Saturday, June 29, 2024

Kew in warm sunshine!

 What a difference a week makes..

bright blue skies and wispy clouds..  it was still a bit fresh first thing but warmed up!


the goose creche was enjoying the warm path outside the Palm House 




middle bed in the Palm House


the goose looked like he was trying to dig up the sculpture..
nice shadows!


across the pond, nice reflections

the really tall alliums are opening in the round bed at the top of the Broad Walk



some are leaning over a bit close to the lens!
but the ones still upright tower over my head


then down the Broad Walk 
















sun through grasses 






it's a favourite time of year for me on the Broad Walk with all the colour, even though the alliums are over





yukka - they survive quite well outside


there are some small flowered later alliums out though

the asters are starting to flower too 

large allium seedheads
gaura (I think) in the sun

the eryngium glistened in the sun

verbena against blue sky
the Orangery glowing white in the sunshine,  






mountain gum (eucalyptus) flowers 




















cornflower in the wild bed
the student plots weren't unlocked, so peeked over the gate to see the sunflowers
the wild bed is starting to fade already, still lots of poppies though

waterdrops on a gingko
and I don't know what this is, 
but it's the flower that looks paint-splattered as it develops
still lots of roses along the pergola through the evolution garden
sweet peas
Kim in action.. handily placed benches to lean the camera on



the water drops had made the petals fold in on themselves





my favourite part of the evolution garden is springing into flower 


(the drops are from the automated watering system not rain)







teasels too! 




I love helenium 
shadows and drops






gorgeous dark purple-burgundy clematis

the beds full of those lovely yellow daisy like flowers





companion planting in the veg garden


the sweet peas round the edge are so fragrant
can't wait for the agapanthas to fully open





in the rock garden
the aloe still flowering
cook shadow from it

and from the other side!





alpine house,  sempervivium




the patterns/colour on the sempervivium stem was gorgeous
Kim spotted this symmetrical pattern 

it's nestling in the corner of some rocks in the alpine house
outside again back through the rock garden























flowering cactus outside the Princess of Wales conservatory

agave

waterlily in the little rill that rounds round the POW (at this end)

we decided to have 10am snacks at the Orangery for a change - we had to wait for them to open 
they've got extra seating outside (could do with some more umbrellas for shade) 
this young jackdaw wanted our carrot cake...

then decided to sunbathe instead


I had come dressed for summer, about time too you say! 


I really love that skirt, it would be 100% perfect - if it had pockets!!


whilst we'd been eating Kim had seen this pop of purple so we went to check it out..
the one on the left is a smoke tree, I think the one on the right is berberis 

the Hive nestling to the right of the purple 


the light pink (fades to white) wispy stuff) gives it it's name


the water feature in the secluded garden,  water turned off,  never got such good photos of this since the day when the water froze over it one cold day!
into the Princess of Wales now 
love the contrast between underneath and the  top of the lily pad 

by the main pond they'd cut open a waterlily (after it finished flowering obviously)



the humidity in the rainforest/tropical section was too intense so we pushed on through to the cooler desert section 


and found some flowering cactus











couple from phone 







this was flowering too 

i was just thinking blogger has behaved so far and not swapped orders....
this is in the new bed they're replanting in the desert sectin
back a bit, some more flowers to come (we'll miss them!)

these pink ones are behind glass so tricky to get to well 


opposite the first white flowering cactus

this is just inside the POW at the cacti end.

hopefully will still be "doing something" next week...
but possibly we'll miss it














we headed outside to the relative cool !
under a bit of shade to cross the Broad Walk 







and into the steamy waterlily house!


didn't hang about long in there either ! 
lotus flower in the entrance


love the shape of this opening waterlily

and this one emerging from the water 




seen from the side 










then it was to the lake

as we crossed the lake the swans were swimming towards us...

all in a row!
they swam under the crossing



















and out the other side

where they had a splash and a stretch 

then into the davies  exploration house and the strawflowers











then round the Temperate house (backwards in my photo order!)

banana





then to the Marc Quinn sculptures outside 







and then to the one at the Victoria Gate


I wasn't sure I could get the "wibbly leg" effect in a skirt but you can...






Kim telling me to lean in closer..
Who dat in der?! 

wave!  


such a fun way to end the visit!


thanks for looking, see you next week (forecast at the moment for next week is... light rain... let's hope it changes)