Kew, some rain, some sun

 So whilst Kim and I waited outside for 8am, it was beautifully sunny... then, as 8 approached the clouds started to gather! 

there had been lots of rain overnight as you can see in the surface under the sculpture

bedding in front of the palm house

there was no sign of the goose creche today, but some older geese were hanging around

flowers about to burst forth!

heading down the Broad Walk

raindrops on the back of the lily petals

alchemilla mollis 

the kardoon will be open son

water drops again (sea holly, eryingium) 

we had a short shower of rain walking along the Broad Walk but it didn't last long

Kim camouflaged  

from behind the beds looking across Broad Walk

lots of purple down this end

monkey puzzle

stachys

soft and fluffy

walked round the Duke's garden,  where they've filled in a huge bed that held beautiful day lilies and other plants,  we're not sure why other than general regeneration.

this was beautiful though

more sea holly

astrantia

across the grass garden,  alpine house and POW

taken from the waterlily pond

the wildflower beds,

this one is on the side next to the bonsai house

where there are some gorgeous cornflowers out

but first, for the first time in ages, someone was just unlocking the student plots to walk round

teepee for something to grow up

there were already some tall sunflowers out

and more to come

it was quite breezy so the petals kept moving as the shutter clicked

there were only a few bees here (bit cold and damp)

the cornflower is such a pretty colour.. shame the wind blew it nearly out of shot!

roses on the pergola through the evolution garden

and sweet peas growing along the pergola side of the vegetable garden

more roses 

shame the sky wasn't blue for the backdrop this week

poppy beds in the evolution garden

got one of the white ones this week 

blogger is changing the order now..

walking through other side of  the evolution garden back towards the rock garden 

the sky was toning with the daisies well in the rock garden

they are starting to fade now 

trying to focus on the insect 

quick look in the alpine house

back out through the rock garden

walking along salvia border, looking over the rock garden

we decided for early refreshments, not quite 10,  but as we sat down outside it started to rain quite hard so we retreated inside

it was still raining as we headed for the Temperate House

I had the wrong lens on to start with so had to change it

this is one of Kim's of her

luckily it soon stopped again so I could put the brolly down again

they've just opened a new area with wild roses,  so we took a walk round the new beds 

still lots of grey sky!

cistus, in the meditteranean garden very wet petals

good view through the Temeperate House

bronze sculpture 

bonsai gingko

waterfall sounds really loud since they cut lots of plants back from in front of it

flowers on aeonium

in the davies exploration house, which wasn't open last week

my favourite!

strawflowers

walking towards the lake

sweet horse chestnut in flower

we walked over the lake as I'd seen the swans standing on the bank the other side... to find them swimming away

dull but still enough light for reflections

as we walked round the lake the swans swam back towards us under some trees on the bank

there were quite a few geese on the path, mostly sleeping!

but some standing guard

we headed back towards the waterlily house

passing a tulip tree

this is near the waterlily house

they are using dark aeoniums in the bedding outside the waterlily house this summer 

waterlilies in the waterlily house

trying to keep the lens from misting

then it was outside again

and a quick look at the fountain

outside the Princess of Wales

inside now

by the steps down to the under area

the latest "stinky" titan arum starting to flower... we'll miss this one too! 

change of lens to see the height of it so far

close up 

there was a bit of sun for a time

outside at the end of the evolution garden again, on the hill by the temple 

we sat on a bench for a few moments

is that blue sky?

it was behind the black walnut

there was a big spur of a rose hanging over the path, that looked in need of propping up over the pergola

and then it was time to go home.

the sun came out as we left - but as I sat on the platform for the train it chucked it down again 

on and off (I think that was whilst the end of Trooping the Colour was going on and everyone got very wet) 

thanks for looking, see you next week.  forecast at present is for - you guessed it - rain!