What a wet week it's been... and first thing wasn't any different.. It is the last weekend of this year's orchid festival and I sheltered in the cafe up the road for breakfast before joining the queue where it started to rain hard!
you can#t see in this but it was still raining for my opening shot, before I went round to the orchid entrance.
the path leading up to the Princess of Wales conservatory was flooded, so they were having to change the queuing system.
my buddy in crime Kim was unable to make today as she had to wait in for a delivery so I was on my own.
I shall miss the lemurs
It seemed to me that a lot of the displays have less flowers in them, I am assuming they have been quality controlling the display and removing "spent" flowers.
heading through into the tropical main part of the display
there were more of the jade vine flowers out this week
I shall miss the many chameleons, too
the barrier at the foot of the stairs was down so it was possible to get a view from the side of the main display
this is a phone one
(phone)
back to camera
bye-bye, aye aye...
the purple leaves on the arch seemed to be fewer too.
the white arch - I was already most of the way through the display -
amazingly there was hardly anyone else in there s I could get some distance shots of it
and the side panels
the tortoise
this is as I came out - the puddles are where the queue is meant to be! still some umbrellas up although it was between showers temporarily
walking round behind the POW
puddle picture time!
to the alpine house
lovely display of fritillaries
this aloe flower made me think it looked like a tortoise sticking his head out
looking back
wet magnolias in the evolution garden
daffodils on the slope by the temple
another magnolia
hyacinth in the bed at the top of the Broad Walk
in the same bed
I was struggling with my umbrella and camera!
hellebores in the Broad Walk
raindrops!
there were 5 or 6 Egyptian geese in the bed but some visitors came the other way up the Broad Walk and they moved..
heading off to the left of the Broad Walk
It was pouring again now and I was having to dodge big puddles on the paths
I knew the big magnolias would be looking good,
and I did squelch across to see
but that is where you need to walk between them, and I wasn't going to!!
so I retreated to the path and left them for another day!
passing the palm house from a distance, lovely forsythia bright yellow
and some pink somethings!
passing the Treetop Walkway
before heading into the Davies exploration house opposite the Temperate House
my favourites - lots again!
damn! back to front order ....
no excuses, I love them!
this is supposed to be the path that runs past the Temperate House! I took a different route!
and then walked through from end to end (rather than entering halfway through)
the salvias in the TH near the stairway down from the viewing platform.
I love them!
going in close
the TH one...
as Kim wasn't with me, I went up the viewing platform - she can't manage that many stairs on one crutch
view from the stairs into a fern
back on the ground
the funghi at the front are gone, but there were some a little further back
back walking through now
checking the progress on the tulips under the cherry trees...
more raindrops (I had put my umbrella away now, it had stopped)
puddle pictures heading back to the entrance
more puddles - this isn't a proper path but the trampled grass that leads back to the Temperate House
you can see how sodden the grass itself is!
even the tree looked soaked!
view to the Palm House - I think some beds have been cleared in front to open the vista
a better puddle picture
as I got to the Victoria Gate cafe area on my way to the loo, I noticed this cherry tree
which made me head round the Palm House pond before leaving, to catch my favourite cherry tree!
there's a lot more flowers since last week
an out of focus (deliberately) Palm house in the background
typically as I was about to leave the sun came out
this isn't "my " fountain but is at the side of the pond
looking through the blossom again
and before I left, one more view from a distance.
Hopefully by next week it will have dried out - although at present next week is also forecast wet, including Saturday!
thanks for looking, see you next week!
to the alpine house
this aloe flower made me think it looked like a tortoise sticking his head out
looking back 
going in close 
looking through the blossom again 
and before I left, one more view from a distance.
2 comments:
Lovely photos Helen. I am in love with the Jade Vine flowers - what a beautiful and unusual colour! The lemurs are adorable, quite life like really.
Thanks for the meander through such beautiful flowers, hope the next visit is dryer for you.
Diana xx
The orchids still look fantastic despite it being the last week, loving the distance shots, it really gives you an idea of the scale of the displays - so very pretty. The blossom shots are also lovely, that cherry blossom colour is stunning.
I hope your visit this week is less muddy than last week and it stays dry for you.
Hugs
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