Kew - a return to the orchids

There was another large crowd at the gates this morning, but a lot of them were attending a course of some kind.

So,, we sprinted (well not really but certainly didn't dawdle) for my opening shot

not orchids but very pretty

As I was taking pictures of the lion the Kew guide spoke to me - it was Penny, a girl I was at senior school with int he 70's  - I knew from FB she works at Kew but have never bumped into her there

she said it was the first time she'd "done" the orchids.

It was great to have a quick chat 

I swear I didn't see the bird perched on the hippo's back last week!  Was obviously snapping too fast to "look"  - have  just looked back, and it was there !  

there was another one "flying" over the lion 

the "waterfall"  -  I had the macro on which is a longer focal length 

which also meant I couldn't get the whole crocodile in one shot.

also a large number of people in front of him by the side of the water

plants along his back

side view

top of the arch at the end of the tropical section -  I confused Elizabeth last week with the arches - the different zones are separated by doors, not the arches, they're just for decoration

textural  begonia leaves

as we went through the doors between the tropical section past some ferns we were keeping our eyes peeled for what we'd missed last week.  (we'd asked a guide whilst in the queue waiting to enter this week)

not quite sure how we missed him......  there is a short corridor full of ferns between the tropical section and the other entrance.     

well I am, we were probably rushing and also there were lots of people in this bit last week...

I bet loads of them missed it...

he is quite big!!  

the guide had also warned us to look up... at the other end of the corridor we saw why...

a baby gorillam  

in his mother's arms!  cute!

trying to get the next arch free of people, but it's impossible

along the route through the POW are lots of tubs full of orchids as well as the displays themselves

from the centre of the arch in the photo a few above...

I know I will have included some of these last time, but they're pretty, I make no apologies... you can zoom through!

I love these dark ones 

and these chocolatey brown ones (think that's why I like them so much....

another arch just before we go through the next door into another zone...

there was a bit of a bottle neck by the leopard...

but patience pays off and the heads move on!

macro back on

to the left of the leopard are some more pots

close up of his head

and tail

they use lots of plant material that would otherwise get thrown out for the construction of the animals where they can

into the cool orchid room now

as today was a very dull day there was not so much of a problem with sun through the windows to mess with the back lighting i had last week (mostly)

but these are much more burgundy-red than they look 

the light that was welcome was the light shining through some of the petals though

another arch, still in the cool orchid room

the next few are the orchids on the moss balls suspended from the ceiling 

these are down in the beds at floor level... getting back up was a struggle..

then through into the next room and the giraffes - I think these are my favourite of the animals this year 

"giraffe body"  tower of orchids

to the right of the path in the alcove where the titan arum normally sits is another small arch, by the side of the second giraffe.

last week I blurred the pineappes totally

giraffe knee !  

bottom of his tail

top of his tail

the door in the background is through to a little film room and pop up shop (we didn't bother)  

pretty patterns on this one

glad that my camera played nicely today, so often struggles with these 

another tub of orchids

big leaf! 

the final big display 

stripy stem - looking for other things too

"dragon tree"  most of which is edible, according to the sign 

saying nothing (this is not on the dragon tree)

teeny tiny...

back out into the arid zone.   these are so pretty and tiny

and my eyes don't spot the macro focus well.  

this one came out ok though

spiky cactus

by the exit - the hanging display of the gourds/squashes.

managed to blur all but these 3

outside again,  witch hazel

viburnum -  spring is on the way!  

alpine house

these were so tiny..

slightly blurred the purple ones, but took this with my finger in for scale.

hairy leaves

Evolution garden which we gave a miss to last week

they've left the seedheads of the agapanthus 

a patch of yellow caught our eyes -  Japanese Umbrella pine 

magnolia buds,  yes spring IS on the way

as we walked into the next section we could smell a strong scent..  Christmas Box

tiny little flowers 

more seed heads

grasses

twisty twig on something... couldn't get closer as it was in the middle of a bed.  

edgworthia 

we both always struggle with this.  Kim got a great shot of it today (not this one!)  

more witch hazel as we passed the queue for the mid-day orchid time slot...

on our way back to the cafe 

this has a big name and a lovely scent (usually)

chimomanthus preacox

it's over head high. 

we had our refreshments outside for the first time this year - yay!!  

hot chocolate and apple crumble muffin - gorgeous soft, fresh spongy muffin,  although not a lot of apple flavour.... 

we chose our outside table by the bed 

snowdrops and (I think) winter aconite, the yellow) 

so pretty

we didn't linger long though as it was nearly 12,

we headed to the new Winter garden

pretty bark 

and of course the fab hellebores

at the top of the slope of the Winter Garden,  there was a small amount of the witch hazel left

and the red one,  but a lot had faded here.. seems early to have gone over but maybe because it;s not fully established in this position yet?  

at the bottom of the slope,  playing with the overlapping tree trunks

the boards in the distance are the Photography competition.  we didn't go for another look today

inside the Temperate House

salvia - loving the hairy stems

and this over my head was so tiny and pretty

spiky plants in one of the octagons

pachypodium lamerei....  

this was at the top of the spikes!

more spikes --  this was a euphorbia  (caput medusae )

and this was it's top bit! 

didn't get the name of this

but some kind of aloe I guess

Kim called me over to this

such pretty patterns on the leaves 

it's a kalanchoe

didn't do very well with the flowers!  

my favourite 

another favourite

some kind of rosemary - delicate little flowers

Kim was zooming in on this and nticed the centres are purple

so were the white ones, forgive the blur!  

been trying for weeks to get decent shots of this....

another one with purple middles

the bird of paradise are just coming into flower 

this is the first one out

still looking for something different..

contrasting with the spiky stem

we'll do the viewing platform next week 

had just put the macro lens away on our way back to the exit when i saw this clump of fungus on a sawn off tree trunk

bet it's not there next week

We decided to give the lake a miss this week and headed for the exit.

No orchid time slot next week so will be out and around the rest of the gardens!  

Thanks for looking.