Kew - sun Chihuly and dragons

Well I debated about going to the Hampton Court Garden Festival (renamed from the Flower Show) today - I might still go tomorrow, the final day -  but we had an impromptu BBQ at my boss's last night (see the end of the blog)  and I slept really badly after eating later than normal (this always happens, it's not my boss's fault) and I felt decidedly under the weather when I woke (again) at 5...

So, Kew it was (a work colleague is going to HC tomorrow with her daughter, so I may join them)

 some pretty early morning clouds... earlier than I would have been, as I (luckily) checked the trains before leaving - my normal train was cancelled so I had a mad dash to get the earlier one.... at 6.21.....

 walking across the river - high tide this morning - and reflections of the bridge and lamp-posts in the water.

 Beautiful blue sky greeted me at my starting point, the temperature was warm and the sun as you see, very bright!

 the red/purple flowers are developing nicely in front of the Palm House

 I headed down the Broad Walk - half in shade half in sun...

I took the pathway round to the Hive, but it was closed for maintenance so I couldn't even walk up round the wildflower meadow

 so I went on round to the rock garden

I always think of clouds like this as "Simpsons" clouds- cartoon like flat bottoms with fluffy tops.

the grasses in the grass garden are growing well after their early season drastic cut back

 and shimmering in the early sun

tall blooms in the rock garden (I ought to know what they are)



as I reached the entrance to the veg garden/old family beds, I was delighted to see the new gardens opened up for visiting..

I wandered around, but will add photos out of order so I can include first the boards that tell you about the refurbishment

I am not sure how well you can read it with enlargement, and there are lots of shadows...


hopefully there will be a leaflet out soon giving me some more info for you!

this one tells you about the garden through history and the changes it's gone through up to now, the Evolution Garden


each area is set out as a "room" and has it's own board telling you about the plants within it.

I didn't photograph them all, but here are a few

obviously the planting is quite new and will fill out in time.

 love an agapanthas!

 view from the start (or end) of the garden -  the pergola has been replanted with new roses which will settle in over the years

 the pathways round the "rooms" is nice to walk on, and leads you round - much better than the grass that used to be between the old family beds

it is no wonder it's taken so long to do, they've changed it completely

 each room as I said, had it's own board telling you about the plants at that stage of evolution and the planting is (presumably, I haven't read it all yet)  modern equivalents.


there is also an evolutionary timeline under each board so you know where they developed
When I go on another day when I am not feeling so crap I will read properly!

 can't resist water drops (nearly wrote rain then, but it's definitely from watering)

or daisy type flowers!

 by the side of the pond, heading off in another direction now

 kneeling down to emphasise the crocosmia

beautiful sparkling reflections

 through the planting at the main entrance with Sapphire Star showing through

 have to go and see these again

 and these!

 whilst most of the TH windows were open for ventilation,the doors won't be for some time yet..

 so walked past and then veered right, towards the lake taking a route up Cedar Vista

 huge hydrangeas




I bumped into the lady I always see (and had at 8 at the gate)  peering up into the cedar trees peacock spotting, she'd heard one calling but we couldn't see any

 at the lake

 as I reached the halfway point (the bridge) I was going to sit on a bench under a tree, but this man was hand feeding the male swan again

 who was patrolling and trying to see off the geese!



I stood and watched for a few moments;

but could see Mum and her brood in the water - which this week was covered in some kind of duck weed or something...

 I went onto the bridge.

they were pecking at the greenery, swimming through it creating channels

 which soon closed up behind them

 looking back at the feeding station!   this stretch looks really different now, they cut down a big tree a couple of weeks ago (the stump is in the ground)  and it's much more open onto the lakeside

 I spoke to another photographer about the weed, spoiling our reflections!

 crossed the bridge and sat on  a bench in the shade for a few moments (I was restless though and didn't stop anywhere long!)


on my way back towards the TH  I decided I didn't have the energy to climb the Treetop walkway

 to my surprise as I walked round to the front of the Temperate House (sat for another couple of minutes under another tree!)  they opened the doors early..

 I went "upstairs" again!

 great shadows playing on the stairs

 fuschias at the bottom of the stairway down

 dark red bottle brush

I dawdled the short walk to the gallery

where I arrived just at 10 as they opened up

 close up of one of the Jerusalem cylinders

back outside, stopped for a quick pit-stop of coffee and a bit of cake - but wasn't really in the mood for it so only drank the coffee (unheard of!)

one of the round beds by the side of the Palm House

It wasn't much past 10 so I headed for the waterlily house before it got too crowded

 pausing only for a couple of photos from the Palm House beds

I love this central one

 the very striking Aeonium Purpureum

 the humidity hit you inside.. but no problems with misting up luckily

 so I could take a quick walk round the pond


the lotus flowers are out

mirroring the shapes of the sculptures  (it's definitely my favourite!)

and some of the waterlilies were quite large too

 back lit at the door of the waterlily house

 the new rose beds just outside the waterlily house are stunning now

I didn't go through the main rose garden though but cut back across to the Princess of Wales glasshouse.. where I was rewarded!

 this time the water dragon was flat out in the water on the top of the rock

 I tried to get closer up another step (viewing from the steps that raise you above the pond) but the greenery got in the way...

 I carried on round, and couldn't see any more dragons

 so went back to this one

he'd at least lifted his head a bit!


I decided to go round the house again

 and saw another dragon, up a tree... I only saw it as I was about to photograph the flowers on the tree (never did!) and saw a lady looking at the trunk...

 got a bit carried away ((this is just a selection)

 they have great claws for holding on!

 I am fascinated by the patterns on the head

 he sat there for ages

went to say goodbye to the first one, still there!

 on the way out

 red hot pokers in the Broad Walk

sat for a while

 Kew the Music, a week of concerts starts this coming week,  work going on to get the stage ready... haven't booked any tickets and not sure who's performing, apart from Jools Holland

taken from the outside of the Orangery where I drank a glass of water

 bee action!

 from the bench where I sat again

 I decided to call it a day at noon,
there were some big grey clouds (nothing came of them) and it was getting quite muggy


bed at the top of the Broad Walk and exit pathway junction

final bed at the exit.


headed home, on a busy train (one before was cancelled) full of noisy children which did nothing to make me feel better!



so I promised pics from the BBQ last night, all on the phone as that was all I had with me

got a lift in a colleague's car...













arriving, had to take a fab sky shot

bubbles on ice!

 a little later the red carpet -left over from Monica's party last year - came out (my work colleague Peggy (pic above, on the left) may borrow it for her son's engagement party she's organising.

I was trying to sweep off the leaves

 that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it..

Monica and Lesley thought I needed squashing

they did!

then it was sunset time!

 it got better...

 most of these I put on facebook last night.


it was a simply stunning sky!

love this one!

someone took a picture of me pretending to take a picture of the sunset on their phone...


thanks for looking,  will decide tomorrow if I go to Hampton Court or not, depends how well I sleep (and if the rain we may get first thing clears up quickly) - there are trains running!