiful yellow blossom overhanging the path along the lake,

and against the sky

 the sun, bright on the water

heading past the Treetop, not sure what this tree is, it's young and has a fence to prevent animal trespass but it's behind a hawthorn hedge and couldn't see a label.

I can't find out what the problem is or how long it will be closed for - no sign of any of the "essential maintenance" actually happening.


like the shapes though

 this plane trail between two clouds looked like a bolt of lightening!

 headed into the Temperate House

 silver bush daisy - I'd lost where these were in the TH - saw them weeks ago and obviously haven't been down the path there were down for ages, I thought they were somewhere else and had been cut back - or you'd have been bombarded with them for weeks!

 so I'll make up for it today!

I love them!

whilst I was taking them, I could hear a bird singing, loudly, but not where it was,


till I saw a young lad and his mum looking up into the shrub next to this

it was a robin, singing his (her) heart out..

had trouble with back lighting on the camera,

but took some on the phone too

you could hear it right over the other side of the TH when I went up the stairs and round the top.

 let's try again.   it was attracting quite a crowd by now, so I left them to it

 haven't walked round the gallery for a while,so climbed the stairs


(that's why I haven't seen the silver bush daisy, or I'd have walked past it to get to the stairs)

 I still love the roof structure.



It's nearly a year since it's been re-open (well 10 months anyway) - that's gone fast!

the stairs on the way down

 in the next section along, a huge pot housing a citrus tree

 I still can't see what this is called, but it reaches high up into the TH roof

I nearly downloaded an app for my phone that would identify it (only didn't as I am running out of storage space) - should have done so!

 it's still beautiful though!

 carrying on round,

 metrosideros.

love the little green tips to the pink spikes!

 they look like they're glowing in the dark!

there was a student-aged girl painting this in watercolour. 
tried to get a quick look as I walked past,it was good.

 back outside again,

 I walked down the centre of the path towards the TH that leads from the Palm House direction,

took this just to show as a guide to how quickly the tulips will grow now through the grass.

each side of the path is planted with flowering cherry trees and underplanted with tulips.

 on the other side of the path, and in the bed behind the tulips, was a long row of blue,

I went to investigate

 tiny, so closeups required!

 I had to walk round the other side of the bed (which is the route between the Palm House and Pagoda)

looking for labels.

I assume it is Elsholtzia fruticosa as everything else I recognised as something else!

 I headed back towards the Palm House for a loo break..

 muscari


in the bed at the main Victoria gate entrance.

there were lots of people still coming in (well it was only 1.30 or something ) but I wondered how long they would have to stand in line to get into the orchids...

 I headed past the side of the pond to check on the progress of the flowering cherry that I love so much.

it was impossible to photograph properly as the wind was so strong and even trying to hold a branch with one hand it kept moving...

 it is, however, bursting into flower!

 I took a walk up to the Temple of Aeleous that is on the top of the hill behind where the queue snakes... it went right round the back of the hill, I was amazed.   So glad I wasn't trying to go back to see the orchids!

 the main reason I went that way though was for this magnolia, the top of which I could see from the front of the hill

at the top in the viewing platform, under the temple, it was possible to see the work going on in the "family bed" area.   they appear to be changing the planting style completely

because as I found out when I went down, under the pergola and towards the back of this picture are lots of trees

to get there though, I had to break through the line of people to walk along the woodland path.

 past anenomes,

 hellebores (variety called Lenten Rose)

 and at the end of the path, an obviously later flowering variety, of magnolia, still softly in bud

with the temple behind it.

I walked along the top of the Rock Garden.

was surprised to see Pulsitilla out (always associate this with later in the spring, Easter time, but perhaps I am wrong
they are so pretty though. 

I went into the alpine house - these teeny flowers were still by the doorway in full bloom

 arum  - bit smaller to the "big stink" giant arum in the Princess of Wales glasshouse, but same distinctive shape

 new growth on a huge maple,  on the other side of the path at the left of the Grass Garden

 went into the Duke's garden

another huge magnolia,

 the winds of last week obviously caused all these camellia flowers to fall to the ground..

 back out of the Duke's garden (and in case you were wondering we have been there before, I may not have named it.  it is fabulous in late summer)


the alpine house and POW next door...

 changed lens to show the grass garden (all cut back ready to re-grow)




I decided to have a play with....

 the globe lens

 then I remembered Elizabeth said she thought it worked better with plants, so went back into the alpine house...

 still had it in my hand as I walked past the daffodils outside the POW

  I also took a walk though the Nash Conservatory where the International Photographer display is on (also finishing this weekend)

 outside and nearly at the exit, beds of tulips with more magnolias in the background

and as I left, I took one final tree outside, against a blue/cloudy sky and headed home 


not quite as many photos this week (less than 400) 

hopefully next week the crowds will be lower with the orchids finishing - at least I shouldn't have to queue to get in!

thanks for joining me again.