Kew

 There are only 2 more early starts at Kew.  This morning was really cold (I feel for all the thousands of people queuing overnight to see the Queen's Lying in State)  but sun was promised.

and, indeed, by 8 when we were let in, the sky was gloriously blue despite the chill

I've even got Kim playing shadow portraits now - it's very addictive !  (you can see the canna lilies are playing too, in the photo above) 

we walked part way down the Broadwalk first 

lots of gorgeous seedheads

then round by the Hive - these are on the ancient Japanese Pagoda tree, one of the original trees in the garden planted by Queen Augusta

then we turned towards the Princess of Wales conservatory and Alpine House,  blinded by the sun, I nearly got mown down by a small truck emptying the rubbish bins..

got a better shot on the phone!

we were both taken by the patterns of the dew on the tables outside the POW

round the corner the gates to the student veg beds were locked, and most of the beds have been emptied,  ready presumably for a new crop of students to joint shortly.

so we couldn't get in to see the gorgeous dark sunflowers which luckily are still standing tall , if not a little over exposed in the sunshine

on the other side of the path through the Evolution Garden, the vegetable garden was open and the border full of sunflowers still has loads of flowers too

loved the sunshine through these cosmos

I was struck at Buckingham Palace last week how many people had taken sunflowers to lay for the Queen

in one of the beds were some fabulous flowers on the Caster oil plants 

and the light through the leaves was fabulous

everything looked wonderful against the blue sky

I'm still fascinated by the squashes growing as climbers on the pergolas

tendrils

and outside the vegetable garden, still some roses

the eucomis were shining! 

we had to do a little gentle re-arranging of the branches of the physalis to get to the fruits, as they hang down and hide

my rucksack proved a perfect resting point for the greenery so we could get at them

and lots of them are too far in from the edge of the bed, to be able to get to later when they skeletonise!

love them!

I could take photographs of the fennel all day long,  at this time of year when the light is low it is just perfect

echinops glowing in the sun

I wish I'd taken one of Kim photographing this, kneeling on a bench hanging over the back of it....

the asters were beautiful... covered in dewdrops in the sun

as I walked away (reluctantly) I turned and looked at the plant as a whole... 

and the seedheads next to them in the border

the rudbeckia are still going strong

there was a stem of the giant thistle cardoon,  laying on the soil,  fluffy seedhead and all

others till standing against the blue

can't beat a teasel 

temple of Aeolus 

strawberry tree

looking through into the Evolution Garden from the path running through the Rock garden 

still so much green 

we walked down the path along the salvia border

colchicums foretelling autumn is on the way

the entrance to the veg garden (on the left)  

the patterns of the pergola on the ground appealed to me

as we walked through the top end of the rock garden I was struck by the vivid pink against the blue sky

it was starting to warm up slowly too

the alpine house 

canna lilies outside the POW on our way back past

palms in the sun outside the POW

the leaves on the acer outside the other entrance to the POW are starting to turn red

we walked back towards the cafe , it was still fairly early but we were both hungry!

I hadn't got the long zoom with me today so no closeups of the spray on the fountain...

but I had got the wide angle 

it really shows the gunnera in the foreground

whilst I was faffing about with lenses, Kim was struck by the reflections of the trees in the water 

then it was time for food and drink  - the chill of the morning was burning off in the beautiful sunshine, but I went for hot chocolate, along with my cheese and mushroom croissant and cheeky doughnut!!  

I tried last week or the week before to take this view through the pine tree but this time got the Pal House in focus!! 

after we'd eaten we headed past the temple of Bellona - this tree will soon be turning into it's autumn shades...

we walked along camellia walk (obviously not in bloom this time of year) but we noticed these looking almost metallic in the sun

as we got to the corner we bumped into Lynda on her way home 

the beautiful maples are starting to turn - luckily it didn't lose all it's leaves in the heatwave and will be able to put on a colour show

we were looking for mushrooms as Kim had seen loads on Thursday when she snuck in a sneaky extra visit

we didn't find any today

but sun through leaves always makes me smile!

we wanted to say goodbye to Matt and Helen as it's the last weekend of the summer Food Forever event and I think they're off on their travels soon

Kim sent me this photo she took of me 

I will miss them!  

the annual display of the beautiful berries on the vine at the Pavilion cafe

I've never noticed this tree before (couldn't read the label)  but the spikes running up and down the trunk fascinated us both -  it looked like barbed wire!  

Lynda had said the Japanese garden was looking good so we headed there next

there is usually a good display of autumn colour here but it was a bit early for that yet 

sorbus tree, covered in berries 

more colchicums

I left Kim briefly to nip into the Temperate House (she went off to feed the ducks and geese)

tree ferns

bananas

they are starting to prepare for the autumn event which is about Mexico, so the interconnecting octagons have been cleared ready for the upcoming displays (starts 1 October but I will miss the first weekend as I am away)

I headed out and off to the lake to re-join Kim

the Treetop Walkway is still closed whilst they build the new lift (I could hear them working this  morning)

but I walked through some of the trees round it

to get to the lake

where Kim was feeding the swans

by hand!  for the most part she said they were quite gentle

some more geese flew in to join the feast... as usual I missed the landing!

I should have changed lenses really

the sunlight on the swans' backs when they got fed up with eating was lovely,  but again, wrong lens,  

once all her food had gone, we headed up towards the waterlily house

passed The Breach where the mirrors are but didn't go for a last play!

inside the waterlily house it was very hot and our lenses both kept steaming up

finally!  a fairly decent one of the huge flower in the middle 

the leaves are so bright

even as they start to decay they look great

the hanging basket in the corner with pitcher plants in, was right in the sun, the light illuminating them perfectly

the far corner

pelican flowers in the porch of the waterlily house

it was a relief to get back outside

we crossed the Broad Walk 

and went into the Princess of Wales conservatory

some orchids

we read this sign before we found the flowers....

they do hide well!

and were hard to photograph in the centre of the leaves.

most of mine are blurry  (colour distorted by the flash - I'd call them purple not pink personally)

the tub of passionflowers on the way out are ablaze

the alpine house was definitely displaying an autumnal theme with displays of cyclamen

nerines 

outside in the rock garden I noticed a second flush of California poppies 

we parted to make our separate ways home

I stopped a moment to use the wide angle 

and then my standard zoom

as I headed back across towards the exit

pausing for the mass of rudbeckia at the end of the Broad Walk

and the echinacea

Last week is the final 8am opening as it ends on 30 September

it is always a shame when this privilege ends and it seems such a long time until May for it to resume!

Thanks for looking, see you  next week.