Kew - orchids, week 2

 I had another time slot for 10 this week for the orchids and after my opening shot, headed straight there...

yes, that IS blue sky you can see... 

grabbed some reflections on my way

daffodils poking through the bedding in the beds at the Palm House... definite signs of spring,hurrah! 

and then it was inside... I kept the short zoom on for the first few...

they are going to be favourites this year !  

not only with me, the lady behind me was cooing over them too! 

I saw another one up a boabob tree that I hadn't seen last week...

I am sure the sign pointing it out, wasn't in place last time!

there he is hiding behind the catci

because "big bird" was too big for the 100m macro lens!

then into the main area

still on the zoom 

so I could get the information boards in shot

you have to keep your eyes peeled, you see more second time round!

I was now swapping lenses back and fro again...

I forgot to get the information board about these

I noticed orchids hanging about the path along the pond today, too 

side view

the chameleons are favourites, too! 

it is  a shame you can't walk up the steps to see the centrepiece from this angle

I didn't have to fight with misting up so much today

this tiny chameleon was SOOO cute 

then it was close up time for some of the basket displays

some of the detail on the first arch we come to 

last week I said there wasn't an animal in the ferny connecting room .... wrong!!  

an aye-aye up a tree

I took one on the phone and Kim said, did I see the spider above his head... er no... but there it is!

new ferns 

next arch

oops. blogger playing with the order...

never mind!

yellow arch before you go into the cool orchid room

oh flip, it's reversing again. . can't be faffed to change it... this is in the cool orchid room 

this is just before the cool orchid room!

this is the "back" of the giraffe beetle I shared last week  (it's depicted on the board I didn't photograph as a red beetle)

the glass display cases also had Madagascan orchids in

next room..

next room 

this is really quite spectacular. 

there were people in the way when I was trying to get this board.

the orchids are developing since last week, they looked more impressive today on the white arch

the "side panels" between the white and red char... I couldn't get decent shots last week

this is the "roof" of the connection between arches.   over exposed due to the light, sorry

and the red "connecting wall" 

into the final bit, the desert section of the POW, I didn't photograph any of the field work bit this time

but tried to get these pretty purpley pink orchids 

remember last week I said there was a sign "how many tortoises can you find".. I found 3 more today! 

I hadn't felt as though I was as long walking through the exhibit this week, but it was about the same, 45 minutes or so...

next stop round to the Alpine house that I forgot last week 

these make a welcome return every year 

these were teeny (dionysia) 

the display changes frequently and in the main bed of the alpine house are some buried pots of tiny narcissus

these had moved, too

still not in flower, but looking as if they'll burst open soon

and another climber at the far door

heading back through the evolution garden (not much to see this time)  this edgworthia was in full flower

and in the grass by the woodland walk loads of crocus

and some snowdrops (the ones in the rock garden have finished)

palm house bedding, those daffodil stems growing

I headed towards the magnolia glen to see if there was much happening yet

loads more crocus on the way

there  was only one, a white magnolia, starting to bud up

mossy lichen covered tree branches

heading back to the cafe at the Victoria gate entrance, 

the yoshino cherry trees are budding...

ivy hedging round the palm house 

I was hungry - my train had been delayed on the way so I didn't have time to eat at the cafe up the road this morning

so it was sausage roll AND cake (red velvet) and as they'd run out of small (re-usable) cups I had to have medium sized hot chocolate.  It wasn't particularly hot or chocolatey.... 

euphorbia in the bed at the entrance  

the rain drops had been from earlier rain - the rain for the morning that was forecast hadn't materialised and it had been quite sunny at times and even pleasantly mild (for February!)

helleobore in the entrance bed

I headed down the path towards the Temperate House  pausing for the Palm House behind this big tree

this was one on the other side of the path

blue fighting with cloud!

there were several of these in the new beds near the Temperate House,  it looked a bit sad with the brown markings 

into the Temeparate House

new ferns

I didn't go up the viewing platform today

by the "back door" the daffodils in the big tubs have burst open

down on my knees...

my favourite  in the davies exploration house

although I may have been calling it the wrong thing all this time as something else in the temperate house was labelled silver daisy bush...

back into the main Temperate House and my other favourite

I came out of the Temperate House because through a window I could see this huge drift of crocus across the way...

I got as low as I could (this is with the phone) but it was very muddy - it's been a very wet week - there was no way I could lie down...

I headed back past the winter garden just taking this on my way past... 

and along Camellia Walk 

by the temple of Bellona the mound at the back is covered in emerging daffodils. 

That's all for this week, thank you for looking once again,  see you next week!