Kew

 After a couple of too hot for me days, this morning was a little better... heading off  with water and suncream and my hat though!

most of the Palm House beds have been replanted, just either ends left to do

some of the young geese were enjoying the grass 

there wasn't much sun yet for my favourite fountain shots

it was a funny sky, a little cloudy which kept the heat away to an extent

I headed down the Broad Walk first

some of the lilies are out

and I always love the acid green euphorbia

some of the plants had been watered it seems

(alchemila mollis)

the beds are really coming into full season now

love all the different yellows

the bees were busy too

fan shaped fronds outside the Princess of Wales with the alpine house behind

my next port of call was the fabulous wildflower bed at the edge of the student veg plots

still poppy-tastic!

I walked up and down the bed a couple of times enjoying all the poppies

and took some more on the phone for FB

across the path, the new vegetable garden was open - though not fully planted. so I wandered in for a look  (there is a low fence around it with little gates through on the 2 sides that are accessible from the path)

as I said, some of the beds remain unplanted yet

not sure what the shelter is for (there is a bench behind it - I wonder if they're going to have demonstrations or something in here

you can see it is just to the side of the path through the Evolution Garden where the rose-covered pergola runs

blogger has reversed these next ones again... 

walking along under the pergola

beautiful roses

I thought I'd taken one of this rose on the camera but didn't, so this is the one from the phone

the alstromeria lilies are gorgeous 

there wasn't enough sun to open the California poppies yet

and all those fabulous pinky purple poppies have finished already - I love the seed heads though

beautiful blue delphiniums tower over everything

they have such a lovely shimmer to them 

fennel

I can't have turned round the right corner in the beds last week or I'd have seen that the eryngium (sea holly)  were flowering and you know they're a favourite of mine)

and next to them some beautiful crimson astrantia

on my way back to the path through, more eryngium 

as I was walking round the new veg beds I spoke to a lady about how lovely the roses were - but she said there were lots that need dead-heading... these ones maybe!

I always love these 

they last for ages, so prepare for photos for weeks!

he was happy to pose!

then I went round to the Rose Garden

they did not disappoint

then went to see Matt and Helen !

the guide there was talking to a couple who'd not seen them before, the guide said that everyone seems to love them

apparently they are going to Singapore next! 

wandered up to the Japanese Garden 

and then wandered up the path towards the lake

where I met Kim, one of the early regulars

she had some seed for the birds so we soon attracted a crowd

Next week (along with any of the other regulars who may be there at the right time ) we're going to have coffee and cake for my birthday (which is Sunday)

when we went our separate ways I headed for the Temperate House as it was 10 by the time I got there

first stop of course, my favourite Silver Daisy Bush

I was pleased to be able to get up to the viewing platform today (obviously no weddings this week)

from the stairs up

full view from the phone (too lazy to change lens) 

I meant to walk back round to see this from ground level

walking through the rest of the TH.    Coleus in the south octagon

agapanthas coming into flower (they aren't outside yet)

I cut across the grass from the TH past Matt and Helen to make my way back to the cafe for breakfast

my new normal, cheese and mushroom croissant and coffee.  No cake too this week,  there was only carrot cake or a selection of  muffins which I didn't fancy

afterwards I headed round the back of the pond - noticing how the gunnera has shot up (don't think I walked round behind the pond last week)

a very out of focus hemerocallis (day lily) but I love the colour, so including it

the geese were eating a different area of the grass round the pond now

into the waterlily house - the front main doors were wide open, so it wasn't too humid inside (temperature would have been the same inside ans out this week)

the pelican flowers were hanging down from the inneer doorway into the main lily area

people kept knocking them as they went through

there were lots of lilies again

i noticed the difference in the various pitcher plants 

the biggest leaves are starting to fade as new ones emerge

hoping to catch this flower out next week 

as I'd gone into the waterlily house I'd felt a few spots of rain (not on the forecast first thing) and when I came out the geese had all disappeared

This big heap of pine cones has been placed on the space where one of the trees fell in the storm earlier this year.... hundreds of them

from the phone (see the sun is out again now!)  you can see they've been laid in a heart shape.

I headed off to the princess of wales conservatory

where the rill round the outside is full of waterlilies again

and the large cactus is flowering again

inside the lotus is flowering

and by the side of the pond in the margins of the water I noticed this pretty flower -  water hyacinth

I went into the carnivorous plant side room

had to take some pictures over the glass that stops people touching them

so I couldn't really see what I was taking

round by the other little pond, I looked hard for the Chinese Water dragon but not seen him  for weeks again

this strange leafy thing was hanging down from a branch of something else

and the titan is growing

24 cm in the week since I was here 

i'll be keeping an eye on it and hoping my visits will be well timed for flowering!

there weren't many orchids in the orchid rooms

just a few little ones

and one slightly bigger one caught my eye

the grevillea has some new flowers though

I'd seen this first thing through the closed door,  

I couldn't see a label 

but it's very pretty 

I thought it looked like an amarylis but it's down'turned not upturned flower confused me so I don't think it is

these were swaying in the breeze coming through the doors

lots of the sempervivium have loads of flowers

pinky ones

and yellowy white ones

I decided as the agapanthas in the TH was starting to flower I'd look in the Evolution garden

so walked through part of the rock garden to go check

the agapanthas weren't out 

but I had to stop at the alliums!

the bottle brush tree that grows by the wall of the Duke's garden was stunning

such a lovely pinky-red

inside the Druke's garden (i'd gone to look for daylilies as they have lots here but there weren't may out yet)

just one of the orangey ones was out

but the achillea was fabulous

and these alliums would have been fabulous if I'd caught them in flower rather than seed (still love them though)

the Indian sweet chestnut along the path to my exit

although I took a diversion to the ladies in the Orangery cafe and was greeted by these gorgeous poppies by the door

how lucky was that

As always, thanks for looking and see you next week - if you're at Kew around 10 see you for coffee and cake!