Kew - slightly damp and no more pre-booking

 well, for members at least.  Not that it affects me for a while as I have pre-booked up to the end of September.  The forecast for today was prolonged thundery showers... it did rain a little for a while, on an off but no thunder.  

on my way to my opening shot I took a pic of the bed at the entrance

the fountain was on a low setting.  once again, would have been better in the sun - but we didn't see any while I was there today!

looking through the "eye" in the face

the pergola running through the Evolution Garden

a lot of the roses have gone over now

love the yellow lillies against the blue of the echinops

poppy seedheads

raindrops on euphorbia

I love the echinacea,  they were looking good today

but there were still some gorgeous roses on some of the uprights 

gorgeous happy sunflowers!

then into the Duke's Garden

raindrops on day lilies

wildflower slope outside the Princess of Wales glasshouse

huge hibiscus in the bed outside the POW 

wildflower meadow at the Hive

Broad Walk

there are also hibiscus in the beds in front of the Palm House that seem to have come from nowhere

Rose Garden - made sure I walked through it this week

I walked through the Meditteranean Garden and took this to show a FB friend who's just bought one - I was explaining that Kew can over winter them outside despite them being very tender

(aeonium purpuream)  

the poppy slope outside the Temperate House are nearly finished - the grasses have surrounded them,  now.

They've been spectacular though, I have really enjoyed them (you may have noticed!)

if only I had a printer.....

I headed for the lake  and then saw a sign that thrilled me...

the Treetop Walkway has re-opened!!  It has had to be closed for the whole of all the lockdowns so for 18 months nearly,  due to only having the one spiral staircase that couldn't be used due to lack of social distancing

I had to go up... met a lady and her (? grand-daughter)  coming down - we agreed it was hard work on the stairs but so worth it

have missed the views - even on a gloomy drizzly day - from up here!

I love that they leave the trunks of dead trees for the wildlife

then once back down,  it was the lake as intended

not much in the way of reflection due to the gloom

had just put my lens down when the swan decided to show off his feathers.... 

walking round the lake

smoke bush at the top of the lake

planting at the little pond halfway along Cedar Vista

hydrangeas looking fab

plantscape opposite the entrance to the Temperate House.

I was waiting for them to unlock the doors, as it was 10 am  but the girl who was trying to do so seemed to be struggling with a big bunch of keyes

I walked round the outside, in case she'd got the other end door open, and then decided to leave visiting it till later!

so instead I went to the Palm House -  these are the agapanthas outside 

you are still encouraged to wear your mask inside and most people were doing so

you can now walk round any way you like, and the barriers are removed

took a couple on my phone too

in the waterlily house - this is a lotus flower 

you can see the yellow and orange of the marigold display in the bed outside the window in the background

I had lots of misting problems today 

pitcher plants hanging basket display

as I went back between the main part and the outer section I noticed these strange things - flowers I suppose -- couldn't see a label

got a better one (without misting!) from the phone  

they seem to be growing on a kind of vine up the connecting wall

will keep an eye on them next week

then to the Princess of Wales glasshouse,

also able to walk round the whole glasshouse, any direction

it was nice to see lots of people enjoying it again 

small waterlilies in the pond 

and a large waterlily leaf on the side of the pond

great texture to it

I put the other lens on so I could get some wider angle shots to celebrate being able to go where I wanted

I looked closely again for the Chinese Water dragons, in all the places you sometimes see them, but no sign of them 

I'd seen on Kew's FB page during the week that the titun arum had indeed flowered and collapsed - the flower (inflorescence actually) only lasts a day - there was also a blog post with photos 

one day I'll be there at the right time.... possibly!  

I'm assuming that this green version of the flower that was yellow last week, is a young flower that then turns yellow...

back outside, heading back up the Broad Walk towards the Victoria Gate cafe for food!

well cake..

I was so excited that here too the barriers dividing shop and cafe had gone and all entrances were open so no one-way system here any more either - that I  took a photo on my way in

and I could sit at a table outside to enjoy my cake (hummingbird again, as on my birthday)  and coffee - there were spits and spots of rain again but not enough to worry about

but there was no time to hang about relaxing, the Temperate House was calling me - this time they'd got the doors open and again, you are free to walk where you want...

apart from up to walk round the top - I expect that will be soon.

this is  the downstairs (it was always one way up one way down, )

they may need to cut this back before you can use the stairs

the passionflower had another flush of blooms

door at the far end

who'd have thought open doors would be so photo-worthy

on the way to the exit (slowly, had to time it right for the half hourly train - still engineering works happening!) 

flowers onthe Indian Bean tree

I am always staggered by how bit it is and how far the flowers spread across it

bed at the Victoria Gate entrance again 

I walked round the back of the pond to head home

and couldn't resist fountain photos!

then down the Broad Walk 

Red Hot pokers

canna lily in the bed at the top (bottom) of the Broad Walk

thanks for looking - see you next week!