The Second Part Of Our Day In Kew,

we had decided to have a look, 

in the newly completed Temperate House,

we had visited here before, 

but at a different time of the year,

inside it was hot,

but so nice looking at the plants we were so used to when we lived in Thailand,

like these,

not up this aisle, 

a work in progress taking place here,

so many of the plants, 

here were in flower,

we walked until we reached, 

the first of the octagons, 

that had a nice display of coleus, (Solenostemon),

each plant having a difference in colour of their leaves,

and easy to grow too,

I remember growing some from seed way back in the in 1960s, 

this plant is hiding its fruit, 

as can be seen from the size of Diana's hand, a huge lemon, 

we left the first octogen,

and entered another connected green house

as it happens there were very few people here, until I wanted to take a photograph!

in the distance a waterfall,

which gave the feeling of coolness,

I decided to give the water a hazy look,

I walked to the far end of it and zoomed in,

another hazy look to the water,

I caught the others up, I always take too long taking photographs,

Diana had found these, tree tomatoes, (Solanum betaceum), which as it happens you can eat,

I mentioned many plants were in flower, like this one although I do not know what it is, it certainly looked impressive,

we made our way into another octagon,

a look at the ceiling centre of the building,

inside a display of insectivorous plants,

like these, 

weird in the extreme,

in the next green house a real treat, one of the cycads was in fruit,

 

and there they were,

two cones at the base of the plant, 

another hot favourite, the bird of paradise plant, 

the end of the Temperate House,

I turned back to take a few photographs of this a false banana, 

the legend,

says it all,

I remember seeing this the last time we were here,

not the same plants as they die off but produce new plants from their base, 

I caught the gang up,

we made our way down the slope,

away from the Temperate House,

and its octagons,

the statuary above the entrance looking grand,

time for a pose,

or two,

the last time we were here in the spring we were looking at thousands of cherry blooms,

at the end of the avenue Californian poppy's, (Eschscholzia californica),

we passed some more huge trees,

and made our way to the Palm House,

before going inside, 

I looked skyward, 

Kew is on the flight path to Heathrow airport,

in we went, 

it was so hot, 

many like us did not stay too long,

these almost looking like the trunks of a tree, 

but they were the iron supports for the building that algae's had started to grow on,

here is a familiar plant, a banana, and if you look closely,

it is in fruit, 

we made a move outside, it was just so hot it was uncomfortable, looking towards the water tower,

and the beds in front of the greenhouse,

time for a breather,

we made our way back past the lake,

towards the water tower,

and the memorial to the gardeners that gave their lives in the wars,

we had a look around the gardens shop,

lots of plants to choose from,

and orders taken for greenhouses,

these about to be put out for sale,

and nice this one looked too,

a selection of metal ornaments for the garden,

and for solitary bees, a number of homes, 

and the birds must not be left out,

with this gayly decorated home,

lots of spices, 

and ferns for sale,

and Steve found one of these,

to take home,

inside so many seeds, 

Steve and Kai looking at ones to grow for next year,

in the centre aisles,

some begonias, like this one begonia masoniana,

further along bulbs,

lots of them, 

whilst Diana was looking at books,

I took a few more photographs,

of goods on sale,

they even sell soap here, 

and so nicely wrapped,

we made our way outside, 

past the black bamboo,

to the ice cream van, 

4 ices to go!

many thanks to Steve,

towards the station,

as it happens in no time a train pulled in, and we had the same luck at Victoria, 

which soon saw us thundering past Battersea Power Station, which we had visited in December 2022, we said our farewells to Steve and Kai as they left the train one stop before us, 

we walked home through the park, where it was feet up for a couple from Lewis and a snack before we were off to bed.