Kew - start of holiday week!

I am now on a week's holiday from work and looking forward to some relaxing time.  So of course today I wake at 5am and get ready for Kew....

 there were some pretty patterns in the sky as I left home

a pale blue sky but it was already warming up

 I headed down the Broad Walk first as usual

 lots of glorious colour and swathes of plants

I knew the Hive was closed for maintenance but walked round past the Agapanthus that are just coming into bloom

 you could walk down the path to the underneath of the Hive to the start of the wildflower meadow

 from there I walked round outside the Princess of Wales glasshouse

in the rock garden - tiger lilies (asiatic lilies?)

 I walked round past the horticulture students vegetable beds, to the new beds in the evolution garden

 but stopped at a large bed full of borage

 the roses are starting to re-grow up the pergola

 there was a large patch of lilies illuminated by the sun

 not sure what has seemed to flatten these, but there were loads of blooms

 tumbling over the path too

 these pink

 and white, flowers seem to be on the same plant (I tried to check down in amongst the stems)

 love the colour combinations

 the plants are already flourishing.  this is the end they planted first

 to the other side of the pat, a clump of day-lilies

 round the side of the Palm House pond

 my cousin knows what these berries are but I can't remember the name of the plant!
will ask her next week (she's coming with me on Tuesday!!)

 palm house through the weeping willow that stands on the side of the pond

 bed outside the entrance, echinops echoing the shape of the Sapphire Star sculpture

 it was full of bees, they were moving so fast  struggled to capture them

 Indian bean tree - smothered in flowers

already forgotten what this is

 there are agapanthas everywhere!

 irrigating in the bed behind the red cattails

 one side of the lake has cleared

 the other not!

no sign of the swans today, or not the half I walked round, never did get back to walk round the other half

 bees and dragonflies darting about round (purple loosestrife??)

got one!

 as I'd walked across the bridge from the station, on the way in, there were 2 herons in the shallow water watching for fish.

not sure if this is one of those or not,

 but it was keeping a beady eye out for movement in the water!

 walking down Cedar Vista from the lake, I heard before I saw, a peacock - already down from it's roost in the trees!

 hydrangeas

I sat outside the Temperate House for a few minutes until it opened at 10

 from the walkway

 close up of the ikebana glass

 Chilean Wine Palm

 fab patterns from it's leaves

 satsumas - a huge tub in one of the intersections in the TH - they'll ripen fast I am sure

in the Palm House now




I read an article on the Kew blog in the week (from January mind you) that mentioned there being a female Chinese water dragon in there - never ever seen it... so had a good look today

didn't see it.

 but can't resist water drops as you know

 back outside

just love the bright red and purple

 the bronze "coming out" of the holly hedge


framed by the new rose bed

meant to do this last week and forgot!

this one on the phone was better

 outside the waterlily house

 beautiful yellow waterlily

 outside the POW

 lilies in the little water rill running round the POW

 there is a huge cactus growing outside, under the shelter of the roof, with big yellow flowers

 inside

 one!

two! 

 he was sitting under a tree hiding


but not from me!

 last week when I saw the one climbing up the trunk I forgot to photograph these flowers on it


wasn't there today - think it is probably the one above

 back to number 1

realised it seems to have a spiny bit on it's back... wonder if that means on is male and one female...

 walked round everywhere in case there were any more about...

pretty little orchid

had to go back to  see if he'd moved

 in the alpine house

I kept getting side tracked going to have something to eat!

 view over the rock garden

 grass garden

 Duke's garden

 Californian Tree Poppy

finally getting towards somewhere to eat now

coffee and a new cake - lemon meringue cake.  yes, it WAS sweet.. nice though!

 down the Broad Walk from the other end

 the stage for Kew the Music (week long nights of concerts finish tomorrow)

 wispy fluffy stuff

 bees loving it

 walked round the Palm House again,

 agapanthas outside the Palm House (back of, overlooking the rose garden)

 beautiful little rose called  The Fairy

 back down the Broad Walk for home - it was getting close to tennis time

Another fabulous day! 

you don't have to wait long for your next visit as I say, I'll be there again on Tuesday - might not take so many pics then. 

in between, on Monday I may go somewhere else  (tomorrow is cricket, F1 and tennis, somehow all at the same time!  )

thanks for looking