Kew Gardens 20th Smile – Lights by night

Christmas lights in Kew Gardens – a treat for the Pre-Christmas time.

We enjoyed a lovely evening in the big garden with the famous beautiful

Kew’s Christmas Lights!

 

New colours and shapes everywhere.

A small compilation

The Palmhouse changed colours and on the lake in front fountains and stars appeared.

Every display was accompagnied with amazing music,

some classical, choir and modern to make the whole light show a memorable experience.

We had a wonderful evening walking through a light wonderland.

Of course there was mulled wine and hot chocolate too!

Please click on the picture to enlarge them.

All pictures taken by me at Kew Gardens.

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Wishing all a wonderful and peaceful 3rd Advent !

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Kew Gardens 19th Smile – Shapes and Patterns

A cold day at Kew Gardens yet the beauty stays.

I observed so many different patterns and shapes this time.

The ‘Smilex’ with its heart shaped leaves and thorns.

Again I tried to take photos with a bokeh- effect as good as I can with my Phone Camera.

The Banana Tree had fruits.

Look at those amazing patterns of 2 very different plants.

It is wonderful to have been able to share this visit with a wonderful friend.

A sweet friendship
refreshes the soul.
Proverbs 27.9

Busy

Seen in Kew Gardens

Just breathe, 
think less, 
love more, 
share often 
and smile always!

Wishing all a wonderful not so busy weekend!

Kew Gardens 18th Smile – Wonderful Finds with a Friend

This time I went to Kew to find the Autumn colours.

My blogger friend Colleen loves to travel and loves Kew,

so I invited Colleen along to enjoy the Gardens.

She loved the yellow Ginko Tree,

behind is a golden Larch just starting to colour.

Along the bridge a variety of colours…….

hang on Colleen I need to catch up.

This is a very tall Monkey Puzzle Tree.

We looked at it closely.

It looked more like a column.

Amazing nature ♥

I couldn’t stop Colleen climbing this Bonsai Tree.

We needed a break and sat down for lunch and a chat.

Colleen brought enough for all in the rucksack, thank you.

On our way we found this beautiful Autumn tree

and rustled through the Autumn leaves.

Thank you Colleen, I’m so happy you could come.

We were having so much fun in Kew Gardens together!!!

I loved every minute of it!!!

♥ Sharing is having more ♥

The best way 
to multiply your happiness
is to share it with others.

Autumn is here

There is something so special 
in the early leaves drifting from the trees -
as if we are all to be allowed a chance 
to peel ,
to refresh,
to start again.

Ruth Ahmed

Kew Gardens 17th Smile – Japanese Festival

As the seasons change – Kew Garden does too. We went to the Japanese Festival in Kew.

Japanese Gateway

God's beauty never ends.
We just need to take time to open our eyes to see it,
to feel it and to experience all it can be. 

Laura D Field

In the Temperate house we saw Art work

‘A thousand Springs’ from Chiharu Shiota.

5000 Haikus – in Japanese – referencing nature – suspended on red threads

while listening to beautiful music by a Japanese composer.

5000 Haiku suspended in a web of red threads

The Chalk Garden was a mixture of chalky English limestone and beautiful Japanese planting.

• 

• 

We saw colours with Bonsai Trees

I’ll leave you with a Japanese proverb

One who smiles 
rather than rages 
is always stronger.

Wishing everyone a great weekend !

Kew Gardens 16th Smile – shapes

Another trip to Kew Gardens – this time I found lovely different shapes in the plants. We walked through the rainforest, grasses and admired another beautiful open waterlily.

Never lose an opportunity
of seeing something beautiful,
for beauty is God's handwriting.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

God was very creative making wonderful shapes for us to admire.

• 

  Aloe – spiral

• 

  soft long thin grass in the wind

• 

  long – titan arum

• 

  just amazing….

We saw a fruit in different stages

God gave us eyes
to see the beauty of nature
and hearts 
to see the beauty in each other.

Kew Gardens 15th Smile

This time in Kew Gardens I admired the flowers and learnt some Photography tips from my Photographer friend I went with.

I learnt to focus on the flower with a blurry background. This was even possible with my Mobile phone camera and I was so happy that this worked well.

Please click on the individual picture to enlarge it. I’m proud how the pictures came out.

This little fellow fell on my trousers while we had lunch under an Oak tree.

He was not even 1 cm long.

We passed a fascinating tree, a Maritime Pine which did not grow straight. The bark was smoother on one side and really rugged on the other.

Maritime Pine not growing straight, and view up

We stayed so long we nearly needed a lantern home….

A sweet friendship refreshes the soul. Proverbs 27:9

Every leaf is unique

Looking closer at an Agave at Kew Gardens, you can see clearly that every leaf has a unique pattern of the way it has grown from the inside.

The leaves have similar patterns but evey one is unique to its’ unfolding.

We are unique creatures, every one of us.

Be YOU.
Don't be someone else.
YOU are a unique individual.
Be proud... rock it loud.

Apolo Ohno

Kew Gardens 14th Smile

A new day – a new visit to my favourite Kew Gardens

A walk with a friend through Kew, drinking in the many beautiful colours of plants, I don’t remember the names of.

Here a collage of the beautiful mix.

There are some Eucalytus trees, it fascinated me that there are blooms, fruits and unripe fruits on the same tree at the same time.

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  blooms

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  fruits

• 

  unripe fruits

Kew surprises me every time.

Sometimes …. just spending some quality time with good friends is the only therapy you need.