Kew - orchids and Storm Dennis

This weekend the UK is being hit by Storm Dennis, but the forecast for early today at least wasn't too bad.  They weren't able to open last Sunday with the threat of Storm Ciara
Once again I had a 10.30 time slot for the orchids even though I saw them last week and I tried not to duplicate too many pictures... not sure how successful that was

 there was quite a crowd at the gate again but I started here.


fortunately the rain that I woke to at 6am had stopped and though it was windy, it wasn't too bad

 the spray from the fountain was being blown about - we'll have a closer look later; I didn't want to be late for the orchids!

 I wasn't first in the queue for the time slot today, but once again they let us in early

I went round the other way this time so I would go in via the big carnivorous tunnel
in doing so I spotted this area I hadn't seen last week

 the tv programme "The One Show" featured a segment on Friday's programme about the putting together of this year's display which was quite interesting if you can find it on the bbc i-player.  (about 20 minutes in, after all the kerfuffle about boy-band JLS re-forming) 

 I was lucky to be first through this way so it was completely empty - fabulous but it didn't last long

 there was space to read the board about the orangutans today

 close up of the volcano

 and the top, the white feathers and "stuff"  (technical term!) used to represent the steam escaping

the blue orchids that divide opinion.

I love them for the colour

 I caught sight through the door of some more parasols in the desert section

 before going back in again

 and went up to the arches on the top level

 no sun to illuminate through the roof this week

 but I got some water drops again

baby pineapple

 one of the pillars

 another pillar

 looking down at two pillars below

 the tv programme explained that the tiger was created from leaves and "debris" from the POW glasshouse, great recycling! 

 can't help it, I love the display around the orangutans.

 I love the hairy rhino

on leaving, I noticed the grass garden has been cut back 

 I went into the alpine house - the scillia are starting to fade

 but the pretty little iris are gorgeous

 the wind coming through the door played havoc with the pasque flower, trying to get it still was hard!

(phone) 

out through the rock garden 

 and walked through the evolution garden - the face sculpture visible through the archway

 the daffodils have really emerged on the slope up to the temple

 I approached the face...


the crocus through the openings blurring in the background...

so I blurred the structure

there are signs of spring everywhere (hurrah!)

I took a 20 second video on my phone of the wind blowing the spray about but can't work out how to add it, but it was windy!

 the flowering cherry by the pond was starting to flower - I had noticed a few buds last week but amazingly one or two flowers were actually out

it seems very early to me even though this does flower in early spring

(phone) 



I headed to the cafe for refreshments

I had to settle for chocolate fudge cake this week, they didn't have a wide selection today and I didn't fancy the chai latte cake (saw it last week, looks very pretty but not sure about flavour...)

 back outside I saw this incredibly dark purple nearly black hellebore

 and lots of crocus

 inside the Temperate House now, there were spits and spots of rain starting

 had another look at their orchids in pots on the window ledges

(phone) 

 and the teeny narcissus

phone coped better with them - love this with the building outside through the window!

 silver daisy bush in the main "room"

 more narcisssus

 it's still going!

outside, this huge prunus was already smothered in flowers - the only one, none of the others are!

 mossy tree trunk

 gorse bush as I walked up Cedar Vista to the lake

 didn't linger, it's a bit exposed at that end of the lake

 stems of the acer "winter gold"  are stunning

the wind was blowing the water across the surface of the lake

 the cornelian cherry is beautiful again

 when I got to the bridge it was completely deserted, it was barely raining (hadn't yet put up my brolly) 




 there were one or two people about but most of them were in the glasshouses

 walked through the Temperate House to cut through to the other side of the gardens,

 before walking up to the (still closed for winter) Waterlily house

 I had a look through the window - being cleaned ready for the new season

bank of daffodils to the side

the grass was quite squelchy from all the rain of the last few days

 I didn't bother approaching the fountain again,  it was raining enough for the brolly now
and I decided to head for the exit

pausing only for some final raindrops on the euphorbia


Hopefully next week will be more pleasant -

I got home just as the rain really started and it's now blowing a hooley from the storm (more promised tomorrow!)