You all know how much I love Kew, and despite being the day after a train strike and engineering works, and heavy fog I was off, as a treat to myself for (more or less) finishing my Christmas shopping .... in fact the fog helped, because it made for an amazing atmosphere!
the engineering works meant I had to go via Clapham Junction then Willesden Junction and Kew Gardens not to my normal Kew Bridge, so the other gate... decorated for Christmas
you can barely see the Palm House!
I posted a photo of this to facebook, (from my phone,the camera isn't that clever!) which resulted in comments like 'could have come out of a horror movie'
but I love the mysterious look it gives the landscape... settle back!
great reflections though, despite the lack of light and colour
you can see the Palm House even less in this one,you wouldn't know it was there unless you know the scene...
through the Dogwood, beautiful bright red and yellow stems. (not that you can really tell that today!)
the Broad Walk disappearing into the fog..
magnolia buds appearing though...
walking up the hill to the Hive,a glimpse of the Orangery in the murk!
condensation from the fog presumably, as it hasn't been frosty for days,
love how the fog has condensed onto the cobwebs between the metal posts down from the Hive; beautifully formed drops
paperbark tree
Davies Alpine house, shrouded,..
miniature narcissus
had the place to myself!
I don't often walk past this water fountain though I know I have shared it before..
back round the Palm House pond again, still
after visiting the shop by the Victoria Gate where I came in, (got a couple more Christmas presents, including one for me......as you do) I headed the other way, to look at part of the Christmas at Kew trail in "daylight"
even unlit in the daytime, I love these 'Christmas trees with a difference'
love the drops on the end of the pine tree
down there somewhere is the Pagoda!
I was hoping that the Henry Moore would be a suitably creepy kind of venue...
from there I walked round the lake, on the left hand side
lots of ducks and geese swimming and flying - the ripples here are where I just missed two landing!
more gorgeous reflections though
more dogwood on the island just alongside the Sackler Crossing
think they were hoping for food! none to be had, not even anything for myself!!
this lovely little chap came zooming at me, nearly got him properly in focus but couldn't bare to leave him out!
swan making a great pattern of ripples in the lake.
the Sackler Crossing
amazing tree trunk!
can you guess where we are going next??
the Treetop Walkway... high up in the fog!
well you can't see far from up here today, lol!!
the trees are good though!
more Christmas at Kew decorations
on the other side of the path, I saw a couple of ladies looking at the base of a tree......
a huge clump of funghi growing in the damp leaf mold round the tree
still a bit of autumn colour on the big trees near the Waterlily house (now closed for the winter)
and huge bare trunks...
the Palm House from the Rose Garden.. if anything, it's foggier now than first thing!
bit different to those glorious shots I got last time I was here
the Palm House parterre, planted up for late winter/early spring colour to come...
can't help but put in one of those 'so blue sky' photos I was so proud of...what a difference! (19th November)
and back to the start, I stopped to take the entrance for you.
time for home and my feet up (which I am about to do, 2 hours later!!)
hope you've enjoyed the walk, it was very different today, but I loved it! I have never seen it like it was today, but so glad I went.
can't help but put in one of those 'so blue sky' photos I was so proud of...what a difference! (19th November)
