Another visit to Kew..

I spent another lovely visit at Kew today, I seem to stay longer when I get there earlier, and have nearly 500 photos to sort through for you....

 waking so early on a Saturday it was nice to see the sun rising...

8am and as I expected, the Palm House beds (and urns of tulips) have been cleared in readiness for the summer planting.

Can't wait to see what the theme will be this year.

 the alliums in the round beds at either end of the pond have really come on since last Saturday and almost make up for the tulips going (to keep things tidy, they cut the blooms off before they really fade)

You probably remember  from last year I get carried away with alliums!! 

 I decided to go and see if the Temperate House was open early or if last week was special...

 the soft planting of tulips in front, (well at the side) are nearly finished

 but still pretty

nope, doors firmly shut still!

It's great to be able to see through to the other side though

 so after walking round the outside looking at the trees,

 I headed back towards the Palm House

 this huge tree (above) was smothered in these flowers, lots of which had fallen to the ground.

I later saw little girls picking them up, they are so pretty!

 is this cowslip? cow parsley?  it was everywhere.  growing high and wispy and beautiful...

 I'm a wild flower kind of girl!!

a few hellebores still around too

 walking across the daisy filled grass by the Palm House, these cute goslings were following mum and dad, eating there way across the grass

 the giant gunnera grow so fast!

and this time I got down low to see the amazing structures
under the leaves

beautiful irises

and alliums again (walking down the Broad Walk now)

 it's amazing how much things have grown in one short week...

I love the purple against the bright green of the new growth in the beds

 and there are still some gorgeous tulips in drifts on the Broad Walk

more soft and fluffy!!

 how nice of this one to drop it's front petals so I could get a close up of the inside!

and white alliums too...

 I could see the wildflower meadow around the Hive was flourishing too, so I headed up the path there...

 so pleased with the new macro lens!!

  I really love the bench half way up too...

 told you I get carried away with alliums

 I tried really hard to keep the sign out of shot but couldn't get the right angle...

Just love this soft pink/purple wildflower planting

dewdrops (not rain, not yet!)

 even love the dandelion clocks!

 back on the Broad Walk, the acid green euphorbia set off the alliums.


and I just remembered, typing this, I meant to go and see the laburnum arch over at Kew Palace today too... damn it!!

 another obsession, dewdrops on the hairy alchemilla mollis leaves.

the sky wasn't quite this grey but I knew it would make a dramatic photo

 love lichen covered branches..

 walking through and round the underneath of the Treetop Walkway, killing    enjoying the last half hour before being able to get into the Temperate House

love the white against the rusty legs of the Walkway

 this week I climbed the stairs
to gaze at London across the tree-tops

 the stairs

 I could see it looked as if someone was inside...

 horse chestnut tree flowers

 you know I love the rusty structure so here are some more photos of it

there was no-one else up there with me, it was still before 10 (I don't think I was meant to be up there)




ok, 10 o'clock let's go see the Temperate House again!

 bark from a Cycad tree

 I can't remember what I shared last week, so apologies if you've seen it before...

 they look like portholes...

 this looks like a dry river bed (intentionally, I am sure)

this week, they staircases are one-way, they hadn't got round to labelling them last week.
So you go up one, and down the other. 

 it was lovely and empty(ish) still inside -
being so soon after full opening time

definitely looks like a dry river bed from above!

 and the waterfall looks great from above too

 the giant roof structure reminds me of a railway station, I guess it's the Victorian architecture

 and you can look down at the next areas to see people wandering about

 I really love the staircase

one of the urns on the roof, through the windows

 unfurling frond

 tiny little berry things (missed the label)

outside, again now. 

trees

 buttercups..

 acer leaves in the disappearing brightness..

 thought I'd missed the robin, the macro lens doesn't focus very fast!

pretty little flowers on a tree...

 I know I've taken photos of this before, atop the wall

 wisteria climbing over the roof of the Victoria Plaza cafe/shop

 cistus (rock rose)

tree roots on the edge of the Palm House pond

 a nesting goose on the edge of the pond

 iris

 delicate little flowers.

 more fluff!  this is tiarella

 now for peonies... delicate lemon yellow petals with vibrant middles

 the big blowsy opium poppies are very late at Kew (along my road they're out)

 borage

 double frilly peony

 rusty gates to the Kew students vegetable plots

 pine tree

beautiful Californian poppies in the rock garden

 this wood looks like pages of a book

 orange blooms we saw last week, inside the POW glasshouse

 you can see why they're called Bird of Paradise flowers!

 outside the POW

 gorgeous dark purple iris with bright yellow peony behind it

 the bed at the top of the Broad Walk, crouching down, with the walkers in the background!

love this shot.

 quick visit into the waterlily house

 down through the rhododendrons

 I had remembered a tweet from one of the Kew people about the gorgeous Judas tree,  so I walked all the way back to find it!

I knew whereabouts it was, but it took me some time as I lost my bearings!

it was raining now, so this would be my last stop...

 rain-spattered cistus in the Mediterranean garden

 and a last look at the alliums as I head down the Broad Walk and home...

crossing Kew Bridge, saw this group of people paddling along the river...




got on the train, realised I was quite a bit wetter than I had realised... but it's only water and I've dried off now..


thanks for sticking with me again today, hope you've enjoyed the photos .

You get a week off next week, as I will be staying home to watch Prince Harry's wedding !!