Hampton Court - Tulip Fest

 I decided fairly last minute to head to Hampton Court for the Tulip Fest today. They've not been able to stage this for a few years due to - of course - Covid.  But the forecast today was glorious and I headed off - being Good Friday it is a Bank Holiday for most people in the UK so I have a long weekend

along the front wall of the entrance - a sign of delights to come

and boxes of tulips lining the path up to the Palace entrance

It was a little before 10 (opening) and a queue had formed.  I joined the end and admired the red and yellow tulips either side of the entrance gate

the slogan for the festival is  

120,000 tulip bulbs (I didn't count them!)

60 varieties (didn't count them either)

1 iconic Palace.   

not far wrong there then  

with the different varieties come different flowering times to spread the joy over the length of the festival

as you know, I love Hampton Court and it's been a while since I visited.

inside the first court, known as Base Court,  a map highlighting where the tulips are to be found

I picked up a guide, too which handily tells me which varieties they are (I doubt I will label each p photograph though!!  )

Large tubs of tulips scattered across the court

looking  back at the entrance 

I love the purples

along one wall 

a beautiful display around a cart in Clock Court 

from across the other side of the court 

you then pass into Fountain Court - normally just the fountain here but wow

this was the area I'd seen on the local TV news on a piece about Tulip Fest,  that made me decide to come

you walk all the way round the courtyard,  not able to approach the inner ring of tulips of course

but a zoom helps

such beautiful colours

and around the sides of the square,  different varieties planted in containers

this was a gorgeous yellowy white double

the sun was bright and it was already warm 

I then went through into the gardens,  with the huge fountain in the centre ahead of me

the gardens (you may have been able to see from the map earlier) here are laid out in a big semi circle with paths lined by massive yew trees separating grass

numerous flower beds around the edges all filled with different tulips - each side of the semi circle is symmetrical with the varieties

this random yellow one was also repeated on the other side, so not an error

more deep purple ones

and I loved these stunning deep purple/pink ones

had the grass not still been wet with (admittedly rapidly drying) dew you just know I'd have lain down here!!

some beds had a variety of colours in them

looking from the pathway round the semi circle out into the greater park

trying to get a view of the beds curving round for you

this bed of orangey yellow tulips was once of my favourites, especially with the sun glowing through the petals

I think this is called El Nino and according to the guide it has salmon-rose appearing as stripes as it ages

you can see there were more and more people coming through to enjoy the tulips - also the children were following a Lindt Easter Bunny trail 

some of the yew trees lining one of the spokes of the semi circle

with the fountain, the middle path

moving closer to the pond round the fountain,  floating tubs of tulips (although the water level gives away their secret, not floating at all of course)

this side obviously has later varieties in 

changing lens,  what a sky!

you need to enjoy the whole, not just close ups!

the side of the Palace

just to the left of the yew tree you can see the entrance into the next area I was going to explore

the Privy Garden

a sunken garden set out formally

not so many tulips here, and more of the original planting 

but it was still gorgeous

and a fountain of it's own

from the fountain back to the Palace

next, walking along the side of the Palace...

pausing for a group to pass

love the figures on the sides of these urns

turning to see the Privy Garden behind me

one of the knot gardens, low hedges of box (I think) filled with tulips

I'd love a drone to get aerial shots!

not allowed to use them of course even if I had one 

then, my favourite of the small sunken gardens - even when it's not decked out in a rainbow of tulips it looks stunning.

today though, even better!

it's such a shame you can't walk round it, I always think

the next garden has a mix of parrot tulips, frilly edged these 

the wisteria on the end wall is flowering

my mate Lynda from Kew would be pleased, she loves wisteria

time for some chimneys, just to break up the tulips!

you can walk amongst the tulips in the Lower Orangery garden - normally as it suggests full of citrus shrubs in tubs -  and there were some stunners here

this is Flaming Evita - the guide say it's yellow variety - it must fade as it was a beautiful creamy colour (when I googled it it comes up as white)  

in doorways,  Delft ceramic pots full of smaller tulips

the beds along the wall of the Palace are full of double varietis, in stunning colours

they call these black,  but I always think they should call them a deep purple, but they are deep, deep colours.

lush!  

and these ones with the multi coloured middles are fantastic

and a pale pink Angelique

heading back into the Palace

I exited through the main gate pausing by the containers outside

and the yellow/red ones along the front 

walking through the rose garden a few large containers of yellow bulbs

I was biting my tongue at this point as a small girl was being allowed to walk through the low hedging round the rose beds on the flower beds  and when she was pulled off, then sat on the hedging.... 

I left before I let rip at the mother...

I walked through Tiltyard )where Henry VIII used to joust)  

I think these wicker horses and jousters are new since my last visit

and went into the cafe behind this magnificent tree

for refreshments

a cold drink today, it was hot and I had long since shed my light weight jacket I'd worn

the sausage roll was disappointing, I should have stuck with cake like normal at Kew (and their prices are always higher than Kew too)  

the "victorian" lemonade was nice though  and certainly refreshing 

as you may able to see I sat under the shade of a big umbrella

before my final stop, the Kitchen Gardens

where beds have been planted in the Dutch flower bed style (I would love to visit the big Dutch tulips fields!)

this gives you an idea on a much smaller scale!

these were my favourites in this section

I was thinking about going back into the Palace again but I found myself outside at the entrance 

and decided I would head home rather than re-join the queue to get back in again!

I deliberately didn't go into any of the apartments today, I was only there fore the tulips!

close up of the bed along the entrance as I left for the station

the bridge across the river 

you couldn't walk along the pavement right alongside the wall as it is being repaired so not a very good view up river (down river?!  I never remember)  

I didn't time it very well to get back for the train - being Bank Holiday it was reduced service so had to sit on the concrete for 35 minutes  (seats out of use due to works going on at the station!)  I started a trend doing it though... 

Thanks for looking, I hope you enjoyed Tulip Fest as much as I did,  I will definitely go again another year for it.  

Tomorrow is of course, Kew!  come back soon.