The Exotic

All taken in the Princess of Wales Conservatory

at Kew Gardens,

 which is segregrated into

Dry Tropics & Wet Tropics planting 

over several levels.

Striking Blue at Kew

At Kew. . . .

One of our first hot houses to visit was

 the Princess of Wales Conservatory, which was opened by Princess Diana in 1987,

 but the building actually commenorates

Princess Augusta who married Fredrick,

Prince of Wales in 1736 & who founded the Gardens.

Inside, the conservatory is a huge complex with different levels, home for many exotic & exquiste plants with mini waterfalls & other features.

We spent well over an hour in this remarkable place.

Could have quite easily spent longer there, trying to  take it all in.

A Lazy Sunday At Kew

Thorougly enjoyed a day at Kew Gardens, London. 

The gardens is situated in over 300 acres, so vast, that you definitely need a few days there to fully appreciate the natural delights of nature. 

A peaceful & tranquil place with a huge amount of

 flora & funa from all over world. 

A truly inspirational place.

More to follow, captured lots of photos that highlight some

 of the wonderful experiences that Kew has to offer.

Flowers in Abundance

With a visit to my Mother's,

 I was shocked & amazed to see how her garden was progressing

 as she still seemed to have a riot of colour with her flowering flowers,

 whereas mine, most flowers were winding down for the summer season. . . . .

 here's just a few. . . .

Enjoying the Nectar

The Comma Butterfly

Autumn Colours & Ladybirds

These warm shades had taken me completely by surprise, as it seemed like it was only

 a couple of days ago,they were pure green. . . . .

Even the every creeping Ivy is changing

 it's colour. . . .

The Forsythia leaves are now turning from it's lush green to warmer tones

of deep red to golden yellows.

Some leaves just decaying to a copper brown,

the leaves are definitely falling. . . .

 

On Sunday, I couldn't put it off any longer. . . .

I had to start pruning and cutting back shrubs to start

 tidying up the garden in preparation for the winter season.

After tackling & finishing the job in hand,

 I gathered all the debris together only to discover several

Ladybirds, but they move so quickly, that no matter how hard I tried,

I could only photo them singlularly.

What a shame!

The Hoverfly & Thistles

The Hoverfly, enjoying the nectar of the violet coloured Creeping Thistle.

These photo's were taken at Greylake Nature Reserve

Greylake Nature Reserve

On the Bank Holiday Monday, we ventured to Greylake Nature Reserve on the Somerset Levels.

Although a dominate area for Birding, other nature delights can be found as my photo's will reveal.

The Common Darter. . . .

Just Resting. . . .

The Thistle & GreenVeined White Butterfly. . . .

more to follow. . . .