Kew

 I was out with the sunrise today -  autumn is definitely on the way, the days are getting shorter.   

As I walked down my road , the sun was shining on this office block 

then I switched to my camera as I neared the bus stop

on to my normal opening shot -  the sun had disappeared behind clouds (rain was forecast mid morning onwards)

I decided to go partway along the Broad Walk first, again

these small alliums really smelled of onion, you couldn't mistake them being in the onion family

then I went round by the back of the Princess of Wales Glasshouse - looking towards the Alpine House

always like this view

suddenly a flock of geese flew overhead, towards the lake presumably

hibiscus in the planting outside the Princess of Wales glasshouse

and some huge canna lilies

the coleus in the beds by the POW have grown really tall, and some of them are flowering (small, quite insignificant flowers, they are grown for the leaves )

I walked down the edge of the Rock Garden and bumped into my friend Linda who tipped me off about some big pumpkins in the veg beds "next door" - I was heading there next anyhow

I stopped to take this view of the Alpine House - it looks like a funfair ride! 

companion planting along one of the veg  beds

such pretty colours.

I walked along the (very wet) grass towards the veg beds..

these dahlias were beautiful.  My favourite ice cream flavour as a child was raspberry ripple, I miss it...

this looks just like it.

this was the biggest one I saw today

this was the one Linda had told me about,  a white variety, called Polar Bear

wonder how big it will get

as I got to the path to head up the Evolution Garden I swapped lenses so you can see the (half of) veg beds

they've had trouble with blight on their tomatoes this year due to the wet, and had to pull them out -

there was a sign asking people not to touch the plants to avoid spreading it   

most of the agapanthas have finished but a few were still photo-worthy!

my lovely blue berries!  I found a label this week,

dianella tasmanica - the Tasman flax-lily 

google tells me they have blue star shaped flowers in spring - must commit to memory!  

a short spike of delphinium - the first growth has been cut back, this must be a second flowering, shorter stems

the golden solidago is going over but it is so beautiful against the pale purple asters

I found a different angle today, these drifts of helenium and rudbeckia and echinacea look like a patchwork blanket 

the white echincea are a little shorter so they don't show from the top view!  

I could have stayed here for ages (ages longer)

these were a bit darker purple IRL  small flowers hiding behind leaves (left hand holding them out of the way!)  

they were very pretty

more asters.  

stood on a bench to get a slightly higher view

the other side of the path through the garden,

beautiful roses

then I climbed up the hill to the Temple of Aeolus for a view of it from above - only the tree in the foreground is too big and hiding most of it!

walked round the pond

these are so pretty - on a very tall tree so high up...

clerodendrum trichotomum  big name for little flowers!

time to play! 

I nearly stopped for refreshments as I went past the cafe at the entrance near the Palm House but decided it was too early

berries -  seasons are turning!

up at the Japanese Garden I  bumped into Linda again

not much colour there now,  just the  Japanese anemones 

holly berries

took several different varieties but for some reason the rest are a bit out of focus - think the camera focused on the leaves not the berries

back at the temperate house,

went to sit on the seating till the doors opened

time to play again

with the wider angle lens on 

and facing the temperate house

as I was taking these, the guide who was on hand came round to ask if I'd seen the large mushrooms under the tree to the side...

we chatted for a moment then I went to investigate....

it is a huge tree with a huge spread of leaves, and quite dark under the canopy

so the flash kept firing on the close ups

there were huge,  like plates

the gills on the underside 

fabulous!

by now the doors to the Temperate House were open

some smaller mushrooms inside

still can't go up to the platform, not sure why, with the lifting of restrictions,  it is very narrow up there, I suppose that is why

Babaco

outside again and off for another funghi hunt courtesy of the guide

and some bracket funghi too 

as I got to the lake, it started spitting with rain,  luckily not too hard.

I had no coat, only a hoodie, (and the hood went up)  but did have an umbrella in my bag

on the lake, there was a performance of The Wind in The Willows going on

I walked round the back of the audience

having walked up to the top of the lake, i then went to the Rose Garden

as you can see, lots have finished, but still lots of blooms

the newer rose beds on the other side of the path outside the waterlily house are still superb

outside the waterlily house a large lily pad has been laid out 

they are such fascinating strutures

bit of a misty photo of the pelican flower today

only 2 flowers left 

walking round the pond

back to the exit

then into the Palm House, walking from the end I usually finish at today

a white trumpet vine of some kind

exiting through the main door in the middle of the Palm House

one single orange hibiscus

and a big pink one in the beds outside

the red maple is turning  - this is the big tree outside the Princess of Wales house - the end I call the "front" door!  

still no sign of the water dragons and no-one around to ask where they are

I got some on the phone too

back to camera 

couldn't leave it out

then back to the Broad Walk

and heading home

thanks for looking