A birthday trip to Kew

 Hi, I tacked today onto my week off as it's my birthday, I don't normally take the day off but well, why not.

despite it being my last chance for a lie in I got there for 8am  

dodging the sprinklers again!

as you can see the sun was shining

there were ants dipping in and out of the holes in the scabious

as I walked round by the POW I noticed the water was running down the slates on the water feature over to the left

beautiful bottle brush close to the POW

the bed in the grass garden turned over to flowers

top of the rock garden

agapanthas changing since Friday

as I walked by the side of the veg garden I noticed an unusual feature - 3 bicycle wheels, I guess they're being used to train veg up. 

perhaps because it's a working day, the student plots were open to walk round already

this bed of cornflowers remains beautiful

and was humming with bees

beds in the evolution garden (blogger is reversing again but I don't have time to change them)

these next 2 are in the student beds

favourites!

sadly only got the butterfly with wings shut

lavetera, Mediterranean garden 

broom - gorgeous huge shrub

it's called Mount Etna broom - I guess cos it looks like it's erupting 

a beautiful white flowered smoke bush

those poppies again on the slope outside the temperate house

the Wander project trail by the Treetop walkway - was going to go up but - no!! the (new) lift is out of order!

wandered back towards the Orangery restaurant

down the far end of the Broad Walk - I told you on Saturday the yew trees needed a haircut - I said as much to one of the men working!

I sat and waited for the restaurant to open 

and then had an early pitstop for coffee and birthday cake  (cake was Eton Mess - so strawberry, cream and a bit of  meringue mixed in the icing)

sat outside (listening to Women's Hour on radio 4 before the women's Ashes cricket.  less said about that the better) 

before going round to the POW

these dahlias are outside

the inflourescence on the titan arum is growing

when I went into the cacti section, I was met by these -  loads of flowers (see above)  have opened since Saturday

and a bit further round they were replanting some cacti

passionflower -  in the rainforest bit, blogger is messing with me

back along by the cacti

this was the one I blurred on Saturday

it's called Candellila Gallito and it's a euphorbia

outside the alpine house the work is underway to the decking

you can see how rotten the old bits are

amazing clouds

they were like pillows!  

waterlily house

hibiscus

the new pad is growing fast

beautiful little passionflower by the side of the water

above headhight

up high in the corner

over the door

walked past the palm house

and headed into the temperate house

more passionflowers

coleus 

new iris coming - the ones I saw on Saturday have gone completely

another passionflower (I think) 

these flowers look a bit like the bird of paradise but are related to irises and is called 

aristea platycaulus

nice patterns on it's stems

sat outside for a bit

decoration on the walls 

and the top of the column

looking down at the trees leading up to the TH

more nice clouds

side on view

each of the "trails" has it's own theme.  

heading back to the exit, 

echinops by the exit/entrance.

thanks for looking - hope you've enjoyed my week off, i have to go back to work tomorrow!