Kew - eventually sunny

 Another early start for Kew,  the forecast was sun from 6am.... it was a bit late.  I also had my  new phone which I am being very very careful with...  Settle back with drinks and snacks, you could be some time...

I'll try and keep it manageable. 

it was still cool, and overcast, but we could see the sun was trying.... 

the rest of the beds outside the Palm House have been planted 

we headed round to the Broad Walk first 

and blogger is already reversing the order...

I don't have time to correct it... 

it was allium heaven

this is where we started... at the top of the Broad Walk  

ok, back on track!  

a bit further on are drifts of white alliums

.

and we're out of order again.  this is round by the side of the Orangery 

the scaffolding is down from outside, but they are still working hard on the inside of the restaurant, looks a long way from re-opening 

on the Broad Walk 

my geraniums at home aren't flowering yet but they're not in such a sunny spot

this was on the Broad Walk too  

the monkey puzzle tree

looking good  

pleased to have captured the spider web...

right up to the end of the stalk 

wildflowers

heading round towards the grass garden 

via the wisteria alongside the path..

this isn't the huge one near the hive (although that's not far from here)

I'd seen a post on Kew's social media about this...

it's got a long way to go to catch up the original.... but good to see though.  

and the other side of the path. a white wisteria

iris in the outside waterlily ponds

common cotton grass (remembered the name this week )

next round to the evolution garden

the sun finally burst out!  

bees were up early too

good to see poppies coming 

huge clematis at the foot of one of the posts along the rose pergola running through the evolution garden

these peonies were way back in the bed so couldn't get closer

I saw this mass of pink and went to investigate

it's a saxifrage called  St Patrick's Cabbage

it was gorgeous 

I took loads, but some of them were a bit blurry

blogger wants you to see these geum next

there were loads of iris near the saxifrage....

and huge peonies glinting in the sun

after the geums... my favourite beds in the EG are growing up nicely - they're at their best in summer/autumn, the daisy types. 

seem to have taken the pergola on the wonk a bit... it's a straight path...

there are some early roses out too

big peonies 

just amazing with the light through them

bark of the black walnut tree 

handkerchief tree 

outside the Princess of Wales  lovely reflections of the cistus

there was a huge spider web by the wall but I couldn't capture it... 

round by the pond   the light through the trees looked more spectacular in the flesh

going back to front again.   

reflections

gunnera

got this spider !  

more iris round the pond

we went to the loo at this stage... I kept the rucksack with my phone in as far away from the scene of the crime from last week as possible!

I did use the same cubicle though!

more reflections  looking so much better in the sunshine 

looking through a rose support 

the rose garden itself is coming into flower - will look more closely next week 

I was drawn across the grass to this mass of pink..

Kim was behind me!  

we were heading to the rhododendron dell but as we passed the top of the lake we saw - and heard - workmen (see the high-viz jackets) at the mirror installation so it seems as if it's being dismantled.

I shall miss it

leaf shadows on a tree trunk

cow parsley (thanks to last night's Gardeners World programme I know that it is)  

acers and azaleas 

huge drift of cow parsley and ? buttercups  possibly too tall ..... 

Rhododendron Dell was as promised, fabulous

so many colours and varieties

there are lotsof paths off the the sides.

we didn't go up them all

but I'm being caught in action again 

iris under some of the rhodies  

beautiful patterns

this one was absolutely stunning!  the sun was now so bright on my screen I couldn't see how well they were coming out...

so I took some on the phone too to make sure 

Kim had gone up a path on the left and called out "garlic"  so I went to have a look

at the top of the dell where it joins the path towards the woodland walk 

we cut across the daisy strewn grass to the lake 

we wanted to see if any of the gees or ducks had babies yet.. we've not seen any yet this year. 

laburnum at the lakeside

beautiful reflections

fern in the sunlight,  under trees 

branches masking iris at the waters edge

so pretty

as we carried on round,  past more reflections. 

I saw both swans in the lake.... last we'd heard, Mum was  on the nest 

so as she moved into view we were delighted to see 4 cygnets

last year, she'd only had 1 and it was caught by a predator.

we wished them both - all - well !

by the crossing

with the phone... standing well back from the edge!

heading past the Treetop walkway 

and more head height cow parsley

hiding the signs!  

don't you dare call it a weed, I love it!  

we had timed it so we arrived at the Temperate House for 10am when they unlock the doors, so we could get in before it got busy

the Strelitzia (bird of paradise) were looking amazing

we've not been in for a couple of weeks 

this one had some sap on it, it looked as if it was crying!  

protea 

you can tell blogger is messing with me again!

can't face re-ordering them sorry

towards the middle door was a newly planted section

had the wrong lens on for this 

it's a grass tree

the trunk looks like burnt cork 

not sure if someone has placed this branch like this on the statue but it looks like a scarf

we crossed the path to the Australian wing, the Davies Exploration house,  

these were fabulous with the sky through the roof highlighting them

it looks like a Dale Chihuly sculpture!

I make no apologies for including all of these photos of the Silver Daisy bush

it's going to seed and was fantastic 

the seeds falling off the bottom were blowing in the breeze...

I got a shot on my phone I am really proud of

it has immediately become my screensaver

we were starving by now so headed to the Pavilion cafe for food...

pausing briefly 

could take a shot of refreshments this week!

I had carrot and walnut cake and Kim coffee cake, and tea.  

we sat outside in the sunshine 

and then headed back towards the main entrance

the ceonothus still looking good

as was this,  along camellia walk 

I've forgotten what it is

making the most of the blue sky

we hadn't stopped for this on our way in, just inside the entrance

Palm House bed from the far end, on our way to the waterlily house

as I said last week, the blooms are huge this year 

and so are the lily pads

escaping the heat now,  another handkerchief tree 

and a gorgeous white wisteria

in the ground under the ring of wisteria,  bluebells and wildflowers 

crossing the grass and the Broad Walk to the Princess of Wales conservatory

outside under the shelter of the roof

inside, cacti flowering

we obviously missed the best of this one 

but there are loads on this one

upper level,  hanging baskets

tried for this one again this week,  a little better 

light through leaves...

lotus eremeticus

passionflowers coming! 

grevillea

little geum outside the alpine house, in the rock garden

in the alpine house

acquilegia

rock garden california poppies

heading to the exit, I was actually getting the train today!   so Kim went the other way.  

wow, well done, we've made it to the end... it's taken me 2 and a half hours to upload these photos... thanks so much for looking.