Kew - and the Titan arum is flowering

 It was back to an 8am visit today (only available to the end of the month)  and the forecast was excellent (and correct) Also exciting me was the news from Kew's Facebook page that one of their Titan Arum's was about to flower - you saw the growth it had put on last week.

as you can see, the sky is already blue at 8 when I entered

and there were some great reflections in the pond of the clouds 

I took some extra shots of the beds today (more later) as Elizabeth last week thought they were ready for their end of season haircut -  on the whole I think they've done remarkably well.

 you'll see more later when I came back by

love a bit of dew on a soft leaf

the asters in the evolution garden are still delightful - huge swathes of them

and the darker ones (I prefer this shade)

mingling with the helenium and the rudbeckia both of which are starting to fade now

it was a bit cool still and dewy, as you see - so no bees out yet  

the echinacea are definitely fading , but I love them

even when the eryngium fade they are beautiful 

small slug on the physalis - both the shots I took are slightly blurry, this is the best !  

sedum

I love how the flowers on the eucomis open from the bottom upwards - nearly all open now! 

these were unusual- no label that I could see.

don't think I've ever realised the grape that grow on the fence round the student vegetable plots (which have now been cleared) were red ones.  

Wonder if they harvest enough for wine ; they look too small to be sweet enough to be eating grapes.

tall spikes of pampas grass

the sun was catching the alpine house

then I went up to the Hive, where there were some good reflections

sometimes the phone does better!  

the sun was shining on the trunks of this tree

and this little squirrel was gathering food

the patch of Japanese anemone on the corner of the Broad Walk bed is still in full flower 

walking down the Broad Walk

I love these as you know,  the reddish purple stems contrasting against the white flowers

I always take some on the phone and share to FB as I go round.

not sure if this bee was asleep or dead!  hopefully the former 

the coleus in the round beds at either end of the pond, have been fabulous 

as promised, some closer shots of the plants in the beds at the Palm House

yes, the urns along the pond edge are still full

some of the perlagonium flowers have agreed, started to go over

I decided it was time for food, I was hungry as I had had nothing before leaving home today.      It was glorious sitting outside in the sun, with my apple sausage roll and hot chocolate.    I did find bits of apple in the sausage roll, though not sure I could detect the flavour of it - it was very nice though, and good to have something more filling than cake!

I walked past some rose bushes on my way next to the Temperate House

lots of hips!

the grass was quite wet and although I was regretting wearing my walking boots as my fet were hot, at least they kept dry

Palm House from the walk up to the Temperate House (making sure to crop out the chap with a tripod taking loads more time for his shot than I did!)

it was one of those gorgeous sunlit autumn mornings that I love. 

I sat on the seating - there was no-one else there -  and played shadow selfies for Julia!

this is my favourite!

much as I like the seating, they could do wish cushions, it's not the most comfortable seat !

Cherry Walk without the blossom.  still looking good though

holly tree

I walked round the outside to head back to the Princess of Wales conservatory to get there for 10 so I could see the titan arum....

there was some beautiful screening round a patch of the grass at the far end of the Temperate House - I presume, they are getting ready for the Japanese event that is coming up,  we shall see

just love the trees on the screens.

I went to wide angle for the back of the Palm House from the Rose Garden

the light was fabulous

I reached the Princess of Wales conservatory a couple of minutes before 10,  a few other people were there with the same idea as me.

we were not disappointed

my macro lens doesn't get enough in so I swapped to my standard

lots of photos as, who knows when I'll see it in flower again

It isn't fully open, (it flattens out fully) so the smell that it is famous for wasn't too bad, a bit whiffy, but not disgusting.

it is obviously at it's most stinky fully open to attract insects

I did swap lens again for some close ups

from round the back too (blogger has reversed the order again, damn it)

I was alternating with my phone too, and got one of the other visitors to take some with me by it for scale

I've included a few as she took several 

and got some in mid action

which is quite funny

so I hope this gives you an idea of it's height (I am about 5 foot 6)  obviously it is in a pot so it starts higher up!

It really was amazing to see -  a bit of a shame it's not fully open -   and I am SO tempted to go again tomorrow to have another look - they only last about 24 hours 

watch this space!

on my way home a little later I did come back for another look, (it hadn't opened any further!)  but got a photo of the top of the spike

sadly against the light!  

walking round the rest of the conservatory.  there were chains across some of the entrances to parts of it, I assume for crowd control purposes as the titan arum will be very popular!

love the way the sun is shining through the orchid  you'd know know it was indoors

there was a hole in a waterlily leave that was buttefly shaped!

in the alpine house, colchicum

salvia border along the border of the rock garden

what a glorious blue!

more colchicum, outside in the rock garden now

and more salvia

then into the Waterlily house, where the pelican flowers have had another flourish

round the side of the pond

there weren't many waterlilies out though,

they must be between flowerings!

but this was an early stage of one

got a better angle on my way out

then the lake - more great reflections

lens change again

from the middle of the crossing, I do love it's wiggly S shape

I sat for a while and enjoyed the warmth of the sun

then went back to the Palm House and did the same there!

before taking another look at the Titan Arum before heading home

So, tomorrow - we'll see, forecast is wet,  very wet later on but you know I'm an early bird so......

I have the week ahead off work so there may be the odd day out and about too.

Thanks for looking