Kew - it had to be quick

 Had to be a quick trip to Kew today as I've got British Gas coming to look at my boiler. Shame, the sun was out and it was lovely!   I had to be home by 12 (time slot 12-6, what's the betting they come at 6) 

but Kim's back!  

she says this is the pre-opening prep shot! 

you could tell it is the end of the height of summer (already!)  as the grass was wet with dew

we snuck onto the grass behind the barrier (shh!)  to get the back of the sculpture at the far end of the Palm House group

the bed at the top of the Broad Walk 

love the sun on the Japanese anemones

and these round the front of the bed are beautiful

roses down the Broad Walk 

I don't know what these are but they are tall, way over my head

we turned off the Broad Walk here round towards the Hive

Kim had managed to come on Thursday before returning to work after her   op.

she had seen this little spider then...

wild carrot growing in the wildflower meadow round the Hive

from the underneath ground floor level, looking through the glass floor to the top

wild carrot tumbling over the path

the red of the ladybird caught my eye

canna leaves outside the Princess of Wales 

waterfall in the rock garden where we stopped and talked to Patrick and Joyce who we've not seen for a while.

Kim took one of her surreptitious photos of them but i won't share it!

in the vegetable garden under the shelter, they're drying some flowers

and some in a jar on a shelf

along with some early produce

we walked round the plots

these are the leaves belonging to the flower above (some kind of squash I think)

cosmos in the sun

ecomis  - evolution garden

fading agapanthas

crocosmia

sunflowers - the ones I forgot last week - starting to fall over a bit 

sedums

asters 

dahlia

echinacea

rudbeckia

LOVE the light on these 

helenium, lots are fading now losing their petals

the asters with waterdrops and in the sun, were fabulous.  

one of these may be making it to the calendar shortlist!

some of the leaves on the tee outside the POW (tree planted by Diana) are turning red already - they have been for a while...

outside the Palm House, in the rose garden

I hated having to clock-watch today!  

the lake was our next port of call

we got to the benches and spoke to Peter for a while who was feeding/photographing the swans

a load of geese came in to land - sort of got them!

and another group

by the side of the bench, one of the many squirrels was eating the seeds Peter had put down

we carried on our way tothe lake crossing 

looking back to the bench 

my favourite view (from the phone)  gorgeous reflections and blue sky

wider angle

Kim took a panorama shot 

by the Treetop walkway (lift appeared to be back in operation but we didn't go up)

instead heading to the sculptures outside the Temperate House

no trains yet today as they don't run till the garden is open to all. 

I stopped to change lens 

and put my hat on 

I said to Kim as we walked over to this one, it makes me think of a lady sitting down with her arms behind her and her leg up in the air....

she couldn't see it

so I tried to demonstrate 

my leg doesn't bend the right way though

we headed back towards the Palm House to go for a cuppa 

more geese flying overhead 

the huge hibiscus outside the Palm House stopped me in my tracks 

before we stopped for tea - and cake, this week!

I had red velvet cake (yummy) and Kim a pecan pastry

We  - or I  at least - just had time for a quick walk through the POW after "breakfast" before I would have to rush off for the trains home...

didn't have time to walk round the whole of the glasshouse, sadly 

and this is where I left Kim to make my way home.

it's now 2pm and needless to say, no sign yet of British Gas, but you can bet if I'd have been home a second after 12, they'd have been here....

Hoping the problem can be fixed, and it doesn't disrupt my week - as I have the week off work and am looking forward to some relaxation time!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!

p.s engineer here at 3.35 fixed by 4pm!