Spring is coming

It is still early January,

the weather is mild

and it fools the bulbs into thinking it is Spring.

I planted Crocuses, Buttercups and Daffodils.

See how far they are already.

I love watching them come up.

Crocus

Buttercup

 

Let’s hope it doesn’t get too cold for them later.

Today is …… #31

…. a day to be grateful.

I received some plants from a friend’s garden and added them to mine.

They were grateful and started to bloom.

 

And this little one visited

I am grateful to the beautiful plants who give me

pleasure and happiness in return.

I love sitting in my little garden to rest and enjoy all plants!

Before and after

A very long time ago,

probably 40 years ago, I received a plant from my friend.

We called it Waxplant – Hoya

Since then it has grown very slowly but steady.

Every year it blooms.

For the first time I actually saw how the buds open.

Fascinating the way they open up.

This time I captured it on camera.

Before :

After:

The flowers are highly scented specially in the evening.

 

Kew Gardens 5th Smile – Temperate House

A cold day in Kew Gardens and so many things to see:

The Temperate house is home to an internationally important collection of temperate zone plants, including some of the rarest and most threatened.

It is the largest Victorian glasshouse in the world.

As a Listed Grade 1 building, it has been restored to its new glory and re opened in May 2018.

 

Walk with me and enjoy the rare and beautiful plants.

Nepal Yam

Giant citrus fruit

Australian plant

Click on the individual picture to enlarge.

Each plant showing off its beauty in different ways.

There is a spiral staircase to walk up along the Gallery.

The view is fantastic, and the sun was shining.

On my way out I passed the gift shop and found some lovely Bamboo socks.

I couldn’t resist.

 

I’ll be back at Kew very soon!

all pictures taken by me at Kew Garden

Today’s Inspiration – Blaise Pascal

Kind words do not cost much.

Yet they accomplish much.

 

Blaise Pascal

 

 

Picture taken by me – Kew Gardens

Kew Gardens 3rd Smile

Another visit to my favourite garden.

Every time I explore different areas.

As it is so big, I never run out of finding beauties of nature.

This time I found

the making of a pinecone

 

A really funny shaped very small bloom:

(I don’t know all the botanical names, as my eyes are bigger than my memory)

 

One of my favourite grasses

 

Another pretty little thing – a hanging flower

One of Kew’s famous lizards

a tall proud multi coloured beauty

and another hanging blue miracle

 

‘Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. ¹² The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. ‘ Genesis 1,11

 

All pictures taken at Kew Gardens by me.

Kew Gardens 2nd Smile – The weekend starts

Another wonderful day in Kew Gardens.

Please walk with me through the

Prince of Wales Conservatory

There are Orchids

 

There are meat eating plants

 

Beautiful Cacti

 

 

 

There are waterfalls

 

 

Floating Baking trays….

 

 

 

Amazing plants and colours

 

I can’t get enough of the natures variety and beautiful displays.

 

Hope you enjoy the small tour. Soak it up and relax!

Wishing all a relaxing weekend!

 

All pictures taken by me at Kew Gardens.

Please let me know if the pictures display correctly. Thanks

Wisteria and other beauties along the road

It is colourful flower time

the Earth is laughing!

Beautiful Wisteria hanging out of a garden

Tiny flowers along the shopping mall

Even tinier flower, shot with a Macro lens on my phone.

Petunias in a flower basket

Little flowers , again captured with a Macro lens.

 

and all together

 

Strawberry Galore

My strawberries this year grew absolutely beautiful.

They bloomed a lot:

 

We seem to have had enough rain

and then the sun came.

I had more strawberries than ever.

Just look

 

A collage out of my many harvests.

 

and then came out the

Strawberry bowl to eat them out of.

 

 

Oh how yummy they were.

There are still now some late comers, I eat straight of the plant.

What a joy, what great gift!

More gardens in London

I discovered another lovely green space in London.

A little oasis right in the middle

of the concrete jungle of the Barbican.

There is the second biggest conservatory in London

which is like a mini Kew Gardens with exotic plants,

like cacti, orchids, bamboo etc.

It is home to exotic fish and over 2,000 species of tropical plants.

It is open on Sundays to the public for free.

See for yourself what we found there:

 

 

 

 

 

A perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon in London.