Kew on my birthday

 It's my birthday today, so of course I wasn't going to miss Kew!  The forecast has been chopping and changing all week - but it turned out to be perfect.

the cloud cover that had come over whilst I was travelling to Kew started to clear as we went in...

after stopping at the Palm House I walked past the entrance tothe Princess of Wales glasshouse - loving the flowering cactus outside - will be back for a closer look later

but I decided to visit the Evolution Garden first,  I caught up with my friend Linda that I chat to in the queue.

some of the beds that were battered by rain before last weekend had recovered... and some poppies come out

scabius in the sun

valerian

eryingium,  love these

delphiniums

pink poppies

calycanthus

my favourite wildflower bed at the minute

light through poppies..

the blue of the cornflowers in the sun is just gorgeous

this is Linda across the Dukes Garden 

astrantia

not sure!

I loved the shadow of the seedpod on the petals

rock garden 

I went through the arch in the wall back into the Evolution Garden, loving the shadows of the pergola on the path

valerian from other side of the path

rosa 

back at  the Palm House, remembered the globe lens in my bag! 

lilies opening on the Broad Walk 

alliums gone to seed,  loving the sun on them 

euphorbia gone to seed, loving these too

then I cut across the grass toward the rose garden, stopping to poke my head through one of the viewing holes in the Plantscape across from the rose garden 

then to rose garden

think this was some roses in the evolution garden actually!  

phone pic in the rose garden

this week I did walk through the downtrodden grasses to the poppies near the Temperate House!

they were just too tempting! 

bees were loving them too 

in front of the Temperate House I stopped for a few minutes rest

as you can see I was dressed for summer, just as well the weather played ball!

I walked round the outside of the Temperate House,  of course it was too early to go inside

they'd mowed the slopes in front of the TH  at the front and the side,  

but as I reached the back, I could see they'd left the slope to the right of the steps up to the middle entrance .... I got a bit carried away here! 

the slope was covered in poppies...

I got as low as I could,  

and took some from the top of the slope too...

they were just magnificent with the sun shining through them

I had started to walk off towards the lake but suddenly had an idea and scurried back...

an opportunity nearly missed!!   

I wonder if they'll have mowed this by next week...I hope not!

then it WAS off to the lake...

the moorhens were scooting about on the water 

the smoke bush at the top of the lake

no sign of the heron this week,  but a little later when I crossed the bridge back to the station, the tide was out so it may have been on the Thames watching for fish there already!  

Inside the Temperate House - they had reversed the one way system so we had to go in the door we've been coming out by...it had thrown the stewards too this morning

(they've got an evening thing going on at present though so it's probably something to do with that)

anyhow,  irises

and the bird of paradise

I didn't take many inside the TH today - it felt odd walking this way through!  

back outside and it was time for coffee and cake -  found something a bit different today,  birthday treat!

it was called hummingbird cake.   a discussion on facebook resulted in the flavour of pineapple  - that's what the piece of fruit decoration on top was ... it was lovely! 

having searched since, the recipes seem also to include banana.   and the icing is cream cheese frosting.

I shall have it again though!  

there wasn't a queue to get into the Palm House today so I went in today.

there were a few people inside - but it was so hot in there today!  

still restricted to a one way walk through...

then to the Waterlily house,

had to wait outside for  a couple of minutes so took some pics of the beds outside.

and the inside... in reverse order because.... blogger!!! 

crossing the grass past the tree fern outside the end of the Palm House

off to the Princess of Wales glasshouse now 

aeonium 

the giant titun is growing... bet I miss it opening.

delicate orchids

they've replanted the bed at what is currently the exit to the POW - palms and coleus

the blinds (sails!)  weren't pulled down in the Alpine House

another look at the view of the rock garden

there was a small girl (3ish, maybe 4)  being allowed to climb over the rocks... I walked past her mother muttering into my mask  you're not allowed on the rock garden  ... blooming people who don't control their kids!  

anyhow... inside the alpine house,  the semperviviums were flowering

back at the other end of the POW I remembered to take a picture of the cactus flowering at the entrance

then it was along the further end of the Broad Walk

more poppies, California poppies this time,  looking gorgeous againts the yellow

always get carried away by my favourite alliums 

I sat on a bench again,  timing my departure for the train timetable!  

and the one of the giant Indian horse chestnuts as I walked to the exit

thanks so much for looking, and sharing my happy place on my birthday!