Kew - on Sunday

 My weekly visit to Kew was postponed until Sunday this week so I could enjoy the whole day of the King and Queen's coronation, and what a spectacle it was too.

So, an early alarm on a Sunday (good job I get a lie in tomorrow for Bank Holiday)  and it was off to Kew.. the weather was much better today than yesterday, result!

more of the beds have been emptied

and the central ones are being planted up... a tropical theme it seems this summer

and the further end

most of the blossom is fading now but this was looking amazing.  That's the waterlily house in the background.

Kim had gone yesterday as normal, but came again today. 

the alliums in the round bed at the top of the Broad Walk are developing nicely..

you know how I love an allium (or several)

walking down the Broad Walk.

tulips going over, but dripping with water from the remnants of the overnight rain

didn't take long for blogger to mess with the order...

more water drops on the alchemilla mollis

some of the white alliums are further opened 

euphorbia

beautiful irises

evolution garden 

camassia

blousy peony

more peonies with water drops

this tree is known as the handkerchief tree

as we came back round the pond there was a really nice almost smoky reflection of the Palm House in the water..

then of course blogger plays with the order...

ceanothus  

wisteria outside the Victoria gate cafe 

we walked the long way round towards the woodland (bluebells)

more ceanothus

areas left to grow wild under trees

trees near the Pagoda 

the oniony smell of the wild garlic was strong tody

Kim ahead of me,

we crossed the now fading daisy carpet to check out this - I remember it from last year - still can't find a label -  smothered in little white flowers

walking along the lake

Kim met someone yesterday who regularly feeds the birds here, and he said there is still a female, on a nest on one of the islands in the lake

walking up the (wet) grass towards the

mirrors

we got back to the cafe and stopped for breakfast - it was almost 10 -  we'd seen quite a lot

cheese and mushroom croissant and a muffin today! 

afterwards we headed back down the Broad Walk as we'd realised the laburnum arch in the formal Kew Palace garden should be flowering....

sidetracked by ferns at the top of the Broad Walk

yes, it was flowering but not quite as fully as I had expected

I'm not sure if they've pruned this near end as there seemed to be less growth on the first struts.

but it was looking good

and though you can't see them . there were loads of bees on the flowers

lovely iris in the bed underneath the arch

and at the far end of the garden a huge lilac

I always forget there is another Judas tree here too (as in the Mediterranean garden)

fountain

wicker wigwam in a bed

there is a pretty bed of unusually coloured tulips the other side of the formal garden, under trees...

they're going over, but worth looking at 

lovely decorative urn (Kew palace in the background)

the big ancient wisteria near the Hive

in the Princess of Wales

arid section 

next are out of order again!

this is the flower on the end of the spike I showed last week

but remembered to take the spike too

not sure what happened to the background, I didn't plan this!  

pasqueflowers in the rock garden, now gone to seed - love them just as much like this 

water drops trapped in between the furry bits

cistus (rock rose)

bear the entrance to the alpine house

geum outside the alpine house

inside the alpine house 

colour in the rock garden 

final  walk though the rock garden before heading home

aquilegia 

thanks for looking -  back to normal, Saturday visiting next week!