Kew - a late start

 Hi,  it was a late entrance to Kew this morning as there was a half marathon/5k  run event taking place inside Kew and COVID restrictions meant that not only were runner numbers limited, but that Kew visitors couldn't get in until after the end of the event, which meant an 11am time slot was the first available.

Mixed weather forecast too, we had bits of drizzle, and bits of just about sunshine, but no matter!

the runners were allowed to stay to enjoy the gardens after their races, so there were already quite a few people when I entered

the beds at the Palm House are largely devoid of colour (apart from green) except in the middle 

I kept my standard lens on for the Plantscape at the top of the Broad Walk

this one is Moorlands

hopefully you can read about it here 

I like how each Plantscape features the same kind of differing heights of beds ,  some are hexagonal as here, some are square

they will gradually colour up as flowers develop during the seasons. 

I headed down the Broad Walk in search of flowers (and raindrops!) 

the ferns are developing

and these beautiful tulips are still raindroppy!!  

raspberry ripple ice cream anyone?!

the Lady's Mantle (alchemilla mollis)  also loves the rain 

I think these may be potentilla,  (member of te strawberry family)

my favourite alliums are developing.

love them with the acid green/yellow of the euphobia behind

stripy tulip

drifts of white alliums in bud, in the bed, with the wildflower (cow parsley) foot of the meadow at the bottom of the Hive in the background

some of the white alliums are out

I was wearing new walking boots and trying not to get too wet so kept to paths and short grass where I could

drifts of wildflowers (I say cow parsley, I think it is)  has been allowed to grow under trees and round the outside of the Hive's wildflower meadow

I love it 

the wisteria is out now

some kind of palm flowering

I walked round the edge of the Rock Garden,  

I love these, Cuban Lily (scillia peruviana)

they are always long lasting and there are various clumps around the gardens, in various stages of flower

peonies at the top of the Rock Garden (I do wish I could clamber over the rocks to get closer!)

this euphorbia is unusually coloured

some prettily marked irises

camassia

beautiful

some pretty anemone markings

(evolution garden)

raindrops in the middle of the fluffy seed heads of the pasqueflowers

huge peony

not sure what this is, in the middle of a bed, couldn't see a label

it's taller than I am 

more of the Cuban Lily 

cream raindrop spattered peony

just about enough light for reflections

the gunnera at the pond's edge are really growing, the ones further back in the bed are not so tall yet

these pink and white tulips are everywhere 

these are just outside the Victoria Plaza cafe

and the wisteria growing up the pergola there too

next I headed off the other way from the main entrance

walking past the 'sand dunes' plantscape

there were a lot of people enjoying the "let's be seated" installation,

I found a "loop" to sit on but it was quite noisy and I said to the lady who is on hand to explain about it (and keep an eye on it) that I'd come back next week early as I have a 8am slot again!

instead I walked up towards the Pagoda and to the Japanese Garden - I've not been for a couple of weeks and knew I'd have missed the best of the blossom

in all the rain last week I gave it a miss!

on the way though, lots of trees/shrubs covered in blossom still

the peacock still strutting around in the raked gravel!

I wanted to get the red of the azaleas behind him

looking back as I headed off towards the lake

clumps of bluebells under trees

I didn't go round to the woodland walk today, although I expect there'll have still be lots of bluebells there

along the way to the lake,

rhododendrons

these yellow ones were so strongly fragranced, they were gorgeous

within the space of 2 minutes, it had been sunny - then a sudden (light) shower 

a curtain of laburnum framing the view of the lake as I walked round the lake

it was beautiful!  

also, as I see these I realise I forgot to go and look at the laburnum arch in the garden of Kew Palace, bother!!  

as I reached the bridge crossing the lake, I could hear music (despite my headphones playing a radio programme)

I read the board

several of the nearby trees have large domes hanging playing the music I could hear

there is a huge tree a bit further on, covered i these large groups of leaves - they look like bird's nests from a distance - I've seen them before

I should have taken a photo fo the whole tree!

 I realised I hadn't been to the side of the Temperate House where the tulips are, so headed over

passing the huge Judas Tree which is really gorgeous now

there were 2 girls taking photos that I tried to exclude fromthe picture but it does show how tall the tree is!  

the grass round the tulips has really shot up this week 

and it is mostly grass now!  I like the yellow patches (I think they'll be buttercups)

outside the waterlily house

more drifts of cow parsley

lilac with lichen covered branches

on my way to the exit, I stopped to take the final pic of the bed at the Palm House with the colour still in it!  

thanks for looking,

next week it's back to 8am so be ready early!!