Kew again - and a party

Well, over on my stamping blog I showed you a few weeks ago the Diamond Wedding card I made for my godmother.  It was the party on the 31st and I've just got the photos.  I won't bore you with loads because if you weren't there you (probably, given what a small world it is!) won't know anyone, but there is one of me! (I may even put it on the other blog too)

That's me standing at the back in my fave green/blue skirt! Any my mum is in the seat behnd the "youngsters" on the opposite end to me.




Anyhow, on Saturday I went to Kew Gardens again, though it's been at least a month - unheard of for me in the last couple of years - and I think I've missed the best of the "height of summer" flowers.

Still, I took a few - I concentrated on shapes and patterns.
This was in the waterlily pond. Incredible!

Outside the waterlily house.

"my" fountain again - this time framed by the tree and gunnera in the foreground.

The oldest palm in the Palm House (only I've forgotten how old!)

There were some different species of butterfly that they've hatched since I was there before - these ones were really pretty! Only they wouldn't keep still!


Well, that's it for tonight - this is my 3rd post (two on stampingbyh) of the evening and I have to go to bed now....

Hampton Court Flower Show - 9th July 2010

Well, I just about survived the exteme heat yesterday at Hampton Court Flower Show.  It was SO hot - I ended up buying a hat in the end.

I got there at 10 just as they opened the gates and for a while there was a bit of cloud cover which helped the temperatures but not the flower photography!  I took LOADS - about 140 - so these are just a pick!  (As I start to write, I dont know how I'm going to choose them...)  I had good intentions of making notes of the names of the gardens as I went but that went out the window and the notebook stayed in my bag all day (along with the long zoom lens which just came for the ride!)

I don't know if you saw any of the TV coverage this year so some of these you may recognise.  Anyhow, here goes. I'll keep the burble to a minimum!

Just love the bright pink!

They've changed the flower pavillion this year, it's one huge marquee now, not 5 linked ones. Loads of purple and blues this year.

How great do these veg look!

 Nursery rhymes!

 Girl guide groups creating great little scenescheck out the title of this one!  It's a "real" false leg...

Couldn't resist a fountain!  This is in the middle of the Long Water. They've changed the way the jets come out, since last year I am sure.

Maybe not what I'd call Shabby Chic - but I couldn't resist taking this pic when I saw the name!!

You can buy such weird things at Hampton Court! These bronzes were actually really great (but way out of my price range!)

They had a series of small gardens based on Shakespeare's comedies, really wish I'd note which ones were which...

And these poor actors were all dressed up performing (I assume, not being a Shakespeare expert) extracts from relevant play in front of each garden.)  They must have been sooo hot!

Local schools always enter scarecrows and the theme this year was Shakespeare. Love this "donkey dude"!!

Have saved my favest pic of all day for the end - these beautiful cornflowers!

I have had problems with blogger getting the comments where I wanted them, so fingers crossed!

Hope I haven't bored you rigid - there could have been so many more! Please leave me a comment to let me know which is your favourite?

Back for the Butterflies

I decided at the last minute (i.e when I woke up) to definately go to Kew again yesterday - just needed to check the forecast - to see the butterflies again, and also the new "South Africa " landscape in the parterre beds outside the Palm House - they only finished planting on Friday (according to the Kew twitter page I follow!)  So, off I went.

Amazingly I wasn't first in the queue - I normally am! but I stood and ate my breakfast (M&S cheese scone) whilst I waited for them to open.

Outside the gates is an oval bed that for the last couple of years they've planted with wild flower seed - and they are just blooming now. I hope to get to see them again at their peak, but the next couple of weekends are busy!  However, I love the poppies and cornflowers mixed in with these yellow daisies.

At the back of the Palm House they have replanted their rose beds and these too are looking stunning

The newly planted parterre obviously needs time to develop over the next few weeks but I loved the orange of these (I think they're Gazania, looking at the plantlist on the Kew website) - they will be stunning.   Perhaps I'll have a birthday trip back there again next Saturday!!

On to the butterflies. They have even got some hatching out amongst the flowers "au naturel" as it were, as well as inside the case

I was desparate to catch these beauties with their wings open but my reactions were too slow, as they are the beautiful blue ones I saw last time. 

However, further round the glasshouse, there was one posing gorgeously (?!) on this flower. I took several to make sure at least one was in focus (even with the autofocus on!) and that I wasn't too close (not a very good judge of distance and trying to work out that I am the right distance for the macro facility was a bit much when also trying not to miss the butterfly!)  Isn't it gorgeous!

And I don't think we'd better ask what these two were up to - and in broad daylight, in front of children, lol!!