Kew in glorious technicolour

Today was just about perfect - enough cloud cover coming and going to keep the temperature reasonable.

as you can see the starting point was bathed in sunshine and pale blue skies

the goslings got up as I walked by and headed for the grass

I headed for the Broad Walk but I think next week it will be the Evolution Garden first

the Broad Walk is in that in-between stage of not as much colour 

the alliums are going over

irises still good though

I concentrated on sun shining through things

then it was round to the Evolution Garden when I was presented with an amazing display of peonies in the sunshine

the clump of this seaside memory plant was even better today,  i still couldn't find a label though

and another towering Valerian next to it

the roses along the uprights of the pergola all down the Evolution Garden were stunning

some beautiful iridescent  delphiniums

I had to go and check out the poppies seen in the background here 

there were so many bees

I counted 4 in one but I kept missing them! 

the Californian poppies were stunning too

and further to the back of the bed, these mauve beauties

more roses

at the end of the Evolution Garden is a boundary behind which the Kew students have veg beds - there is a beautiful wildflower bed which was gorgeous

I shared loads from my phone to FB too -

think they are even better!

I tore myself away eventually

I went into the Duke's garden 

where there were still some alliums to enjoy - shorter, larger ones

I love all the purples in here

so do the bees

I have several hardy geraniums in my garden

the scent from these huge peonies was amazing

I had to check they weren't roses, they smelled so good

there was all sorts of activity in and around the Alpine House - no idea what,  I thought they were maybe re-stocking the displays,  but there were security guards too.  The website just says it's shut from today until Tuesday.  Will see next week what's different!  

however I was able to walk round most of the rock garden

i found a Yukka in flower

I headed back past the Palm House

to the rose garden... 

I wish you could smell the fragrance - because it was still early and the sun not at full strength, the smell was amazing

As I walked along the path towards the Temperate House, a jay played around in front of me - they don't normally stay still long enough for photos, they seem to be quite shy birds so this was lucky!

the cistus on the slope up to the Mediterranean garden are in full flower

I am more used to seeing these inside the POW glasshouse

Love that they let the grass under the cherry trees grow long, and the poppies that pop up around the tree bases obviously do too

at the start of the path was a beaten down area of grass so I didn't feel guilty at going in for a closer look

not sure what this tree is, but it towered above me

the azaleas in the Japanese garden are finished now,

the gravel must have been recently raked though it was very neat!

this is a Hinoki Cypress

I walked up the grass past the little pond...

....on my way to the lake

the smoke tree is developing

I walked round the lake

to the bridge

little wildflowers peeking through the barrier

there were a couple sitting on the bench just the other side of the red life jacket 

feeding the geese....

over the other side of the bridge was a large patch of yellow iris, on the bank

I went towards the edge to look

there was a swan on the side, preening, with a baby to (her) side

It was nearly 10 now so time to head for theTemperateHouse

on my way I went into the already open building opposite, 

- not much plant colour to see but my eye had been caught through the door by this 

 a knitted Plant Tree o Life based on the  boards in the Evolution Garden 

hopefully you may be able to enlarge this to read

there was an agapanthus just coming into flower though

the doors of the Temperate House were open by the time I reached it

Strelitzia in various stages of "open-ness"!

although you still have to follow a one-way system inside, they have pushed back the barriers in the central part, so you can see a bit more

and down the sides

across from one side to the other

I love the dark stems of this fern (?) with the new growth coming in the middle

they were growing this way and that...

big palm 

I was following the person watering the plants - this unfurling fern with water drop

It was quite refreshing standing under the wet palms as they dripped! 

in the middle atrium a display of corn/maize growing 

back outside I walked back round past the "please be seated" installation

I cant remember which Plantscapes habitat this one represents, but under some of them are viewing holes that you can look up through

when I got back to the entrance, I bought a coffee and chocolate chip cookie and sat in the rose garden

it was soft but not too messy!

then I joined a short queue for the waterlily house

but I'm starting with a hibiscus!

at least when it's hot outside there is no problem with the lens misting up

back outside a few more roses...

I crossed the grass to the Princess of Wales glasshouse...

at this end, is a display of Californian poppies on the bank beside the POW

and a rill runs round the side - love the reflections of the poppies in the water!  

just inside the entrance is a desert landscape

this extremely spiky cactus had loads of flowers!

these ones are behind a barrier prohibiting you getting closer, which is a shame, we'll miss these blooming

banana, anyone?

this fern has grown loads in a week, I failed to get a decent photo of it last time (blurry)  when it was tiny

well I wasn't going to walk past it!

the aloe flower has grown !

still plenty going on at the alpine house!

more white peonies  (evolution garden)

ceanothus 

roses 

another bank of grasses and wildflowers, opposite the other side of the POW to the rock garden 

I had caught glimpses of the blue on my way into the POW earlier and had to double back to make sure I investigated

I had a sit on  a bench along the Broad Walk for a few minutes before heading home

roses again 

I walked round the other side of the pond to the exit to see how tall the gunnera are growing... not quite as tall as I expected, yet. 

Thanks for looking again!

see you next week!