Kew Gardens at 8 am.

This summer, Kew has been allowing members in from 8 am, two hours before it opens to the general public.. I had it in mind to go, although the weather wasn't the best. However, shame to waste waking early....
Arrived just after 8 and I think apart from people working there, I was the only person in for some time... certainly didn't see many people for some considerable time (although of course, it's a big place!) I stayed just over 4 hours and took 400 photos....sit back!!

the new summer bedding outside the Palm House, now fully out.
Colours that are repeated in formal beds throughout the Gardens this year

 as you can see, it's not fully dry and certainly not bright yet!

 the statues outside the Palm House

 fountain (of course!)

 berries

 the Order Beds, lots of seed heads, wispy grasses

 poppy heads

 ornamental grasses









Love this seed head, with the rain drops (Nigella, love-in-the-mist)

 raindrops on the vine leaves

rusty gate to the entrance to the students vegetable beds

sweet peas

 each student studying their diploma has a vegetable bed

 the rose pergola, most of the flowers have finished since I was last here

raining again!

 in the rock garden

outside the Princess of Wales Glasshouse

 brushed past this, should have moved it out of the way, my jeans got soaked!  Luckily they dried quickly, it wasn't cold

 from the order beds, walked back past the Temple of Apollo, to the Lake

 the giant gunnera is huge now

 being there in the week, there are lots of people working away, that you don't usually see at weekends

 great reflections in the lake

 love the bright orange of the Crocosmia

more of the red and blue colours, love the contrast of the white planters along the outside of the Orangery
The Gardens were open now, and more people appearing

 headed past the Henry Moore statue, there were lots - and I mean lots - of groups of schoolchildren heading for the Treetop Walkway, which was poor timing on my part, I should have done that earlier..

 coots nesting in the lake (this is not the one outside the Palm House)

 lovely wildflowers bordering the lake

 but I went up the Treetop walkway anyway, not sure if it was the number of people up there, or the wind, or a combination, but it was swaying - never felt that before!

View of the Temperate House restoration work ongoing

back down on ground level again

 more seed heads

 into the Waterlily house now, camera was objecting to the intense humidity and this is one of the only good ones I got today.

 across the walkway into the Palm House, this was an above the head shot, love this!

 the old iron staircase

 up some more stairs! it gets even more humid up here, and the pipes around the edge were hot to the touch!

great view out through the glass, (the wet is on the inside from the condensation from the heat)

 more work going on, pruning a large fern

 back outside, past the kids now eating lunch on the steps

 back to the Princess of Wales glasshouse

 flowering cactus

air plants

 giant wisteria - this plant was planted in 1760-something..

 so it's been going a while...

 love the giant thistles

and a little stream

final walk across the still wet grass and home..

I could go on adding photos to this post for ages, but figure you've done well to get this far!