Well, despite it being the late Bank Holiday weekend in parts of the UK (sorry Scotland) the weather this weekend is roasting hot... However, it's Saturday, so it's Kew!!
I'd shed my cardigan by the time I got to Clapham Junction and it stayed in my bag till I got home.
plane trails criss-crossing the sky as I walked over Kew Bridge at 7.40 (am)
the Thames
the bank holiday weather had brought out lots of people early as I made my way to my starting shot..
Summer Sun in full sun at 8 am
I made my way round towards the Broad Walk as usual
small alliums
spent agapanthas heads, still striking!
I walked up round the wildflower meadow
the alpine house was open to let some early air through
this looks like a hairy house leek (sempervivium) but it's actually
petrocosmea forrestii
outside the alpine house, the water wasn't running in the rock garden (forgot to check later when I was nearby again)
part of the Evolution garden..
the grapes growing along the fence of the student veg plots were looking a bit ropey!
my friend Kyla had left an "art abandonment" tag at Kew a couple of weeks ago - it was still there!
once again I left it
will see how long it is before someone decides they might like to keep it when they find it!
walked through the evolution garden
things are growing quickly
not sure if it's dew or they'd been watered...
but the agapanthus were looking gorgeous
sedum
pink and white ones
you know how much I love Rudbeckia
the tree in front of the Princess of Wales conservatory is changing colour.... contrary weather!!
I think it does always do this early in the season though!
I walked round the other side of the pond towards coffee!!
the reflections were good.
I wanted to get more in so went for ultra-wide angle!
after coffee (no cake just yet)
I set off for Chihuly!
some sort of webby thing on a cistus shrub.
couldn't get in closer!
I walked slowly as it was warming up now although the sunshine was still hazy-ish so I didn't need my hat yet
past the still closed Temperate House
at about this stage I noticed how quiet it was - hardly any planes overhead (they are usually constant) must be on a slightly different flight path today
round the path (rather than the still dew-y damp grass short cut) to Nijima Floats
and then up to the lake
sun behind the top of a tall tree
the cygnets were pecking at the leaves overhanging the little island
these two are on the phone, I couldn't be bothered to change lenses on the camera!
back to camera again
I decided to climb up the Treetop Walkway for a change, not done so for ages!
the horse chestnut trees (or sweet chestnut I always forget which they are) are smothered
the sun glinting off the corner of the Temperate House below
shadows on the walkway
by the time I got down to the Temperate House it was 10, so doors open
still huge hibiscus everywhere
I walked round the top first
I will never tire of this beauty!
webs between the fronds
back out into the heat (hat on by now)
cool walk through the gallery
back down the path to the cafe
the mushrooms have filled out since last week
I headed inside for another coffee (unusually) and cake this time... today I tried the rhubarb crumble - the rhubarb flavour was subtle but the sponge as deliciously moist as always
once I'd finished I headed off past the Palm House again
and round to the
waterlily house
cut across the grass to the
Princess of Wales conservatory,
cactus in flower
but even though I looked in all their hiding places, I couldn't spot a single water dragon.
that's how it goes sometimes!
nearly forgot to stop at these though
the grasses are looking good
they're tall too
most of the windows were open to air the POW
it was getting very hot now so I meandered along the end of the Broad Walk briefly
sitting down briefly to re-apply suncream
a slightly wonky shot of Kew Palace!
but I decided it was too hot to linger, and hardly any shade,
so I headed for the exit
past a final bed full of colour
thanks for looking!
2 comments:
Beauyiful collection Helen and yes it's roasting here too. The Steampunk lot looked as though they were cooking! Hugs, Angela xXx
The trellis (both I'm sure) in the "opening" shot has gone WILD. Really filled out nicely. And I was so impressed with how the flowers in the urns matched Summer Sun so well.
The colors in the Evolution garden are still simply stunning.
Is the tag by Kyla, the Kyla from WOYWW with Man Bites Dog on her desk? Regardless, it's beautiful and really appropriate for Kew, too.
I've never seen pink sedum before. It's beautiful. I'm sure by now you know my favorite Chihuly sculptures are the Nijima Floats. You took some really different views this time and they were spectacular.
Goodness, the lake is looking very scummy (if that's a word). Your phone takes great shots, too!
What a great way to spend time waiting on the Temperate House to open. The views from up high are always so satisfying.
I love how the ferns play against the Chihuly sculpture in photo 73. One of my favorite shots on this trip. Another is 83, the close up of the black and colored Chihuly vessel.
I never tire of seeing the beauty outside the Palm House. Looks like lots of people were there by then. And the face looks SO different with summer blooms surrounding it. Yes, I admit. I've seen it before (Tee hee). Photo 99 in the Waterlily house is stunning, too. And of course, I always love the structure of the Alpine House. Even the flowers in the final photo showed such great color combinations. Thanks for sharing these latest photos, dear Helen. Hope your bank holiday is still going well.
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