Butterflies at Kew

As part of the Year of Biodiversity, Kew have an exhibition (if that's the right word!) of Butterflies Bugs and Beasties at Kew and I went along yesterday to see them.

They are situated just inside the Princess of Wales glasshouse
in a section that's carefully netted off so they don't escape with the visitors back out into the sunshine!

As you enter, there are some great sculptures which next time I go I think I will try and photograph in more detail.

Now, I'm not an expert and there weren't any leaflets left to tell me what they all are, so forgive me if there are any experts out there among you, but I think this is an Atlas Moth. It was huge! (have checked Kew's website, it is - an atlas moth that is, you can see it's huge!)

There were some really beautiful blue ones that just wouldn't settle although I just about caught this one.They were dashing about all over the place so fast! It looked like a game of chase - 2 or 3 of them all playing together.

Some of them were more than happy to sit and pose!

Especially on the tempting plates of fruit

It was mighty hot in there - 29 degrees and humid like you wouldn't believe - they were spraying the plants to increase the humidity, I guess the butterflies like it!!

They also have a case where they are emerging

It was so hot inside this section of the glasshouse I had to keep leaving and returning later!  Inside the main section of the glasshouse, they have some huge bugs and beasties Glad they're not real!!

Outside there is a large clump of poppies - my favourites - and I had to stop and take some shots of the light shining through the petals again. Got a bit carried away here - am only showing you a selection!!

Just love them!!

Mind you these Nigella are beautiful too.

And in the Waterlily house there are some lovely flowers too.

And the reflection of the roof in the pool was looking particularly good yesterday.

I always listen to a small radio when I walk round Kew which is normally clipped onto my jeans belt but because I wasn't wearing jeans yesterday, (far too hot even for me to wear jeans!) I had the radio inside my camera bag and everytime I wanted to take a photo I had to either unplug my earpiece or keep the bag on my shoulder to avoid risking pulling my ear off forgetting where the radio was! I always listen to Radio 5 live, being a sports nut, and Saturday morning radio is quite funny - I have suddenly realised that's why I thought I was getting funny looks, laughing to myself..... there goes that mad woman again.....

Anyhow, this was one of those shots where I nearly pulled my ear off when I put the bag down. Ouch!!

I also went into the Palm House - they are playing the sounds of the rainforest (dawn whilst I was there in the morning; dusk in the afternoons) on a loop through speakers set up all round the Palm House - sounds of monkeys, and insects and all kinds of jungle life! This time I went up to the high walkway round the top - not done that for a while. Must have been suffering a sugar shortage as it was hard work yesterday!it gives you a good idea of just how tall the plants grow though!

I love the iron staircases too.

Outside, the swan has left her nest and they were swimming around on the lake, but the gunnera has grown madly even in the 2 weeks since I was last there. 

 More arty-farty pics of the sun shining through the leaves - I was standing under the shade of a big tree for this one - as you can see from the branches dipping "artistically" in the foreground - it was so nice to get out of the sun for a minute or two!!  It wasn't really until I starting going to Kew regularly that I realised just how many shades of green there are!!

And before I left, my obligatory shot of the sun on the water of the fountain in the lake. I can't resist it. I know I have loads, and I know I have blogged loads, but - it's my blog!!

Ok, that's it for this week's trip.  Next Saturday is the Craft Barn Extravaganza, so any photos will be on the other blog! See you soon.

Back to Kew - 22nd May

Well, once again I went to Kew yesterday - beautiful sunshine, lots of people but I was there as they opened as usual so managed to find some quiet spots with not a soul in sight.

However, there was a part-finished film in my camera from the last time I went, 3 weeks ago, and I can't resist showing you some of those photos cos there are some stunning trees full of blossom:

and some more stunning bedding displays.

So, on to yesterday. The azaleas were looking great in the early morning sun, and the smell was incredible.

I have mentioned before how much I love the architecture at Kew - this is the Temperate House. It looks so much cleaner and brighter - not sure if they have had the brushes and mops out, or if it's the sun!

I approached the Palm House from the back this week, and the sun was shining through the building, looking glorious.  I waited for someone who was walking round the top observation level (inside), to get out of the way, but kind of wish I'd taken one now!

I love how you can see so many of the plants from the outside!

This is me, taking my reflection picture, you can see right through to the other side of the Palm House and "my" fountain!

Inside the Palm House, shooting up into the roof, through the giant palms - just gorgeous!

They really are BIG plants in here!! Next week, Kew's summer programme of events starts and they're concentrating on Biodiversity this year, the Palm House will have the sounds of the jungle playing amongst the plants!  Should be good.

After a sit down in the shade of a big tree, when I treated myself to a bottle of cold water and a rather scrummy blueberry muffin (!) which a robin wanted to share with me, hopping right up onto the table (sadly my camera was out of reach on the floor at the time and I couldn't get to it without startling him!) I went round to the other side of the lake outside the Palm House, where a swan is nesting with her cygnets (Dad was standing guard just out of camera!)

As they have a lot of students at Kew taking all kinds of horticultural qualifications, they have a large area of "practice beds" and these stunning peonies were in some of those.

Wild flower area around the Temple of Aeolus where a few weeks ago there were hundreds of daffodils - So wispy and frothy (much more so in the flesh!)  They were waist high!

Well, I hope you've enjoyed another day out at Kew - join me again some time!!

I have had a devil of a job with blogger - it kept putting the photos where I didn't want them!! Hope there aren't too many huges gaps between them all.

Bank Holiday Saturday - Kew again

I wanted to try and catch the bluebells again this year at Kew and have been keeping an eye on the Kew website (they do a spring bulb/blossom update) to make sure I try and catch the peak! 

The weather forecast for Saturday here in London was poor - but when I woke up it was fine, albeit cloudy - so I took a chance.  My normal quick train route was hampered by engineering works so took longer than normal with a replacement bus for half of the journey to Clapham Junction, but I still managed to get there for the 9.30 opening!!  (I do wake up early,even on my days off...)

So here are some of the best of the pictures I took yesterday (thanks to Jessops for getting them developed and printed/copied to cd early today so I won't miss the footie!!)

These tulips are just inside the entrance.

The lilacs are coming into bloom too.

On my way to the conservation area where the bluebells flourish, I passed this little patch under a tree in the shade, just before the Treetop walkway.

I love this - it's only been open a couple of years, but its blended right in to the scenery.  It's a shame they still haven't got the lift sorted, cos the stairs up to the top (its only 18 metres, but...) are hard going. (could be that I never stop to eat breakfast before going out, so I'm always hungry and low on sugar!)
BUT it is so worth it, on clear days you can see for miles, and the views over Kew are fantastic.

I can play at being artistic, framing my shots with the trees in the foreground!  This is the evolution house (front) and the Temperate House behind. Even yesterday when it was still quite cloudy, the view was good - the range of greens is just stunning!

These Canada geese wanted to come for a look too!

Then it was on to the bluebells!  Kew is trying to encourage the native English species.

I love the walk through the conservation area at this time of year.

Queen Charlotte's Cottage - looks like Hansel and Gretel should be in the garden, doesn't it!  The cottage was given to Queen Charlotte when she married King George III.

I love the acid green of these flowers (I wish  I knew what they are!) against the blue of the bluebells, and the way they leave fallen trees where they lie, for the wildlife.

This one shows the contrast of the colours better.

I only discovered this little pond the last time I visited, I love that about Kew, how you find new things even after you've been going for years!  The refelctions looked good yesterday - the sun had come out by now, and it was a glorious morning - I ended up carrying my coat as well as my camera gear!  (It didn't rain till I was back on the replacement bus on the way home, although I think it's rained ever since...)

The gunnera in the foreground at the waterside will be huge in a few weeks and it will look totally different. I'll have to see if I can find it again.
Thanks for looking and I hope you enjoyed your trip with me!  There won't be any more next week as it's the stamp show at Worthing (i.e. spending more money!!)  See you soon.