What a Difference a Day Makes

well, three days, but ... finally out came the sun.. Today is my last day of my break, it's back to work tomorrow.  The sun woke me at 5... I was planning on going to Hampton Court but I was awake and know as a member I can get into Kew from 8 rather than 10... so off I went...

Arrived at 8,03 after a brisk march from the station (timed it, it took 13 minutes to the Victoria Gate) and the sun was already high in the sky.

 blue sky!

 reflections!

 swans just waking up

the Gunnera, still huge

and the Stipenda looking magnificent in the sun

 bright bright sun reflecting on the Palm House

 shaded woodland area

 drawn back to the Order Beds, and the peonies.. not a sound apart from birdsong and lawnmowers (they start work early here!)

 it was blissful

bees were busy on the peonies

 how different they look in the sun

and the Californian Poppies were coming out in the early sunshine, framed by the roses

 can you tell I love poppies?!

 backlit by the sun








so many blooms to come!

 Nigella, Love-in-a-Mist, looking fab

 the newly planted Broad Walk, empty of visitors still (this was after breakfast which included a free coffee)  about 9.30 by now... the "public" would be let in in half an hour..time to head for more secluded areas

more Californian Poppies outside the Princess of Wales glasshouse

had to snap another one of my favourite views in the sunshine!

still heading for seclusion -  via the rose garden and another sit in the sun first!

 loving the sun through the trees

 and the Henry Moore statue

 wildflowers (cow parsley i think) and yellow iris, along the lake edge

 aww, cute!

 7 cygnets out for a swim

 the Sackler Crossing, looking fab, but I was headed for the wooded walk where the bluebells were in April ...

 more gorgeous reflections

 don't know what these are, but there were lots of them in the shade of the big trees where the bluebells grow

 in April this is a carpet of blue.....








Gone 10 now, so people would be in, and the glasshouses and Treetop Walkway were now open..

Decided to climb the steps, not take the lift (work off the breakfast sausage roll!)
love the dappled light through the tree canopy

 and the shapes of the walkway

 back down at ground level.

I could hear peacocks calling while I was walking through the gardens, but didn't come across them today.

towards the Meditteranean Garden now..

 think this is sage, or at least it has very sage-like leaves!

 back to the rose garden, lay down on the pavement, there is a slight bank down to the roses so this gives a good eye (ground) level view...

 not so humid in the waterlily house today, so the bottle gourds were captured properly

in the Palm House (didn't stay long, it was hot and full of school parties!)  but love the bright green fronds of the big palm leaves

and water droplets on these leaves

 back outside, another low lying shot

beautiful huge peonies!

 and more wildflowers

 and clumps of alliums

by now, it was gone 11 and the sun was very hot, I had forgotten the sunscreen in my rush to get out early, so I headed for home!

So, another great day, yes, the sun causes some problem with shadow (like the shadows really) and flare, but so nice to see blue skies and feel the warmth on my skin...