A boiling hot Kew..

 Having spent the last few weeks complaining how cold it was, today I will complain about how hot....

but to start with it was gorgeous,  hat, sunglasses,  suncream...

beautiful  blue sky 

this week the greylags had 3 babies on the Palm House grass 

we headed down the Broad Walk first, and blogger is already reversing images... skip forward half a dozen for the start!

the automated watering system was on 

ok this is the first one..

the alliums at the top of the Broad Walk have been taken out, but down the Broad Walk they leave them to decay and go to seed... gorgeous! 

the light on the euphorbia - also going to seed - was stunning

there is a small patch of poppies partway down....

the bees were loving them

roses on the teepee at the corner

was criss-crossing from left to right side

towards the end of the Broad Walk are a later drift of alliums... huge ones

poppy with hairy stem

geraniums

gorgeous purple iris

and peony

the refurbished Orangery restaurant re-opened this week - they were putting the tables outside as we passed.  they don't open till 10 though

monkey puzzl in the sun

monkey puzzle flowers

irises by the waterlily pond by the grass garden

we headed round to the wildflower border.

this was growing on the edge of the path outside the bonsai house....

I was interested by the shadows of the poppies

but Kim was taking my shadow...

I really need to find a smaller bag, this one fits all my lenses and other bits I carry, but I rarely bring everything and it's too heavy/bulky especially in the heat.

shopping time!  

the wildflower border was looking spectacular... the light through the poppy petals was stunning... cue lots of photos. 

and the bees were busy 

the cornflowers start a little further along the border, though there are a few at the path end too 

the roses on the pergola were beautiful

and so were the sweet peas alongside the vegetable garden

the poppies in the evolution garden were also gorgeous

especially these huge red ones

there were 2 of these bushes, one either side of a path, covered in flowers

against the pergola and the blue sky

the eryngium - I will be enjoying these for weeks

found some water drops, they must have a watering system here too

echinops coming along 

some peonies - really "frou-frou" fluffy

and a big spread of them

the light through them was amazing

crouching down

love the deep purple through the white 

then we went back up the other side of the evolution garden

past the roses

more bees busy

loved 
the light through this phormium leaf

blogger is reversing the order again...  

heading into the rock garden, through the arch

Kim, a few paces behind me, doing her, you can't see what I'm doing thing...

roses on the pergola on the main path through the evolution garden

looking at the sweet peas from inside the vegetable garden, illuminated by the sun

the lilies will be out soon... 

more dark irises.  

at the end of the bed as you go through the arch to the rock garden

huge allium

the daisies are looking good still

there's a handy rock to sit on to take photos (it doesn't count as climbing on the rock garden, just sitting right!  )

I blurred the bug but got it's shadow!

walking through the rock garden

these wrere fabulous

as we got to the rose garden, we both stopped to take this tub of yellow flowers with the Palm House in the background..

its the other side of the hedge at the top of a slope

closer view.

I wish you could photograph the scent... there was a light breeze wafting the scent around the rose garden

the colours on these petals were beautiful, peachy pink tinges

we headed towards the lake,

the male swan was by the edge and we stooped to speak to a man we see regularly photographing and feeding them 

crossing the lake

the female swan had the 4 cygnets with her, swimming serenely round the island in the lake

they are growing so fast!

we went up the Treetop Walkway for a change, 

(guess what, these next few are out of order!)  

the London skyline disappearing behind the trees 

there is a triangular seat at one end, I climbed up for a better look across London (above)

and the Palm House nearby

Kim doing her sneaky sneaky again

me on the seat!  

the Temperate House from above

the new lift, I really like the mechanics of it

shadows on the stairs

me taking her taking me...

back on ground level 

the light through the wild planting around the walkway was divine

the photos don't really do it justice

my favourite silver daisy bush

(10am now so the doors had just been opened)

there were some fabulous seeds detaching from the flowers

grevillea by the door.

Kim was just ahead of me and I heard a gasp...

the slope outside the back of the Temperate House has erupted with poppies...

but mostly dandelions which called for some ground level action 

to paraphrase Wordsworth ,  a host of golden dandelions...

hopefully they will leave it like this for the summer and more poppies will come through. 

we entered the Temperate House through the door nearest the bird of paradise,

and took loads more photos...

just stunning 

walking back through the Temperate House,

salvias

the main door at the front was open, testament to how hot it was (nearly 30 degrees already, and not much past 10 am) 

in the next octagon connection sections we found some passionflowers 

hiding in the back of the tub, was a reddish one, 

but it was a bit shy and camouflaged by leaves

we were hot and hungry and wanted to try out the Orangery menu,  so headed that way

retracing our steps round the rose garden

and along the Broad Walk to the Orangery (and yes, they used to grow oranges in it back in the day)

there were no spare chairs under the umbreallas outside so we sat inside..

the lunch menu hadn't started yet, so we had croissants - mine with cheese and mushroom and Kim had cheese and ham

there was a nice reflection of the windows and plants on the table

 Kim told me to put the hat back where it had been lol  

I need to change the phone camera settings, my portrait centred photos always look so narrow...

the pattern looked better from her side!!  

it is bright and airy in there - though hot today!  

then cutting through the grass garden we found a bed full of flowers

quick walk through the alpine house.

this was new in there from last week 

then a different walk through the rock garden again 

past some fluffy seed heads

the label said Mountain Avens 

as we got to the Princess of Wales I could see some cactus flowers through the window (not these, the photo didn't come out well)  so we popped in

these are still going strong 

it's quite a sprawling cactus

we have missed this, again!

we couldn't face the heat of the rainforest sections, it was bad enough in the desert bit

so this is were we leave our visit today

it was only 11.30 so a quick one today, but Kim and I were both too hot and we had seen the best of the colour!  

thanks for looking, see you again next time.