Another hot trip to Kew

 We're gearing up for another heatwave in a large part of the UK so I'm even more grateful for Kew's early member's opening.  Today started very cloudy but already muggy

the two urns that had ducks nesting in them along the pond-side, are down to one, which has now been planted.

whether that is because her eggs have hatched or the nest was disturbed, who knows...

the other one still remains, (someone needs to to up the water container)  and barriers have been put round it to stop people getting too close which is probably a hint to what happened to the first one 

the dark petunias in the urns are gorgeous.

the bed at the top of the Broad Walk are full of dahlias

these deep purple/burgundy ones are beautiful

starting down the Broad Walk

there were lots of little insects and

ants on the lilies 

there are loads of these, I love them.  

the early alliums are all seedheads now

but very structural

I adore the blue stems of the eryngium

monkey puzzle

alstromeria in the evolution garden, flowering yucca behind.

the wildflower bed has gone over now, apart from some cornflowers, sadly

most of the roses over the pergolqa are going over too, but these were still gorgeous

the white poppies in the EG are still fabulous

it was windy though, and the petals kept getting blown across my shots

something had flattened a large part of this bed (my favourite bed!)  in the EG I hope they recover.  No idea what it could have been,  an animal of some kind I guess; we haven't had that much wind and hardly any rain 

the echinacea are starting to flower too

some of the fading roses on the pergola

sunflowers 

the yukkas were almost forming an arch over the path looking to the veg garden

the agapanthas are starting to flower too 

blogger is starting to mess the order

rock garden 

alpine house

end of EG near the gateway into rock garden 

in the latest Kew magazine, I'd seen a snippet about this fountain - and another statue - that during the next few years (when the Palm House renovation is being done)  - saying it is due to be relocate to Windsor as requested by the Royal Collection.....

As you know it has long been one of my favourite spots in Kew when the spray is on.  

Kim said she'd take lots of photos of me with it before it goes.

starting with me trying to hold it in my arms..

we need a bit of practice!

it wasn't much after 9 but we decided to stop for tea and cake (in my case, croissant for Kim)

then headed to the lake

where as we sat down, loads of geese (the large  group I'd seen last week)

came for breakfast and slobbered and shook water over us

after a while they got back into the lake and crossed over

and then came racing across the grass to where we were under a tree...for breakfast no 2! 

we left them to it and went on our way

the lift to the treetop walkway is still being repaired, so gave that a miss again 

Davies exploration house

the big doors to the Temperate House were open,  trying to wait for people standing in the doorway to finish, for a clear view through...

from the other doorway back in the other direction

nice patterns!

the best things in there at present though are the various tubs of lotus flowers

couldn't get high enough for an aerial shot 

and a dinky little one on the window sill 

called fairy something-or-other!  

in the furthest section, these had fallen off , presumably recently as they haven't been cleared away

outside at the top of the slope 

new growth at the top of a flowering aeonium

just inside the inner door of the waterlily house

waterlily house 

small waterlily in one of the corner ponds

outside the Princess of Wales - I assume this is all this does as it hasn't changed for a couple of weeks..

a few of the cacti were flowering, 

I didn't hang around long , it was extremely hot (Kim had stayed outside!) 

the smelly pelican flower was flowering again 

they are starting to plant up the new Carbon Garden, which is due to open in July

judging by the amount of construction still to do, as far as we can tell, it won't be EARLY July...

we headed back to the Broad Walk 

and round the pond - crocosmia Lucifer flowering

there'll be lots of the fountain before it gets moved!

in front of the pond

thank you for looking, see you next week