Kew

 Kim wasn't well today so I was on my own for my visit to Kew.. I was expecting it to be very wet underfoot as at home we'd had lots of rain overnight.

the sky was quite grey to start with (and got more so as you will see) but the rain had passed 

the Egpytian geese were in amongst the Palm House flowers

and the youngsters were enjoying them greatly!

the fountain wasn't on at all today 

I turned at the sound of the honking of geese as they flew over the pond

these beauties are starting to fade now 

I headed down the Broad Walk 

the roses were smelling gorgeous

I meant to go round the other side of the border later on but forgot

these white Japanese anemones are beautiful 

more signs of the end of season... 

but these will look good for a while to come yet, even as they fade

last week blogger didn't mess with the order once...

downward facing scabious (is that a weird yoga pose, lol)

teeny tiny snail on the echinacea

I took  one on the phone too, for FB  -it has a good macro function but has trouble focusing at it;s closest limit. 

back to camera 

I loved how translucent looking the shell was

I didn't see the fly till I downloaded the photo

then I headed round past the Orangery

pausing at the monkey puzzle tree

and round the back of the grass garden

more anemones

the student bed gates were still shut... didn't go back later for the sunflowers.

It's very hit and miss if they get  opened at 8 or not until 10 with the rest of the "buildings" 

as I walked past the vegetable garden I  noticed a pop of colour - they've planted some vines according to a notice.

my camera insisted on focusing on the plain leaf not the pretty one!

from the other side they don't look as striking

the beans bed was pretty

more underplanting in another bed

I went back out to the path through the pergola along the Evolution Garden

these sunflowers are planted along the second half of the veg garden edge.

some are starting to flower

but I love the unopened flower so much!  

I tried again with the physalis.  still a bit blurry

fading echinops - not sure I've seen one at this stage of decay before, 

then to my favourite part of the evolution garden  

i love the asters with raindrops

and got some great ones today

I think this must have self-seeded in amongst the helianthum as I don't recall seeing one in the middle of them before

the solidago is losing it's bright yellow but still offsets the asters nicely

  

something called veratrum nigrum

eucomis

clematis 

in the rock garden

euphorbia in it's autumn colours

I walked down the path along the edge of the rock garden

past the salvia border which is getting going 

back at the palm house

I turned off the path through the rose garden towards the lake

sky still grey as you see! 

but a nice back drop for the pine

some kind of bracket fungus 

big mushrooms in some leaf litter under a tree

as I got to the lake a moorhen and her two chicks were scrabbling around - the chicks squabbling over some food - the parent came up close to me and then decided I was too close to her and flapped up at me!  cheek....

I could only see one of the swans onthe water and no sign of the cygnets 

there were some fabulous reflections despite the pond weed spreading across the water

neither Kim nor I have been that taken with the summer "feature" this year

I took the path towards the Japanese garden that I think is called Holly Walk  - there are certainly loads of holly bushes

I can't see it named on the map though

there were certainly loads of berries too!

Sorbus 

there was another one on the left side of the path, and as I moved towards it about a dozen or more green parakeets flew off from the branches - too quick for my reactions though

I didn't visit the big bed of hydrangeas along Cedar Vista towards the lake today

these ones near the Japanese Garden 

the trees are starting to turn....

Japanese garden

phone photo.  trees are definitely getting ready for autumn

lichens 

I headed back towards the Pavilion cafe

in honour of the missing Kim, some "fluffy" stuff... bit bedraggled from the rain 

more berries - lots of berries

more bracket fungus, I think

the pavilion care was still closed but I wandered round the outside - the vines were looking good

and are starting to turn colour too

there seems to be a heavy cropf of grapes this year

these are the berries that will turn blue and purple before long

Golden Rain tree

turning a deeper colour 

heading back past the still closed Temeprate House

took the path back to the cafe at Victoria Gate

luckily a stiff breeze blew these dark grey clouds away without it raining on me

I stopped for breakfast 

coffee and a cheese and mushroom croissant, no cake today

I nearly didn't bother going back to the Temperate House after I'd eaten

but was glad I did as they've been busy re-planting beds by King William's Temple

and also in the new beds

I like how they've put the grey gravel round the delphiniums, it sets them off beautifully

looking over the wall

I put the short lens on so I could get some different views when I went inside

although it didn't last long!

this was a really pretty pink passionflower

tumbling down the outside of the pot

the viewing platform was closed today

popped across the way to the Davies Exploration house 

their grass tree is still there - the "two-headed" one in the main Temperate House has been taken out

it was easier to see the Strawflowers today

but I blurred the closeups of the silver daisy bush

this shows how it gets it's name 

changed a setting to avoid over exposure 

bit of blue sky now!

pattern on the big urn inside the door

carried on my way round the Temperate House

fuschias

can't be bothered to correct the order...

gorgeous light though the leaves

jasmine

more fuschias.  

interesting to see that this

will end up like this

short zoom on again 

at the Palm House now

this might show the scale better

one big bush each side of the door

I decided to stay with the short lens and some wider views inside the palm house for a change

just love all the shapes and colours of the leaves palms and fronds

love a bit of rust, but I hope in due course a restoration of the Palm house will happen -  will be a tricky one if they do, trying to find alternative accommodation for the tropical plants!

I happened to look up as I got to the end of the Palm House and was rewarded with a nice view of the inside of the roof

then it was waterlily house time

still have the short lenz on 

still a grey sky!  

they've opened the door right through - so you can see past the inner porch to the waterlily house itself

the gourds seem to have finished - there was one small green one left 

the other side of the outer porch

it was nice to have room to do this as there weren't too many people inside 

one of the "curtains" of passionflower planting

passionflower leaves hanging down

gorgeous red one,  most of them are high up towards the roof so this was a treat to get.

then I headed back outside

and into the Princess of Wales conservatory.

agave

this is hard to get as it's tall above your head 

into the rainforest bit.. very hot!  my jeans instantly stuck to my legs.

walked through the carnivorous room

back out into the rainforest

out of order again

in the orchid room was a lady painting the orchids in the cabinet - watercolours -  beautiful  I wish I'd got one of her painting !

outside the POW

beautiful light through this dahlia

quick trip to the alpine house

blogger is doing it's best to annoy me today.

this is near the exit...

sorbus berries

the Orangery between the trees

I love this "fringing" of the branches 

outside the POW...

more "drippy" pines

for the first time in ages I was getting the train home so headed for the Elizabeth gate exit 

pausing by the two beds nearby

I was home in super-quick time too, both trains ran on time (which meant I caught the 2nd one easily when I changed at Clapham Junction)

thanks for looking,  hope you enjoyed.  

see you next week.