Photos by H: Kew - welcome back members early access!

I had to book the day off to celebrate Kew's return of member 8am entry.. the weather was gorgeous... happy days.

there were quite a few members waiting for the gates to open

I noticed some geese babies by the pond and the Henry.

most of the tulips in the tubs along the pond have finished - in fact later when I came by on my way home they were being pulled out for tidiness

the pansies are looking good though.

Henry between the Broad Walk and waterlily house

it's going to be annoying trying to get the whole sculptures in shot without the green barriers which I think are remaining in place...

and another one nearer the Broad Walk

allium time!

there was lots of work going on already, with beds being weeded and tidied

wild flowers by the Hive

some stray late daffodils in the sun

towards the end of the Broad Walk

round by the Monkey Puzzle

up at the top

there were lots of people enjoying the early morning access and it always feels like a bit of a club, everyone says hello as they're so pleased to be in early again

I carried on the path round the corner and could see movement in the trees - 2 disappeared but this one came out

he was playing with a Kew leaflet

I carried on my way past the end of the grass garden - starting to grow back again

the wild flower bed/border by the vegetable garden are starting to come back too - one or two poppies and some cornflowers outside the bonsai house, the border itself isn't as well advanced

a couple of roses on the first upright of the pergola

into the evolution garden

the sun on the mecanopsis was lovely

the bees were enjoying them too

along side these, I noticed buds swelling on the red poppies - yay!

the peonies were looking good, especially these huge white ones

but still lots of smaller pink ones

I veered off the path through the woodland garden between the POW and Palm House to look at the rhododendrons, only to realise I was getting sprayed from the sprinkler!

swathes of (cowslip? ) on the slopes of the temple of Aeolus

couldn't resist more close ups of the anemones in the bed at the top of the Broad Walk on my way back past

they've followed the theme in some of the beds in front of the Palm House, too.

at this point I remembered I had wanted to check the Queens Garden behind Kew Palace to see if the laburnum arch was flowering so I back tracked

lots of chimneys

only to find that the top of the steps down to the garden was barriered off - I could see that there weren't many flowers out on the arch yet so backtracked again,

lilacs outside the education centre

the lilac beds in the middle of the grass in front of the children's garden have been dug up and there was lots of grass waiting to be re-laid

off to rhododendon dell

they were watering here too, sun catching the sprays from the sprinkler

no sign of foxes along here which you sometimes catch

still lots to open

at the top of rhododendron dell by the river, the camassia are nearly finished, just some blooms at the top of the stems really

lots of bluebells though

I carried on up towards the woodland

where the bluebells are still gorgeous

red campion, I think

wild garlic

I headed round to the benches where we see Goldie

I sat on the bench for a bit, saw some squirrels and a few pigeons but not much else

Queen Charlotte's cottage

following the path back towards the Pagoda

it has been very dry lately so lots of irrigation all over

approaching the Henry in front of the Pagoda from a diferent path

the high fences are still in place so you can't get good shots yet.

It was a minute or two before 10 - 2 hours have flown by - so I hung around at the Pavilion cafe as they should be opening - but doors were shut and no-one inside so I didn't wait

instead across to the Temperate House

when the sun is shining outside it always lights up inside

I left by a side door and down the slope to another Henry

before a look at the tulips - now fading

headed back towards the Palm House and the cafe for a much needed cup of tea

luckily found a seat in the shade as it was very warm indeed now

I decided it was a lemon drizzle day today; having forgotten I'd brought a cookie with me...

the wisteria at the entrance to the shop/cafe was looking good

then I headed for the lake,

I'd not seen this one before, I like it...

by the top of the lake

through a tree

as I approached the lake I could see the swans

they kept dunking for something under the surface

they seemed to be catching pond weed

I sat on the bench but there wasn't much around - maybe too warm.

the irises are growing fast

there were several pigeons having a splash in the water

crossing the lake

but the swans came along from under the trees

one of them got out of the water

the this one - the male I think - moved under the crossing so I doubled back

to find a third one, standing on the path

I sat on a bench this side of the crossing

the geese were chasing one another

the light on his feathers was gorgeous

he swam back and forth a bit, so I left him to it

and the third one still standing watching

crossed the lake fully this time

the second swan joined her mate

heading back toward the Palm House

dodging groups of school kids

most of the tulips in the pots around the Palm House have faded but these are hanging on

cutting past 2 large school parties into the Princess of Wales...

I knew - because Kim had sent a Kew Insta reel this morning of the Titan Arum that flowered Monday/Tuesday, being moved out of the POW ... a new one moved into it's place starting to grow...