Kew- a warm day

Warm, even hot, but not unbearably like it would have been yesterday at over 36 degrees. 

walking to the station - I wore a long skirt today as it was too hot for jeans!











I had an 8am slot again and arrived a few minutes before the gates opened.

 I will persist with my traditional opening shot even though the beds are empty

lovely blue sky today

 shining on the water in the pond

 I took a couple of the Broad Walk on my phone to post on facebook

 roses

 you know how I love this patch!

 then it was round to the Hive and the wildflower meadow

 and the alpine house

 the grasses at the edge of the rock garden were glistening in the sun and blowing in the breeze. they looked fabulous

 round in the Evolution garden, the agapanthas were stunning - the light across this patch at the entrance was just amazing (the reason I headed here early on)

 I make no apologies for getting carried away!

 got the globe lens out to play

and a phone view for facebook

 once again the bees were busy

 the sea holly still looking gorgeous

and I adored the colour of this astrantia

this one I took on the phone was better than the camera version

beautiful, isn't it!

these tower above me

 the blue sky is a wonderful backdrop for the gorgeous yellow

 they're catching seeds

 it's not sideways, the long stem is bending over with the weight

 then over to the rose garden on my way to the lake (in a roundabout way)

 more busy bees

 the treetop walkway is out of action at the moment as the stairway is too narrow for social distancing

 the Temperate House door was open but not to allow visitors till 10, however I couldn't resist a peak inside

 I walked up to the Japanese Garden I think for the first time since Chihuly was there or certainly since spring

 I sat on a bench for a few minutes

rowan tree

 again, against the blue sky

 it was nearly 10 now so I sat on a patch of grass in the shade (away from the sprinkler the other side of the path that was giving some of the trees a soaking....)

 and got the globe out again

 inside the Temperate House now,

jasmine, smelling lovely

 cobwebs in amongst the leaves of an aloe

 I then walked to the Palm House and went in

 a huge palm leaf in between a barrier - loving the light shining through it

 Ixora coccinea

 roses outside the waterlily house

flat leaves on the water's surface

 these stems look like the legs of the Flowerpot Men!

 gorgeous red passionflower

 huge pink hibiscus

 I like the waterlily house with limited numbers inside, not getting in my way!

 then it was time for the Princess of Wales glasshouse


whilst I was walking round from the station this morning, I saw the keeper who looks after the water dragons and asked how they were doing, he said they are fine, but being kept "over the other side"... wasn't quite sure what he meant by that..


didn't see any again today on my limited walk through. 

 I know this isn't the right colour but the stripes made me think of mint humbugs!

 I've included this wider shot looking back - the barriers are at the slope that leads you under to the pond where the dragons usually are


blocked off as you see

 my favourite, although most of the flowers have gone now

outside, flowers on the Pagoda tree (one of the ancient Kew trees opposite the Hive. I've shared it once or twice... today noticed all the greenery... it was hard to miss!)

 I rejoined the Broad Walk where I had left it first thing, halfway down


loving the purples and blues, in deep layers

 red hot pokers on the other side of the Walk

 after a drink (water today, hence no coffee and cake shots) 

I cut round the back of the Broad Walk along the grass

to the end, and then home



Thanks for looking!