Kew - Frosty and bright or deep and crisp and even...

 The wait for opening at Kew this morning was long and freezing...around  -2 Celsius  

but I knew I'd be rewarded with beauty inside.

cue 325 frosty photos... 

even the main gates were looking chilly!

and I was well wrapped up with multiple layers of everything!

unfortunately as I got inside and took my opening shot on camera and phone (for FB) the phone seemed to freeze - probably literally - and wouldn't turn itself back on.

however, Kim and I carried on

even the urns round the pond were frosty on the side that hadn't yet caught the sun, which were melting quickly

and as I had hoped, most of the pond had frozen

as you can see, it was pretty sunny 

we headed down the Broad Walk... 

blogger is reversing the order already!!  but no matter

loved the frost on the euphorbia 

rose leaves

the second grouping of euphorbia was more in the sun, so was starting to drip 

we couldn't get close enough to see these grasses at the back of the border better

not sure what this is, a pretty grey leafed low lying plant... 

not sure the flower will survive the temperature!  

the blue sky was gorgeous, and in the sun the air didn't feel too cold, and our feet were starting to warm up after the wait at the gates.

it was a good job there was no wind, or the wind chill would have been dreadful

we turned the corner and walked along past the closed Orangery restaurant and the pine trees

looking back at the Broad Walk

ice crystals on branches

drips of melting frost on the ends of branches...

the monkey puzzle tree

looking up to the top of the monkey puzzle

the melting drips on these leaves had re-frozen!

everything was so beautiful 

along the path towards the grass garden, 

we didn't go into the alpine house today (or any of the glasshouses actually)

the light across the grasses was lovely

the big gum tree by the waterlily pond was in full sun (well as full as it gets on a December morning) and the ends of the leaves were dripping frost but sadly you can't see 

apart from the area round the little pump the pond was frozen, trapping the lily pads in the ice

frozen liken on a wall

another leaf frozen in the pond

then headed round to the veg garden and evolution garden

the shitake mushrooms have started to sprout in their mushroom bed

chard

across the path into the evolution garden

low growing something!

magnolia buds

the skeleton leaves of the hydrangea were now beautiful with frost too

broken stems falling, tumbling, covered in frost...

agapanthas seed heads

eryngium

more seedheads

even the signs were frosty

echinops

bench..

the statue at the far end of the evolution garden was looking cold!!  

giant cardoon 

teasels 

rosehips

berries, looking as if they were emerging from the frost 

a last few roses

I don't think the bright blue porcelain berries will survive the frost 

one side of the bush was already fully melted

agapanthas again

the hedge separate each section of the evolution garden 

looking down the edge of the EG

through the hole in the wall to the rock garden

we walked down the salvia border, which has been all cut back from last week

at the junction by the Princess of Wales conservatory

blogger is reversing again..

this is the weeping beech

At this point Kim had the bright idea to check the water feature in the secluded garden.....

inspired thought!

we both took loads here  

we were like excited kids!  

even the rim round the edge was dripping in icicles

put the other lens on

then tried the globe lens,  didn't quite work how I imagined

Kim in the background

so back to the icicles

some of the stacks don't have water running on them so are just frosty

the dogwoods on the top of the border to the secluded garden

what a treat!

pittosporum berries 

hedging along by the hive

melting frosty drips

as we approached the Palm House pond Kim stopped to throw some food to the geese that were on the grass

I headed for the tree on the edge of the pond which was glistening from a distance..

by the dogwood hedge

it looked stunning

by now Kim had caught me up

there were lots of visitors also admiring the sight

love the drips on the dogwood stems

trying to find a gap in the dogwood to get a good viewpoint

moving round the pond

the dogwoods always look gorgeous across the pond on days like this

change of lens again

there was certainly a change to the look of the palm house beds since 10am !

nearly all the frost gone from here 

we went and had something to eat but as my phone was not working I can't share!! (hot chocolate and cheese and mushroom croissant)  

before heading to Holly Walk by the Treetop Walkway

we'd missed the best of the frost but you can't be in 2 places at once..

they look like they were lightly dusted with icing sugar!

beautiful shadows in front of the Pagoda

there was a young lad painting it - it was very good

leaves on the ground

near the Japanese Garden we saw another tree glistening

with melting frost

the gravel garden looked freshly raked

across the path I noticed a fox running past

the peace urn at the Japanese garden, neither of us have noticed it before 

been there 2 years!  

great shadows on the gravel (one of them is of a visitor!)

fatsia

not sure but pretty 

we headed back to the exit,

I was going for the station so we parted 

last look at the reflections in the ice

as I walked down the Broad Walk to my exit.

I checked my phone at the station, and it turned on and was working perfectly!!  

I guess it was just cold.

Hope you enjoyed this marathon post, and come back next week for more!