Normal service is resumed... Saturday at Kew

After my fabulous weekend away last week it was back to normal today - Kew.. Rain...  Wind..  Sun... Luckily the heavy showers forecast didn't really materialise.
Sit back and enjoy a shorter trip than recently...

 in at 8am in a light drizzle.. I had worn my waterproof jacket as a precaution (I hate this coat, it isn't especially waterproof, certainly isn't warm, I try hard not to have to use it)


the alliums in the Palm House beds are still looking raggedy..

 I followed a large gaggle of geese along the path, whilst changing lenses

as I approached the other end, I noticed they have started to re-plant the beds with summer bedding.
as you can see, it is a work in progress!

 I headed down a damp Broad Walk but the rain was already lessening.
I stopped to capture some raindrops on things!

first irises.

as I reached the halfway point I veered right







to take the path to the Hive

 and round the path up the wildflower meadow.  they're as tall as me now, the grasses. 
(about 5'6")

 the daisies are big too

view down to the Broad Walk

 I love how these are pink at the outer edges and creamy white in the middle

 At the top of the path near the entrance to the Hive I noticed this.. I guess it's always been there.....

no way was I going to sit and listen to the bees today!

 southern marsh orchids

 the peonies, so beautiful on Monday, are looking a bit rain-battered.  it's been quite wet this week!

work is coming on well on the new beds though.  Think it's meant to be re-opening in a fortnight.

 I went up to the other end where you can get in to part of the vegetable garden.  the wind was buffeting everything making it hard to focus, and the bees couldn't land in the flowers very well, they were getting blown past

centre of a large clematis.

no ladybirds mating today, much too damp

 headed back along the Broad Walk,
captured this great sky with my phone

 I headed out past the Sapphire Star

 the lovely yellow daisy like flowers from earlier this week had drooped, I couldn't make out if they've been flattened by weather or been partly cut back

 walking round the back of the Temperate House, which wasn't open yet, I saw a patch of blue, and white clouds!  don't mind white clouds, you don't often get wet from them!

 taken through/under an open bit of window into the Temperate House.  I do wish you could walk round the back of the bedding.. there is a path, but it must be just for working from for the staff.

 as it wasn't open yet I headed back up the grass to the Rose Garden and back to the cafe for an early refreshment stop



peaceful today with no school groups!

 this isn't a very good photo (out of focus) but I like the contrast of the colour in bud form to the open flowers.

 walking past the end of the Palm House beds,
a last look at the alliums as no doubt they will all be gone by next time.

it was a day to sit inside to eat... raspberry and white chocolate muffin this time,and hot chocolate... I had filled my loyalty card (buy 8 drinks, get one free) so this was my freebie..

 as I sat and ate my cake, I noticed through the door the sun was coming out, so I headed outside again.

I sat on a bench by the Temperate House for a few minutes,

 before walking round the outside again

 I came to a door that was open (still just before 10) so I nipped inside

by now it was quite warm and I was carrying my coat, although it was still very windy

 the centres of this flower is a really bright green but I couldn't get it focused properly

 I went up the stairs to view the Chihuly from above again

 I heard Monty Don on Gardeners World last night refer to this as the Cup and Saucer plant..
bet that's not what is on the label (if I could find it) at Kew!
 I love how it is climbing up the steps though (photo above)

there wasn't a lot of sun so didn't take so many today, but had to take this one of the pale blue translucency!

 I love this large tub full of daisies.. or margherites they may be

 especially when I can isolate

 single stems!

 walked over under the trees round the Treetop Walkway

to head to the lake

 where one of the adult swans was swimming around.

no sign of the (presumably) female or the 6 cygnets...haven't seen them again

 I sat on a bench by the lake...

 when all of a sudden...

he took exception to the goose and shooed him out of the water!

before deciding not to get out but to swim off again

 I stopped at this group of white flowers by the lakeside, in the sunshine.



I noticed a fly

 so macro'd in!


so bright and irresdescent

 but so tiny!

 I carried on...

 back towards the Palm House.

this really is my least favourite!

 stopped at the other end of the rose garden on my way to the waterlily house..

 the scent is much less marked on a duller cooler day

 I know this is through a misted up lens, but the gourds are growing around the waterlily pond, they seem to come from nowhere!

 eventually got one of the yellow ones un-misted!

 the flowers on the tulip tree were being blown about madly so I still had trouble capturing them this time too

 into the Princess of Wales now, (no dragons today)

 remembered to go down past the bougainvillea this time

from there I went along to the alpine house

 these looked as if they'd been brushed with Treasure Gold!

(Leuzea conifera)

 I loved these.  didn't see a label though

 back outside in the Duke's garden

I loved this,

 the grasses are still quite low in the grass garden in front of the alpine house

 but the sky was now blue!

 I went back down the end of the Broad Walk I hadn't visited first thing

 and found a bench in the sun

the grasses wouldn't stay still!

 the geraniums were poking through the slats in the back of the bench I was sitting on.

 I can't stop photographing the alliums

 I didn't notice the hoverfly (I think) flying into the geranium at the time

I walked over the grass to the garden by Kew Palace

 chimneys and roofline of the Palace

 the laburnum arch has finished, but I walked round the sunken garden

 globe artichokes, the ladybirds were out now

 heather in the box bedding

thanks for looking..