Kew - in the rain

 This week's visit to Kew was wet.  Very wet.  The heavens opened just as I left to walk to the bus stop.. What I should have done rather than just grab the big golfing style Kew umbrella, was put my wellington boots on....

but despite the rain I was there at 8 for my now no longer required booked slot. 

Unsurprisingly the only other person there was Linda but she wasn't intending staying long 

the urns along the pond each have planting to match the beds in front of the Palm House

you may just be able to pick out the rain hitting the surface of the water

I walked past the face sculpture which had water dripping off her nose!

Evolution Garden first today

no sign of pretty moths out today, or bees for that matter, very sensibly staying somewhere warm and dry!

lots of contrasting purples and textures

I was already having trouble juggling the umbrella and my camera bag etc,  everything was already wet....

A lady walking along the path through the pergola asked me if I was a professional photographer but as we know it's just a hobby

Still largely use automatic settings 

She was enjoying the rain, though....

Dahlias under the raindrops

the paths were deep in puddles,  and these paths are quite muddy too as they are sort of shingly rather than paved tarmac

but I love a raindrop....I may have mentioned that!

caught this fly on the flower

there was still hardly anyone around, which was nice - you can't blame them

the agapanthas were looking quite sad, 

and so were the day lilies..   Shame if your one day was spent under heavy rain!

(the afternoon turned out better though, so maybe they cheered up!)

I always mean to make a note of what these are

I'll photograph the label next week

managed to get a bit closer with the phone

 velvety-looking clematis on the pergola 

one of the few sunflowers remaining

the plantscape installation by the POW glasshouse

on the Broad Walk

euphorbia

As I got to the end of the Broad Walk and turned to walk round the Palm House (outside, too early to go in)  another downpour sent me scurrying for an early drink

where I sat inside to drink it, no sitting outside today

hot chocolate as it was chilly and a chocolate bar too

of course as I got to the cafe the rain stopped - until I had finished and came out again 

a brief stop in the Mediterranean garden

the aeonium

ducking under a pine tree 

round at the lake, it looked as if it was stopping raining.

down came the umbrella

down came the rain. up went the umbrella!

it was a bit like that all morning.  more up than down !

took a muddy walk along the path round the lake

the only colour at the Japanese Garden was from the Japanese Anemones

walking back towards the Temperate House I stopped and took shelter under the awning of the Pavilion cafe from a heavy shower

Then made a dash for the Temperate House 

where, when I eventually found a door that was open, I got inside out of the rain

all of a sudden in the Temperate House, we're at an in between stage and there wasn't a huge amount of colour...

but plenty of ferns and tree ferns to admire

and some carnivorous plants

I could see through the open door at the end, that the rain appeared to have stopped

as I walked down the path I turned and took a photo of the reflection of the TH in the large puddles.

a couple came out of the door whilst I was crouching down, 

the lady's red coat making a nice splash of colour

ducking back past the pine trees

young coot playing on the grass at the Palm House

rain ceased for a minute or two again!

looking back from the path at the end... I was so sure I'd cropped out the red life jacket on the edge of the pond!

a quick walk through the Palm House but the wet outside and the humidity inside were playing havoc with the lens misting up

then into the waterlily house - these strange flowers were still there, some of the ones that were open last week had finished but some more were coming.

Someone last week said they were called Dutchman's Pipes  but today I found a label -   it's a Pelican Flower (latin name alistrolochia grandiflora) which apparently smells of rotting feet  to atract flies for pollination.

apparently it contains a toxin that is carcinogenic so I won't be getting too close

toxic maybe, but beautiful!

lotus flower 

of course outside again it was raining once more

walked down the Broad Walk to the path that leads to the Princess of Wales glasshouse

the giant cardoon flowers were dripping

so where the agapanthas

and these overhanging stems 

cactus about to flower in the POW

waterlily in the little pond in the POW

new leaf growing

the flower that looked like a spiky green cucmber last week had changed a bit

(label says it's mormodica charentia

also known as bitter melon)  

it's a weird looking thing though!

I had to walk a different way round today as the upper level was roped off, denying access

I found a few orchids

there was another tub of this - younger still green flowers, still curled up

back to the original, which you can see grows on a vine

outside again 

oh look, raindrops!

my boots were very wet by now and I decided to cut and run

so back down the last part of the Broad Walk for home

another "puddle picture" on the path towards the exit

and by the gate, a large shrub, I thought it was a hydrangea at the time but not sure now.  It may be..  

I'd put my macro lens away and couldn't be bothered to get it back out

A shorter trip (well a little) today, and fewer photos overall 

as I walked across the bridge to the station the sun came out....

let's hope next week is better!  Thanks for looking