A sunny Armistice Day at Kew

 Today was just magnificent at Kew... cold, bright, and so so sunny.   Enjoy!

I had time for breakfast at the cafe up the road first 

just a croissant and a cup of tea (which I didn't let brew enough before pouring) 

and then down the road to wait for opening time.. 

it was so nice to be greeted by blue skies and stunning reflections

the lake is covered in the lights for the Christmas event starting soon  - Wednesday in fact (but they're still working on it for now)

as I headed down the Broad Walk I turned to look back at the Palm House through the tree

there'd been a touch of frost it seems but the sun was melting it 

some of the Christmas display as I took the path round to the Hive

and then round to the POW 

where there were some more passionflowers open, and a few at the top that I couldn't reach with the camera

I walked through the orchid room first 

this was through the glass display case so not very easy

there was sun glowing through leaves all round today

but I was having a bit of trouble fogging!  

through to the cacti area

there seemed to be lots of almost flowering specimens!

before walking round towards the evolution garden

there were a few asters left 

the sun was glistening on the physalis

this is on the phone

I was surprised to see a yellow one

the leaves have died back around the stems so it is much easier to see the "skeletonising" 

the hydrangea on the corner was looking good too

as it turns to seed

then off to see the porcelain plant

agapanthas seed

went to check out the mushroom bed -  some shittake growing

then back through to the rock garden

nerines

salvia border

bulrushes

scilla in the alpine house

tiny crocus

they've not yet cut the grasses down 

the huge tree at the end of the grass garden near the gateway to the Duke's garden

there's been a lot of rain lately so I wasn't surprised to see fungi under tree bases

heading back past the face sculpture 

berries by the side of the POW

so much colour!

including the callicarpa - the bush was covered in berries,  and birds too, as i approached a load of pigeons flew off from their snacking!

back crossing the Broad Walk

I like these birds, and presumably they'l be lit up at night 

I couldn't take the path I wanted straight ahead of me as it was being "Christmassed" so I walked back up the Broad Walk to the next gap in the beds

but walking in this direction I got the full effect of the sun through the grasses 

I cut onto the grass to head towards the next area I wanted to visit

pausing at 11 to observe the 2 minute silence at 11 am for Armistice day (I'd been listening to the radio so knew the time) 

and nearly trampled on some more fungi

the waterlily house from the back, as I don't often see... sun glancing off the Palm House 

with my phone I took a photo through the window - it was a bit grubby from the weather - but you could see the pond still has water and some lily pads in, but the planting round the outside of the pond had been stripped out

I then had to find my way round some Christmas workings to get to the path...

my feet got a bit damp whilst I tramped through wet grass

but I wouldn't have found this gorgeous tree had I gone on the path

or this huge drift of mushrooms

the sun was warm, I took my hat and gloves off and undid my coat...

and through the arboretum towards the lake (eventually) 

to my left I saw red behind a bare branched tree, and went to look closer

WOW   

there were a couple admiring it - so red!  it's a red maple, variety October Glory - looking pretty fab in November too.

I got a bit carried away...

I did put my sunglasses on soon after but they make it so hard to see the colours 

I followed shafts of sun 

as I followed the sign to the bamboo garden I passed the end of the azalea glade and came across some gorgeous acers

walking through the bamboo garden I came across one of the resident foxes

I headed along the path towards the woodland walk (bluebells) 

the edge of Kew borders the Thames

I headed to the children's log walk play area 

where I knew there would be fungi 

it was too wet and squishy underfoot to get down on the ground

there had been lots of different varieties.  I then came out of the log walk area and headed to the lake

some more at the foot of a guide map

this is near the top of the lake and looking stunning 

I walked along the path round the lake - not the path right alongside the lake though

I came across the heron on the grass 

I've not seen him/her for ages

there was another lady photographing it too,  and we got fairly close

at the lake crossing

stunning reflections 

I stuck the phone for some reflections on the lake

I carried on round the lake,  there was a lady feeding birds... 

they seemed quite excited! 

I headed back over the grass

along some more of the Christmas trail

I decided not to go to the Temperate House  but instead headed back to the entrance 

where I must have knocked a setting on the camera as i got a very bleached out couple of photos where I was trying to get some photos of the trees framing the walk to the Palm House

nearing the exit,  some final splashes of colour 

the Chittamwood 

but a lot of the leaves here have fallen 

I decided to call it a day here, and headed home.  

thanks for looking, what a stunning visit today's was.

see you next week!