Kew

 

yesterday was lovely and sunny and warm...not so today

lots of the geese were in front of the Palm House, making a lot of mess as you can see!

I took more photos today than for a long time, i will try and edit the numbers I share to a normal/reasonable level....

blogger is reversing the order,  so early in the post!

we laughed at this bird in the flowers 

some of them were snoozing on the grass 

this is in the bed at the top of the Broad Walk,  gradually opening flowers

we headed down the Broad Walk as usual 

which was empty

there is a little spider or something on this

lots of colour along the Broad Walk

some of my favourites from summer along the Broad Walk are opening 

going to seed quickly this year 

we turned off to head towards Kew Palace so found a few different things 

allium under an India sweet chestnut tree, catching it's flowers...

beautiful blue eryngiums

out of order again... behind Kew Palace 

we had a brief shower here...

corsican pine

this tree has been struck twice by lightening and once by a light aircraft... since it was planted in the 1870s 

(Kew has some summer "trails" and this is on one about Kew's Remarkable Trees 

that's me underneath it..... we decided not to hang about!  

grass garden

bed of flowers in amongst the grasses,  remember these from last year 

the huge gum tree has flowers!  who knew 

the sun came out for a few minutes at the wildflower bed

the only trouble of taking photos down there is getting up again...

love the blue of the cornflower

there were loads of bees 

the sweet peas were smelling beautiful

big grey clouds kept scudding across.... 

Kim took me taking a selfie playing match the hair to the roses (the ones above)

then into the poppies in the evolution garden 

this one was on the path under the pergola.

gorgeous  

the sun was turning the poppies yellow, amazing effect 

then it was time to try and catch the bees in action 

I failed - it was moving too quick

new things on the way

yikes... that's a big black cloud... set off well by the roses.  (we were lucky, it spat a few drops but not as much as it could)

sleeping bee

this one too 

more favourites starting to flower 

Kim getting in close 

more sleepy bees 

this is one of the yellow flowers just opening. 

and a little further

open!   

we kept an eye on the cloud!

back through the other side of the evolution garden

at the top near the gateway into the rock garden,

agapanthas are opening, hurrah

we also remembered a Kew FB/X post about the aloe in the rock garden flowering...

it was amazing 

outside the alpine house

across the rock garden

round the pond at the Palm House

trying to prove there was a little blue sky!

it was a sitting outside day just... another few spits of rain.

just before 10,  

carrot cake

me sending carrot cake to FB!

after breakfast , after 10, so the fountain is turned on

headed back to the Princess of Wales

we knew after last weekend we'd missed "stinky" the titan arum flowering, which happened mid week

this is what it looked like today

on phone for wider angle

damn, blogger is messing again 

patterns in the waterlily pads

upper level 

another stinky,  pelican flower

more cacti trying to flower 

by the pond in the POW 

out of order again cheers blogger 

then we headed back to the waterlily house

crossing the grass between the Broad Walk and waterlily house we found goose creche in the long grass!

loving the aeoniums outside the waterlily house

the into the Palm House, not done this for a while  so we walked round all sides of it

zingibar specatible  (beehive ginger) 

in flower 

decaying palm frond

tamarind

something growing round a rusty support

spiky!  

hibiscus just been watered 

gorgeous light

out through the rose garden and the Marc Quinn

time to play with reflections...

this is Kim

this is me!

we had a lot of fun

before heading to the lake

the davies exploration house,

strawflowers

then outside for more play

this one nearly disappears it's great 

into the gallery

this is beautiful

but I adore this one

I just want to reach out and touch the paint!  

I'd forgotten about some of these pieces

the way the cases reflect to give the illusion of multiple vases

we got told off for getting too close! 

in the side corridor we found a couple of pieces we hadn't seen before 

great shadows!

some of the pieces demanded close ups

we ended at the sculpture by the Victoria gate 

just love the distortions

I think I've wheedled this down quite successfully from 552 photos.... hope you enjoyed, thanks for looking

see you  next week for the after birthday edition!