Kew - a short trip

 Saturday, so Kew -  but I didn't plan to stay long today as the temperatures are due to rise and I wanted to be home before it got too bad.

8am and it was around 20c already, but pleasant still

you'd think with being here Tuesday as well there wouldn't be much to photograph...

the pond fountain was set very low

the thalictrum looking good still/agai

the Broad Walk first -  the beds were being watered, there is an automated system here.

caught the spray in the sun 

the bees were out early 

blogger isn't playing nicely though and won't add photos in the right order... 

you know how much I love these,  especially backlit

I went round past the Princess of Wales conservatory, outside was one of the giant waterlily leaves  drying in the sun

it was like paper to the touch

palms in the bed outside,  alpine house in the background

grasses at the top of the rock garden by the alpine house

teasels in front

walking round to the evolution garden 

sunflowers in the edge of the veg beds

in the veg garden - pumpkin (I think) flowers

organic gardening, so no pest control here , other than natural predators

allium,  the bee took off as I closed in for the shot..

a lot of the roses on the pergola through the evolution garden are finished, but this spray was pretty against the sky

I love the combination of the blue agapanthus with the pinky-purple alliums

the light through this bed was just delicious

I love the solidago

there were at least 2 bees feasting in here

but I couldn't see them well enough for a close up

the pink echinacea are beautiful

there were hundreds of bees on these 

(phone)   they must be 7 feet tall at least

the statue has had his thistle taken away!

I noticed a week or so ago. 

I walked through the shady woody path

back here

walking round the back past the giant gunnera which is really giant now

great reflections

quick hello to Matt and Helen and spoke to the guide who was trying to stay cool!  

walked past the Temperate House and took the path towards the lake 

berries on the sorbus (prunus? one or the other) already

hydrangeas in all colours

and varieties

the top of the smoke bush - none of this lower down still 

along by the crossing,  lots of bees, no dragonflies again

crossed the lake,

took the path that runs close by the Breach but no mirror playing today

roses in the rose garden

paused for a cup of tea (for a change)) and cake - lemon meringue muffin

as I sat trying to keep in the shade, Kim came along and we chatted for a bit 

then I headed for the Princess of Wales conservatory 

the huge cactus outside the orchid room looks as if it is bursting into flower again, but I bet they'll be gone by next weekend

water drops on an orchid

this was a really pretty orchid, complete with water drops!

in the alpine house the lilies I'd admired on Tuesday were in full flower

dripping pollen on it's petals

it looks like it is trailing from one stamen to the next

I didn't have the energy to go all the way back to the Temperate House 

so I stopped in past the Palm House beds

to the waterlily house

the gourds are starting to show now 

and a final blue sky view of the Palm House  on my way to the exit.

bus home this week as there were no trains from home towards Victoria (engineering works)  and the journey took me 2 hours (there'd been an oil spill of some kind in Kingston causing traffic chaos and the buses were all delayed..)  

but home at last and the rest of the day is watching the golf....  

Thanks for looking - hope you survive the 40degree heat we are expecting Monday and Tuesday, and see you back here next week!