Rain and Japan come to Kew

 Today sees the first day of Kew's Autumn "Japan" experience featuring plants, art and culture (quoting the leaflet)  

The forecast was also for heavy rain... so not a huge queue when I arrived in time for 10 o'clock opening (summer early opening for members ends at the end of September) 

as I had expected, the beds have been emptied for winter

I decided to head for the Temperate House first so off along some very soggy grass...

bit more change of colour in the trees

a large sign outside the main doors tell you about what to expect

and in the first octagon you come to

a colourful display of pot chrysanthemums 

these following close ups are actually from a later second walk through, but I'll keep them all together

waking through into the main part of the house, you are met by the red I saw last week being installed

a sign explains

and the morning entertainment was setting up (which is why I came back later)

there must be another sign about the busker - Ichi and his one man band experience... I will look next week

I took a walk round the Temperate House 

much like when the Chihuly exhibition was on it is visible all round the space

back at the centre

closing in on the Haiku

then, as the 11 am "show was still a way off, I headed through into the next octagon 

I must remember the ultra wide angle lens next week to fit it all in

it will be good to watch the leaves change colour during the month this is on 

from the doorway looking back

I headed out into the wet....

next week I'll take a walk to the bamboo garden and the Japanese garden where the colours in the trees should be developing nicely

I cut back down the grass (it's quicker than the pathways even if your feet get wet!)

and rejoined the path along camellia walk 

to the entrance - my favourite autumn view nearby is developing 

I had a look in the shop - I saw a gorgeous cushion that had I had a waterproof bag with me I'd have bought - hopefully they will still have them next week (they are new so I should be ok)

I didn't stop for coffee and cake as it was too wet outside to eat and I didn't notice if there were free seats inside - probably, there were hardly any people there, put off by the weather (which wasn't as bad as it could have been so far)

I walked along the outside of the Palm House - the urns on the edge of the pond are still planted

autumnal reflections just holding their own in the gloomy day

gull about to take flight off the wall

the red maple outside the Princess of Wales conservatory

still some colour left in the Evolution Garden

the echinacea are finished, 

but I still like them in this state 

and the daisy types are still beautiful 

despite the rain, there were bees collecting pollen from these flowers

the pumpkins and squashes have been harvested and displayed as usual, looking fabulous

I stayed off the grass at this end of the garden 

in the alpine house

not sure what this is

Arum Pictum - not quite as large as the giant one in the POW!

some of my favourite, the autumn scillia,  a beautiful bulb

into the Princess of Wales conservatory next

there are 2 new titan arums growing

a quick look into the orchid room

before heading back outside - the red maple in full 

and then headed back to the Temperate House for the end of the entertainment -

the performance is on weekends only between 11 and 12 (though lasting 40 minutes)

he uses handmade instruments with the sounds of a steel drum, ping-pong balls, a typewriter (missed that bit)  toys and other everyday objects

what I heard and saw was great fun  - need to be there fore 11 next week and listen to the whole show!

I'll try and record some of it on my phone 

and he heads off on stilts

part of his "kit"

the huge maple outside the gallery -  there will be an exhibition there too, starting mid month that they are getting ready now

the colour is turning on this now we've had rain

then back to the waterliy house

trumpet vines in the beds outside in the middle of the chrysanthemums

the pelican flowers were stinky today in their pollination attraction stage I guess

waterlily pad starting to decay

on the way home now,  down the Broad Walk

mostly seedheads everywhere  

these are still gorgeous

about the only colour along the Broad Walk are the rudbeckia

which will last a while yet

I stood under a tree to put my camera away

watched by these geese -

before heading home

the afternoon weather has been (as forecast) much worse than the morning - I was really luck - hopefully next week will be better and I will see more.  

Thanks for looking