Kew - early of course

 Despite being on holiday from work I did set the alarm today so I could be up and out to catch an early visit at Kew..  I have been waking early anyway but today it was the alarm that roused me.  

I had a long wait for the 8 opening, I thought there'd be more traffic to delay me.

Lovely blue sky, it was warming up already by 8 and due to get very hot. 

it seemed odd walking round on my own as my Saturday buddy Kim was working....

baby Greylags on one side of the wire, mum on the path my side!

lovely shadows from the trees between Broad Walk and Princess of Wales conservatory

the sprinklers didn't seem to be on this morning so I wasn't in danger of getting wet today

the light was shimmering through the euphorbia (above) 

and the alliums

euphorbia

the khardoon are already over head-height and the flowers developing

eryngium at the back of the Broad Walk,  from the grass side 

wildflowers round the Hive

took this for the bug

the meadow round the slope seems to be mostly grasses at the moment but there are sprinklings of flowers too

down at the bottom of the meadow

water rill outside the POW; great reflections 

in the rock garden with the alpine house behind 

as I came past the alpine house and walked along the top path,

I saw this

yikes!  it didn't look like that on Saturday.

the barrier is to protect people  as they come out of the alpine house

when I came back later when the alpine house was open, there was a girl working in the rock garden and I asked her what was happening - she said the decking had rotted, so has to be replaced and all taken out and redone.  She didn't know how long it was going to take...

watch this space!

I dodged the sprinkler along the path 

and took the steps down through the rock garden 

to the wildflower bed by the student plots.

this is the other side of the path to the long bed  and there is more variety left in this patch

pausing to take the Pergola shot from Saturday without people!  

much nicer

back tothe wildflower bed -  there are still some poppies, mostly the daisies though

still love them though

cornflowers mingling

roses on the pergola

then turned into the evolution garden

poor bee, he's on the outside of the poppy, not sure how much pollen he'll find there

seedheads behind the petals in the sun

there were pretty,  Maltese Cross

phlox, smell lovely!  

hydrangea

you'll get these till they fade in autumn! 

every time you go, you see something new

the Helenium are flowering...

I spent ages trying to get the water drops on this flower 

more daisy types,  low lying so had to get down low...

then started back up the other half of the evolution garden,

roses,  

bee action 

drool at the light through the petals again

at the far end the lilies 

were looking fabulous

and so were the alstromeria 

there were lots of people - some staff, some volunteers,  working in lots of the beds, weeding, clearing, planting... always things happening!  

quick shadow selfie

at the far end of the EG,  roses climbing on a wall

time for breakfast in the almost shade

a new area of planting at the edge of the mediterranean garden 

I'm not sure where I was intending to go next, but I got to the Temperate House and came round the corner.....

the slopes were covered 

I had to get down on the ground...

the light through the poppies was staggering... you're getting all the ones I took, i can't leave any out. 

and the "bird's eye view" one I put on FB although Annie said it should be worm's eye.... 

it was just 10 now so the glasshouses were open...

Temperate House

went up to the viewing platform

i could hear the robin singing away,  but couldn't see it

shadows...

the purple flowers are at the top of the plant still, when they come out lower down so you can see them from the ground, they are gorgeous

back down again

fuschia 

the aoenium, flowering still 

headed back outside,  

wild areas left - dandelions.  

Japanese larch 

new growth along the branch

I was seeking shade as much as possible so walking through the Redwood grove

where there is another of the "trails" aiming to get you re-connected with nture 

I did like this thought!

and this one.

I came to what is obviously meant to be the starting point of the trail

this one is time traveller! 

heading to the lake now

smoke bush

as i walked round the lake these ducklings crossed in front of me

after sitting on a bench under a tree by the lake for a few minutes I headed back through the rose garden

they plant clematis round some of the supports too

these are the flowers behind the hedge at the end of the Palm House 

water lily - that big one from the pond last week, has finished flowering and was outside and has been cut open so you can see the internal structure.

it was beautiful!  

one of the lily pads was outside too (underside)

and this from the phone 

inside the waterlily house there were two women in the water clearing dead leaves and weed

round the edges,  passionflowers

and in the outer section between the door and the waterlily room; gourds growing

headed across the grass to the Princess of Wales

outside cactus

inside, as I feared, missed this beauty flowering (they are shortlived)

and this one too

there were lots of school parties visiting today, I had been dodging them ever since 10,  and a great gaggle of them were in the POW

in the carnivorous room, great light 

but unusually it was as humid in there as the main POW so I exited - as the kids came in! 

on my way through the POW I  found that the ghost orchid has been taken off display - I guess it has finished flowering -  and there were two lads working on the display in the cool orchid room. 

into the alpine house

then back through the rock garden 

can't remember where these were!

palm house beds

underplanting of the central display

there was someone mowing the grass at this end

but the gosling was doing his/her best at the other!

I nearly went home at this point but remembered I had intended to go into the gallery

to see the work by Anila Quayyum Agha again

the patterns the structure makes on the floor and ceiling 

and walls -  is just amazing

I tried to photograph the "blurb" on the wall 

on my way out now,  down the Broad Walk, with the standard lens on, as the other was away

the rows of  Indian Horse Chestnuts down the path to the Elizabeth gate

they are smothered in flowers 

I headed for the station for the train home,  

pausing to catch the paddle boarders

Kim had messaged me to look out for them on the river - it's a Richmond council initiative to clear the river of plastic (good luck with that) and anyone could volunteer to have a go - paddling from here, Kew Bridge, to Richmond

I am guessing they had to wait for low tide so it wasn't too dangerous on the river.  

I didn't stop to see if there were any more of them as I'd have missed my train! 

thanks for looking - again -  Not sure what I am doing tomorrow, but will try and do something!