a Twofer - Kew and the Tower

 Today is my final day off before going back to work, and the weather was much nicer. 

I got there just after opening, about 10.15

it's going to be one of those posts, blogger wants all photos in reverse order.  

I had the long zoom with me today

I can't be faffed to change each one.

Princess of Wales first.

upper level 

Kim's favourite cacti starting to flower

the titan arum is developing

orchids through the display glass 

the wisteria has more flowers on now 

alpine house

spiral aloe in the rock garden

another aloe

revered again, sorry.

student veg plots 

bonsai house

the wildflower bed is growing rapidly, looking forward to the gorgeous flowers!

vegetable garden with the apple covered arches

looking across the evolution garden from the veg garden end 

helped having the other lens

camassia 

pasqueflowers in the evolution garden 

as promised I took another picture of the map of plants board . you should be able to enlarge it

I did it in 2 halves to help 

lots more peonies out since Saturday

path through the woodland garden

it looks empty, but there were people about ,including several school groups which I avoided! 

I took the red rhododendron through a hole in the leaf sprite sculpture

top path on the rock garden, the pasqueflowers here are just about all gone to seed

I cut ahead of a large school group  and bent down for the bluebells under a tree

and cut across to the Broad Walk 

the alliums are coming out more

they''re fading a bit now but still gorgeous 

cut across towards Kew Palace

to check the laburnum arch again

the sun had come out earlier than forecast, which was good!  

I changed lens back and fro

back round to the front of the palace

the lilacs near the Children's garden were out

I cut across to half way along rhododendron dell

and up to the camassias 

across towards the lake the Tree Gang were cutting down a tree - damaged in a storm, or diseased I imagine

I walked along the side of the lake 

passing some geese with babies, although I am not sure they belong to the Canada geese, they looked like the greylag babies from the weekend (the greylag parents were nearby)

a bit further along I saw the Egyptian geese and their brood - still have all 8

on my way back to the Palm House was a big roped off area, I peaked through a gap - they are working on the "Of the Oak

 which is coming at the start of May -  a digital artwork.  they were programming the music by the sound of things 

should be interesting!

then it was off to destination 2 - the Tower of London 

they are putting in place a commemorative display to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII

and although they only started work on it on Tuesday I wanted to have a look 

this time, rather than in the moat, it is inside, by the White Tower

they have 30,000 of the ceramic poppies from the 2014 display, on loan from the Imperial War Museum and are putting them on show

some will form a cascade down the White Tower

and a team of volunteers was on sight hard at work planting some in the ground round the White Tower

it's due to be finished for the 6th May and the  VE Day commemoration

another cascade in progress the other side of the White Tower

I really should have picked up my sunglasses!

I went round to the other side of the White Tower 

where you could see the work a bit closer

ravens cages 

through the gate as I left - I had only gone to check out the poppies - I will of course go back to see them when the installation is finished;  it is on until 11 November 

of course had to take some pictures outside on the river, 

just along the path was a big Easter Egg  - there's been a Easter Egg hunt on in London (until 27th April) - apparently there are 22 dotted around, but I've left it too late to look for more 

and then it was off back to the station.

it looks as if the wildflowers in the moat are slowly coming back 

thanks for looking - back to work tomorrow, but (deliberately) only one day and then a weekend again!

guess where I'll be on Saturday.... see you then!