Saturday, April 15, 2017

Easter Saturday at Kew

So after yesterday's walk in London and the fabulous Tall Ships, it was back to flowers today!
Still dull (till I left to come home of course, but my feet were starting to protest)... but you can't order the weather sadly.

The Easter event this year (it's been on for a couple of weeks actually) is The Moomins.  I loved these stories by Tove Jansson as a child, and so it seems to children today because when I got there just before 10 there was a great long queue waiting to go in..  However, I wasn't particularly going to look for them  (which was as well, because I didn't come across them)

I was quite surprised to see that the big beds of red and white tulips I loved so much 2 weeks ago, have already finished - I know tulips aren't the longest lasting of flowers but thought there'd be a few left.
I did find some other varieties though
 love these dark purply ones
 and these pink ones with out-furled petals



 lush green everywhere now..
 clumps of bluebells - the Kew twitter feed had alerted me earlier this week to the early blooming of their bluebells
 love the wild underplanting round the trees











heading for the Woodland Walk and the bluebells, I came across this - accessed by a wooden ramp - this is new, temporary I think, and is an area where you can meet the Kew scientists. It wasn't open yet

I love the look of it though
 there weren't as many bluebells in the Woodland area that I had been expecting - but it is very early for them..
 gorgeous acid green


 a new woodland walk has been created, winding through the trees
viburnum flowers
 back on the main path through the woodland area


 the cherry walk, full of blossom

 so many different varieties and shades!

 most of the camellia flowers have gone brown, but there were some beautiful white ones left

 these are on a huge tree, so many feet high!
 love the blue-yellow centre of these white tulips
they're in the bed at the main Victoria Gate entrance
 windblown pink tulips in front of the Palm House
 and these beauties are in several of the big urns along the Pond


 more Prunus blossom


and viburnum to finish.


Didn't spend as long today, partly because the trains were only half hourly (instead of 4 an hour) and my feet and legs were starting to protest after yesterday.


8 comments:

Kirsten said...

Such a wide variety of flowers & they're all stunning. I love the tulips, especially the white ones & the pink & orange ones. The tiny white flowers - in the photo above the building on stilts - are gorgeous, as are the bunches of sunshine yellow ones hanging from the tree. Just gorgeous.

sam21ski said...

Well that was a very pink and purple post. Glad you had a nice day x

Claire said...

Fab post Helen, I love tulips but it is such a shame they don't las longer. Those orange ones are just stunning xx

snazzyoriginal said...

Beautiful Helen, I swear I can smell that viburnum from here lol!

craftimamma said...

Wonderful photos as always. I loved the pink and purple tulips together but especially like the shape of the white and pink ones with the curved out petals. Beautiful pics of the heavy blossoms but the best bit for me would be the woodland walk and all the wild planting under the trees. I love the natural look of it compared to the structured more formal gardens.

I have to say we have a lot more bluebells driving past Clumber Park on the A614. Its a thick carpet of them for at least half a mile.

Hugs
Lesley Xx

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

My tulips are nearly gone, too, so I can empathize. I do like the pinks and purple ones, though.

Not sure what those wooden circles are, but it's nice you can visit with Kew scientists (and maybe landscapers?).

OMGosh. Those cherry blossoms are out of this world. Incredible colors and so delicate, too.

The woodland walk looks almost out of place. I bet once it "ages" a bit, it won't look quite so stark.

I admit, those white tulips don't look much like tulips I'm used to . Mine look more like the ones you found in urns.

You may have bowed out early, but the colorful post was no less inviting and beautiful. Really GREAT photos, Helen.

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

Goodness, where are my manners? Happy, happy Easter.

Lauren Hatwell said...

Spring has most definitely SPRUNG hasn't it. Such beautiful photographs Helen. You really do do those gorgeous blooms every justice. Breathtaking! Lx