Kew - bank holiday Saturday

 The last bank holiday weekend (in England)  before Christmas.. the year is going too fast!

it was warm without being hot, and blue skies...

it was low-level shooting early on today

parterre beds still looking good 

the urns along the pond have slightly different plants in them

this one included nasturtiums 

I will really miss the planting in the round bed at the top of the Broad Walk 

especially the dahlias 

the light was excellent this morning 

and some good shadows 

then down the Broad Walk itself 

partway down I cut round to the grassy side of the beds for a different view

blogger wants you to see the next 5 in reverse order! 

then back to the path side

more kneeling down

various umbels going to seed

rudbeckia drifts with the Orangery in the distance

round the back of the bed again 

we cut across the grass amongst trees past the Orangery 

huge holly tree covered in berries

monkey puzzle

from there it is close to the Carbon Garden, approaching from a different direction today

looking towards the Hive

it was really shining in the sun! 

that big slice of tree trunk I showed last week - from the side

whilst I was down low.... 

along to the alpine house - but we went back the other way

past the Hive

we cut across the Broad Walk and over towards the back of the Pal House

passing trees turning colour early from the lack of water 

and to the Of the Oak installation as we've not interacted with it for a while 

Kim took several of me playing! 

before heading back through the Rose Garden 

giant flowers of  a hibiscus outside the Palm House

and then off to get our breakfast

went for something different today, vanilla custard Paris-Brest.  I've seen them make this on cookery shows and never tried it... it was yummy!  

then we headed to the lake 

where Peter had obviously not long left as there were signs of birdseed on the ground and lots of geese and ducks still around 

the swan came over from the island to say hello

back of a goose ; lovely ruffley feathers! 

it poses well!  

a little further on closer to the lake crossing, we saw a heron 

as we were watching, another heron came along and went into the bushes to the left of this one, so we didn't get to catch him too

we carried on round the lake,

this side is green all the way along -  we need some rain to clear it

nice shadows though

at the far end of the lake we saw another - or possibly one of the 2 from before - although we'd not seen it flying overhead 

so presumably another one. 

just along the path from here is a smoke tree - looking fab 

pine 

we headed to the woodland next 

we stopped at the benches where we often see Goldie; and found Peter.

Goldie did turn up eventually but stayed out of camera shot in the undergrowth...

we headed off past Queen Charlotte's cottage 

at the little lily pond 

looking through the pine trees 

then strawflowers in the Davies Exploration house behind the temperate house 

silver daisies 

leftovers from the lotus flowers in the Temperate House

still one or two flowering 

red passionflower 

we walked round the outside of the Temperate House

they've got some big tubs of citrus trees outside the front 

Kim had gone down the slope to the path, I was on the upper level still 

we went over to the Pavilion cafe to see how the porcelain berries are ripening - to find some grapes

and the berries are starting to colour up 

heading back 

aptly named scarlet maple  outside the gallery starting to turn colour

another one turning 

we went up round the winter garden - too early for much but this  mahonia is flowering

heading to the exit

and as I left I took these in the big tubs by the entrance (from the exit side!)

we are always in too much of a hurry to be first through to stop on our way in!!!

gorgeous colours. 

thanks for looking , see you next week.