Kew

The heatwave has ended (for now)  but the forecast rain held off till we left .

it was very grey and slightly muggy but not cold.

cool enough for jeans without feeling overheated, and a hoodie!  

the geese had congregated by the pond

the eggs have hatched, Kim saw 2 peaking out from under mum

then the round bed at top of Broad Walk

Achillea,  Broad Walk 

there were so many bees on the flowers 

so many daylilies

round by the monkey puzzle tree

and the monkey puzzle tree 

in the border on the veg garden

evolution garden 

round the back of the echinops patch 

and of course blogger now reversing the photos.

sunflowers on the other side of the EG

lots more to come still 

still some roses, too. 

snoozing bee in the middle of an agapanthas 

by the pond, heading for breakfast 

the little hover fly insect flew into shot as I clicked the shutter!

we tried again at the fountain

I went for a brownie today,  still over-priced but very lovely!  the tea is free until the end of July (until 10am )

rose garden, this pink variety 

also has a mauvey stage 

pausing at "Of the Oak" on our way to the lake 

where the geese

and lots of young ducks

came rushing up for food

lots of blurred shots as they were moving fast....

some ok though

crows came for monkey nuts

the geese even stole some of them , we've never known that before 

love the wrinkly necks on the greylags

lots of young looking squirrels running around too

heading for the Davies Exploration House

outside, they've planted up a new bed running alongside the Temperate House

inside the TH (and out of order....)

needed a step ladder really to see this

loving the display of lotus flowers in the western octagon 

outside near the Mediterranean garden

we went down the steps by King Williams Temple

we took a little path into the depths of the MG  and found a little seat

before heading back across the garden where people were having fun interacting with Of the Oak

and then off toward the waterlily house

reading a sign under a tree that I didn't photograph)  

then in to see waterlilies - it wasn't as humid inside as I thought it might be

then over past the bed by the pond

to the Princess of Wales conservatory where this has - finally - flowered!

of course I had to stand on the bench to see properly

we went inside 

having rushed through the POW quite quickly in the heat last week. I hadn't noticed this tree flowering, now it is doing it's usual of dropping it's flowers into the leaves below

waterlily leaf

fern 

I'd been trying to keep out of Kim's shot but she says it's good for perspective

apparently it's known as  Giant Dutchman's Pipe 

Mum used to have one of these as a houseplant, don't remember quite such big flowers though

then round along the top path of the rock garden

flowering yukka

against a now very grey sky

not masses in the alpine house

but always love an allium member

in the pond outside

before heading back past the pond 

before packing away the camera and heading home -  leaving just as the first shower of the day hit, not very heavy, but we were lucky  -  it was forecast to be showery all morning.

Thanks for looking - next week is forecast very hot again so bring your hat and water and suncream....