Kew - delayed till Sunday for rain!

 The forecast for Saturday, was dreadful,  rain all day...  (in fact it wasn't that wet here, but it was too late once it got to 8am!!)  but Kim and I decided to go today instead..

We were rewarded with this

the middle bed in front of Palm House

you know I love the fountain in the sun...

lovely light through petals and leaves.. it was already the right decision to go today!

looking up at the top of the monkey puzzle

walking round the end of the grass garden,  alpine house

what... can't be autumn yet 

definitely wouldn't have had reflections like this yesterday

would have been plenty of these though!

pigeon on guard in the student beds - the gates were locked, and we forgot to go back later for the sunflowers 

evolution garden time

mushrooms on the path in a muddy patch!

sedum

the light through this was lovely.

better IRL

dahlias

sweetcorn in the veg garden

this low growing sunflower had snapped and the head was bowed.... 

water drops on pumpkin

loved the veins on these leaves

agapanthas near the entrance to the rock garden

one of the paths through the rock garden

looking across a bed towards the sculpture

outside the POW 

this is also outside the POW,  much too early for signs of the red leaves of autumn...

back at the pond

palm house through the gunnera

framing the palm house through the legs of the stone lion

and this one through the bench in the pic just above

looking up a wall

we were going to get something to eat but decided to leave it a bit longer (it was not much past 9) and enjoy the sun....

heading past the palm house again

a red admiral landed on the ivy hedge alongside the palm house

we headed up the grass in the direction of the Pagoda,

Kim had caught sight of something bright yellow...

it was props for the Alice in Wonderland open air show they're putting on...

she made me pose...

and do a star jump

the table for the Mad Hatter's tea party

nearly trod on this

toward the Temperate House

lots of blue sky!

I know I've shown this tree before

we got to the Pagoda

 

blogger is messing with my spacing..

these hydrangeas are near the Japanese garden

these are the main stretch along cedar vista

the sun came out again  (there were some fluffy clouds about)

we headed for the Pavilion cafe but as we passed the Temperate House the doors were already open

loads of trumpet vines

still reflection in the pond as the waterfall wasn't running

strawflowers  - we both love these 

(phone close up)

then time for tea and cake 

golden rain tree

the lake - a few drops of rain fell (wasn't forecast till at least 1pm but didn't amount to a lot) 

then to the waterlily house

loads of passionflowers today

loved these leaves

triangular bed at the steps outside the waterlily house

crossed the grass to the Broad Walk on our way to the POW 

the underside of these are as pretty as the tops!

fluffy!!

it was blowing about in the breeze

there were a few cactus in flower

including some new flowers on these tall ones 

pink bananas
   

in the cool orchid room was a huge cloud of steam for the orchids!

outside the POW

walking along to the alpine house there is a steep bank covered in grasses and wild flowers

grasses in the top of the rock garden, alpine house in background

alpine house,  tub of alliums in the doorway

the plants this week are mostly still sempervivium (house leeks)

but they make great patterns

then outside,  this is growing in the pond

and as we walked through the rock garden to the exit,  a final bee. 

thanks for looking...

so far next Saturday's forecast is fine, so it should be back to the usual day!

Nothing wrong with going on a Sunday, it just disrupts my routine!