my pre-birthday trip to Kew

Not that I need an excuse... bus all the way today due to engineering works stopping trains running from Sutton.  Chaos on the way home (not sure why) but no matter....another photo heavy glut of gorgeousness follows...

 I popped into the local supermarket for a bottle of water (as I didn't have an empty bottle I could use)   on my way to the bus stop I saw a great plane trail over the new office/flats/shopping complex that is being built....

when I eventually reached Kew a few minutes after 8 I took my normal "first photo" shot..

 loved how the snoozing geese (till I disturbed it and it lifted it's head) was doing so with wings spread out soaking up the sun!

 there were some great skies today...

shadow selfie  - hat, long skirt (too warm for jeans) today

 pollen spilling all over the petals of the lilies.








the scent was gorgeous (although I know it's not to everyone's tastes)

love the acid green

 looking back the short walk so far up the Broad Walk

 things are really growing tall now

 these are like a cross between a sunflower and a daisy.. couldn't work out from the plan what they are

the air was still fresh, despite the bright sun

 geraniums, one of my favourites

 heading round to the Hive, noticed this lost toy on the top of a guide post...obviously been there a while, it is all cobwebby!

 wildflower meadow....

sat down for this one, it's hard to look up without feeling as if you'll fall over..

 there was a helicopter flying round and round overhead... police I imagine, looking for someone.....

 in the rock garden...

 borage.. I love this soft plant, and gorgeous colour

 the poppy bed, nearly finished now, just putting on a last flourish of translucent beauty...

so no apologies for lots more photos!

love their hairy stems.



no lying on the grass today, bit damp

 but plenty of crouching down

 the roses on the pergola that runs the length of the family beds, are just stunning...

 dripping with flowers!

think the delphiniums might be even better this week..

 they were watering the grass in front of the gunnera beds, so I couldn't get too close, the spray was changing direction.... didn't want a shower!

gunnera forming a sillhouette in front of the Palm House

 after a somewhat less than healthy breakfast for a Raspberry and Pistachio cake with Rose drizzle icing... and a coffee  (cake was YUMMY) I headed for the rose garden on my way to the Temperate House..

didn't notice the scent wafting towards me today, but the blooms were fabulous still/again.

 the Palm House makes such a great backdrop!

 petal confetti

 heading off to the Temperate House.

I haven't been photographing the dragons for the children's Dragon Trail, but I quite like this one..

oops, poor bird .... wouldn't normally include something like this, but it was quite perfectly formed in it's death..... if you see what I mean!

 another great plane trail... lots of white wispy clouds today, keeping the extreme heat at bay somewhat

 green canopy

 love that this bird (top right) flew through my shot!

 the main door, open wide..  you can see to the road outside the boundary

 the base of this tree fern looks like a giant paw of some creature.... just me then?

 light shining through leaves...

bright flowers..  I am sure when Dad had these they were known as gazania (unless something very similar) but didn't recognise the name on the label..which I didn't record...

(Looking at google, they do seem to be still this, so maybe the labels were for something else)

they come in huge variety of colour and patterns...

 statuesque agapanthas

plants growing through the ironwork structure ... love it

shining in the sun coming through the windows


















 up the stairs to the balcony again...

 looking down at a statue

 fabulous shadows of the windows on the floor of the balcony as I walked round

 and looking down at the floor, more shadows

 close up of the ironwork on the spiral staircase

 more light through leaves.

 headed for the Treetop Walkway...

 climbed up (lift was working though)

changed to the wide angle...

 more wispy cloudy sky.... and my camera bag (deliberately left in shot in case you were wondering)

 Temperate House in wide angle

 and close up

 told you there was lots of great sky!

 over to the lake now... fabulous reflections..









 and yes, more sky!

 much chopping and changing of lenses...

 whilst a pond fanatic might be horrified at the pondweed/algae it was strangely attractive...

 and the ducks and geese swimming through it made nice patterns..

 Squirrel Nutkin (!) posed nicely for me

 love this tree smothered in flowers

 so delicate

 I walked back to the rose garden where I took some more shots

this is the only one I took note of the name, as I liked it so much.  she is the Lady of Shallott

 I sat on a bench and ate a bag of crisps and enjoyed the sky...

 the Waterlily House is just the other side of the path to the end of the Palm House so after my rest I went in.

 round the outside of the pond along the windows,

large gourds hanging

 this one is called the Dishcloth Gourd... will check it's progress to see why!

 closeup of one of the statues outside the Palm House -  one day I'll take all of them, have never done that for you!

 quick walk through the Palm House...

 trunk of a plant.....

 this one

one of it's cones

 huge palm leaf

 walking towards the Temperate House, the Pagoda in the distance and a Kew train

 Headed up to the balcony early, to stake my place for the Cirque Bijou -decided to watch it from the end this time... another different perspective

 cellist warming up..

 as I said last time, the performance is the same every time, but looks totally different depending where you see it from...


I checked them out when I got home - you can read more about them here  

and here is the link to the page on the Kew website for this particular show details

 although I did notice moves and twists I hadn't before...

the only disadvantage to seeing it from this angle, is that you don't get to see the girl, counterweight partner -  running up and down her ladder, lowering and raising the  swing

I love how most people (me included to be fair) watch through their phones or cameras....   although I did lower my camera a lot - not wanting to duplicate everything again..and just enjoyed the performance





After it was over, I dashed down the stairs and went to speak to him, told him how much I'd enjoyed it again, and how different it looks from wherever you see it.    He was telling me how his Mum came to see it a couple of weeks ago and we both decided, it was better seen from the balcony.

I went back outside, and walked back to the Palm House, sat - laid actually - on the grass, using my camera bag as a head rest - listening to the football on my radio for a while,


before making my way through the gift shop  - treated myself to a bottle of the Kew Organic gin and a lovely china mug ( not for the gin drinking of course) before heading to the bus stop and my tortuous journey home (don't ask!!  it took me two and a half hours...) 
Thanks for looking...