Kew - September

 September already, and so few weekends left available to visit early... A real hint of autumn and a low mist in the air - love days like today!

the sky was blue though and the sun breaking through

as Kim and I made our way past the Palm House we noticed the heron sitting on the roof

a double shadow pic today!

the parterre beds have been really beautiful this summer

I hadn't brought my long zoom today as the forecast wasn't for sun until mid afternoon...

this is the misty light I will miss when opening goes back to 10 at the end of the month

then down the Broad Walk

one of the big trees at the far end of the Broad Walk

I think there must have been rain overnight as there were lots of water drops everywhere

teasels in the Duke's garden

then to the Veg garden - sadly the gates to the student beds were locked again (I checked again just before I left, and they still were)

going backwards again!  

I love the weird shapes and colours on the squashes and gourds

and they do make good climbers over the frames over the paths

ants and a wasp/hoverfly in a flower

chard

sunflower

Tagetes  being used as companion planting under the runner beans

this was a really gorgeous one 

then into the Evolution garden

there wasn't much in the way of skeletonised  flowers today

and most of them were hiding in the leaves - moved a leaf to get this one and caught a raindrop on the tip

there was an intense smell of licourice from the fennel,  never noticed it so strong before 

great water drops.  

the previous 5 should be in the other order...

asters with raindrops  in my favourite bed in the evolution garden

rudbeckia

echinacea seedhead

golden rain tree

teeny little flowers in the woodland walk 

they look orchid like - didn't get the name,  try-something or other!

agave under the eaves of the Princess of Wales conservatory

luckily I didn't sit on the wet bit of the bench to take this!

love the patterns on the leaves

and in the centre 

a tree smothered in berries caught my eye...

(crataegus lacinata)  

walking past the Palm House parterre 

and round the rose garden  - Kim was heading to the lake to feed the birds

I stopped briefly at the Breach which was all misty 

and steamed up from the earlier cool start to the day

I took a couple on the phone too

seedheads  as we walked along the lake path

the ducks came for food as soon as we sat down

they're very tame!

it may "just" be a mallard, but it has very pretty feathering

as we started to cross the lake, a lady coming towards us told us that the heron was sitting in a tree on the island in the lake

could have done with the longer lens but that's life!  

we were going to head for breakfast but had to stop for more waterdrops

there was only one cheese and mushroom croissant left (they came and delivered some more just as we finished!)so I just had a doughnut

then we headed for the Palm House

the tubs of hibiscus outside the door still had lots of blooms

even the spent ones, all crinkly, look good

Kim was slightly ahead of me..

lots of light through leaves....

she took another one of me

into the waterlily house

reflections of the roof

as we were on the way out I noticed the sun shining through these

so pretty (I never know what these are)

we crossed the Broad Walk again on my way tothe Princess of Wales conservatory,

puasing again to admire the Japanese anemones 

where Kim left me and she headed home

gorgeous bright pink flowers 

on this clump of cacti  just inside 

then blogger is reversing my order..

love the red/green leaves from the different waterlily varieties.  I apologise for not noticing the big leaf in the way of the bottom corner!!

passionflower tendrils  - complete with water drop

still no sign of water dragons

but a few pretty orchids in the cool orchid room

and a developing passionflower

coming out of the POW  I turned towards the alpine house

couldn't miss a quick walk through

then the salvia border in the rock garden

and cut through to check if the student beds were open as I mentioned

gorgeous pink roses

and then headed back past the POW  canna lily flower

and across the grass to the exit

Thanks for looking - next week is a Kew late start as the Richmond fun run is on and only runners are allowed in before 11 -  so we all get a lie in!

see you then. 

editing post 

I meant to add these here too -  I shared them on my other blog on Wednesday

back in February when the orchid festival was on, Channel 5 were filming for their series Kew, a Year in Bloom and they filmed me photographing the orchids... they emailed me a few weeks ago to say they were using some for the episode that went out last week

I grabbed some shots off the tv 

in the queue (blue hat and thick coat, on the phone of course...)

we'll photograph you photographing the orchids...

Kim also spotted me behind a lady being interviewed and sent me this one

I remember standing watching her be filmed but didn't realise I was in shot.

5 seconds of fame!