Kew - a sunny day

 Hello,  Saturday again and Kew-day! 

a lovely blue sky and some sunshine - makes such a difference.

to go with the auto focus problems I have done something to my right wrist/base of my thumb and operating the camera was painful.... 

it wasn't anywhere near as cold as I had thought it would be though so that was a plus!  

no orchid queue snaking round the path today

Kim and I headed down the Broad Walk first 

before turning off to the Princess of Wales conservatory where we could now roam through the whole area not just the orchid display

blogger is reversing the order,  so we'll go with it...

pretty little passion flower on the upper level 

camera really didn't want to play for a while

but got some decent water drops

down on the ground floor, arid area

was disappointed to see the flowers on this tall spike have faded quickly,  last week we were early for it this week nearly over!

right, back to that passion flower....

the jade vine looking fabulous again, the colour is working better today!

some fabulous water drops on it,  it had not long been watered just before opening time

just by the pond (where the lion was)  are some pink bananas 

and some lovely water drops on a big leaf

in the carnivorous room

some delicate little flowers

back out in the rainforest area

in the ferny bit (where the gorillas were)  a fern unfurling...

and some lovely red "backs of leaves! 

there were some of the pots of orchids still dotted around

and in the little pool of water just in front of the back door (front door?)  is one of the hippos and birds

(last year they put the golden frogs down here  after the display finished)  

going backwards again...

another of the upstairs areas 

fantastic pattern! 

so pretty but camera was being a b***er  

leaf patterns

dip in a leaf full of water (from the watering not a hole in the roof!)

back on the ground floor

in the ferny area again (missed these first time going through - no wonder we missed the gorillas first week of the orchids, lol!)  

closer look at the fern unfurling 

at the base of the ferns, Kim spotted this first to be fair, love the water and the light on the leaves

my favourite, grevillea,  in flower again 

in the doorway of the exit a tub of orchids,  masses of flowers

didn't think I'd got them focussed but they seem ok

the mass of flowers though is a bit different!  ah well... so many blooms

grasses in front of the alpine house,in the rock garden

bit of cloud, but still dry and quite mild (compared to what we've had!) 

in the alpine house.  climbing up a frame in a pot 

the unopened flowers are so pretty too

fritillary

more fritillary

muscari

euphorbia, the prostrate one,  

evolution garden,   magnolia  trying to flower

they were really early last year, my FB timeline memories show me them in full flower!

hydrangea skeletons

it's growing new leaves now !  

so nice to see blue sky behind seedheads

love the hill covered in daffodils

at the pond,  long zoom in hand...

I had planned for the sun with the lens! I don't always carry the long zoom with me 

zooming in on the door of the Palm House

lots of people enjoying the spring day

looking across the pond

I've left this in, as I quite like the effect but I was trying to make the camera focus on the buds below!

beautiful camelia,  reminded us of raspberry ripple ice cream

still had the long zoom on, so it doesn't do close ups well but these were pretty!

viburnum

time to head for refreshments now...

elevenses...

it was so nice and sunny we ate outside 

hot chocolate and a fantastic slice of gingerbread cake, with chunks of stem ginger in the middle layer of icing.  Worth every penny!  

then we headed off towards the lake,

along a path with lots of crocus out under the trees

looking gorgeous in the sunshine

a little further on was a bank with loads more crocus at the foot.  

despite it being a bit muddy under foot I had to do my lying down thing!

whilst down there snapped Kim

it was worth a muddy knee of my jeans!

heading further on to the lake we came across a tall monkey puzzle tree 

this one is taller (I think) than the one we see near the Orangery restaurant  and the flowers are higher up

but looking gorgeous against a blue sky

at the lake, the island (the swans normally nest on this island)  has been largely cleared of plants 

there were several groups of geese getting into  mating season!

this man walked across the crossing and made a nice reflection

tree by the crossing starting to burst into flower

Kim had a bonus trip to Kew on Tuesday and come across this on the bank of the lake covered in frost and ice

today it was just looking gorgeo

then we headed to the woodland walk

still no bluebells out - just the leaves growing

we took the relatively new boardwalk "extension" that twists 

and turns.

following Kim...

past bug hotels

and tree trunks with funghi

this part is better when the trees have more green leaves 

blossom near Queen Charlotte's Cottage looking better than last week 

back at the Temperate House now

lovely cherry pink rhododendron in the temperate house

heading back along the grass on our way home

I nipped through the Palm House as I had a while before my train...

and some lichen on a tree 

before heading to the station where my train was late this week so I missed the connection at Clapham Junction!

Today was really lovely,  so nice to see the blue sky and sun for a while (the predicted rain is here now as I am writing this)

Thanks for looking - see you next week!