Kew

After a very wet week the forecast for today was much better, not that it would have stopped me anyway...

 in fact as I walked across Kew Bridge from the station, the sky was very blue and I needed my sunglasses.

bit of a change from raincoats and umbrellas most of the week

 first in again, but lots of people behind me!

the fuschias in the urns overhanging on the side of the pond

 the Palm House beds with the Waterlily House in the background

 the bright sun on the pond creating a nice silhouette effect

 the sun was really catching Paintbrushes in the bed at the top of the Broad Walk

I walked down the Broad Walk first as usual


these lillies are very tall (never sure if they're finished or fresh blooms coming like this... we'll see.  I think they're over) 

 this is what I love about the early mornings at Kew..   soft, dappled sunlight

 tall phlox (I think) in the sun

 you know I can't resist the echinacea (cone flowers)

 especially with the agapanthas behind them

 the last of yesterday's raindrops

 this poor bee seemed completely still, didn't move... hopefully it was just sleeping, sated on pollen!

I took one with my phone and walked on, then realised I'd got that out of focus so came back, where it was still motionless...

 however, on the next group of plants, the bees were very active as always

 at the end of the Broad Walk I deviated from my normal route as I had decided I would go to the lake next


as I crossed the grass there is a good view of the Hive between the trees

 leaves of the Red Oak tree

 the Palm House also nestling between trees

 although this isn't one of my favourite Chihuly pieces, today it looked amazing in the sun!

 moody shot!

 as I approached the lake, I noticed two coots (or moorhens, I can never tell them apart) on the nest that the heron sometimes stalks fish from...though one of them swam off.


lake still scummy!

 another nest in clearer water further along

 by the bridge

 swans on the bank, preening as usual

 as I crossed the bridge over the lake, I noticed a large fish never seen one in there before (but obviously there are, or the heron wouldn't be around!)

 I walked up the other side of the lake to the top end

 looking back at the bridge

 reflections..

 and in the distance, the heron was in place! (mid of picture you may be able to pick him out if you enlarge the photo)

 this tree always makes great reflections on sunny days...

today was no exception

I headed down Cedar Vista but there were no sign of peacocks in or out of trees again.

the Pagoda at the end

 so I headed to the Japanese landscape and the Nijima Floats

 where appropriately there are several beds full of Japanese Anemones

 I headed back towards the Temperate House

 past trees full of fruit or hips or something

 for some reason I really noticed the harlequin pattern on the urn on top of the Temperate House today

 last week's wind had done no damage to the Chihuly  and it was looking beautiful silhouetted

 around the corner at the other end of the TH


the sun was shimmering

on some of the cattails

 oooh......

 loving these ones today!

 I was thinking about something to eat...

 raindrops on roses

 but after checking the Victoria Gate cafe I didn't fancy cake this early (amazing, normally I can eat cake anytime... but I had an idea...)

 then I saw a Facebook post from WOYWW desker Michaela about some art she'd abandoned in the student veg garden when she visited in the week...

I decided to go and see if it was still there...

 so headed through the rock garden


where I got distracted by these lillies

it was still there, but I left it in place for someone else and if I'd thought of it would have taken a photograph...


I walked through the Evolution garden
 where the hollyhocks had slumped towards the path making them easy to reach with my lens...

 where everything was looking gorgeous

I went into the Princess of Wales for an early dragon hunt


these are still in full flower

 ooh spiky!

 waterlily pad - it was slightly redder and not as purple as this seems

 by the mangroves, there was indeed a water dragon, down from his pillar already

 I stopped for a couple of minutes but he seemed quite still....

 so went through to check elsewhere.


none I could see at the moment..

 walked through the cool orchid room

 gorgeous leaf markings

 through another door

down round by the back of the mangrove pond area, not sure what this flower is/was sitting on a rock

 splash of orange in a hanging basket by the door back out to the cactus/desert section

 and of course when I got back to the mangrove bit, he'd moved across to sit in the wall again!

 I headed for the exit and of course had to stop for this!

and a large hibiscus..

I headed to the Orangery restaurant for a proper breakfast which I ate outside...

bit of a mistake as the wasps wanted to share..

it was ok, but not as hot as I'd have liked so when I'd finished I headed back (there was a big cloud overhead)

 the bed at the Orangery end of the Broad Walk...

 the cloud was holding off (no rain was forecast so I was hopeful)  so I visited the Hive

wildflower meadow

still has that cloud overhead

 I went back to the Princess of Wales
going in through the other door


(bedding outside)

 I thought this would be spiky but it wasn't


it's an Australian plant

Melaleuca diosmifolia

 large ferns

 still on his wall!

 this time I found a little one sitting in the tree through in the other bit

 he seemed quite happy there

 so I went back again

 and the other side of the pond I found this one, on the other part of the wall

 posing away, he drew quite a crowd

so I went back outside again

 and through the alpine house, though there wasn't a huge amount flowering in there today

 back in the Evolution garden

 huge group of crocosmia

 and more echinacea

 as I was going completely out of order round today, I needed to go to the

 Waterlily House...

where there were loads of waterlilies flowering

 so I went back to the low-level shooting today

 apart from this overhead

 I crossed the path and walked through the Palm House

 before heading out again and towards the Temperate House

this one is Poliothyris... no idea!  like it though

 past Sapphire Star

 in the Temperate House

 the huge hibiscus have opened now fully, last week there were lots that were only partly open

 loving it

 the sun was pouring through the roof and windows

 I didn't go up to the top today, but it was very popular up there!

 I love how the plants are growing up and around and over the glassworks

 it really is very clever planning of the positioning of each set of glass

 the huge tubs of coleus

 glinting in the sun

 I put the wide angle on as I walked round the outside

 as I haven't used it for weeks and there is no point lugging it all and not using it!

from the bottom of the steps  - love how big the wide angle makes them look!

 I kept the wide angle on as I went round the gallery for a change....

 some framed prints in the shop

 back down the path to the entrance

 another (better) shot of the overhanging fuschia in the urns

little flowers growing in the end of the pond wall

 past the end of the Broad Walk again

 I went for one last look

 the one that had been on the wall at the desert end, was now on the steps...

 from behind him

 this one was flat out on his wall!

and this one was still in the tree!


as I was looking at this one, I noticed some people to my right looking at another tree...

 that makes 4 different ones today!

they are so good at camouflage!

 I stood there for ages and several people walked past but none seemed to stop and look, which is unusual.

 I thought I saw a movement in the other tree out of my eye, and sure enough, the little one had vanished! 

 and then there was a rustling as this one changed position too

 as I made my way out this one had moved off the steps and onto the rock where I'd seen it a couple of weeks ago

what a treat today



as I went round past the pond, the fish were being fed but I couldn't get close, and decided not to hang around to see if the water dragons were next (I am sure they would have been)  but decided to head for home.

Thanks for looking!