Spring colour in Kew Gardens (April 2013)

My main reason for going to Kew Gardens was to visit the Herbarium, which was special, and then I made the afternoon even better by going in to the gardens themselves.

The always-helpful Kew Gardens iPhone App reminded me that the Magnolias were in bloom so I planned a short jaunt through the gardens that took me in through Elizabeth Gate and out at Brentford Gate.

The first loud announcement of Spring's arrival was the display of colour in the flower beds around the Orangery, where I prepared for my long walk with coffee and cake. These beds were planted fairly formally and had a mix of colours on display.  It was a most heartening start to the walk.

From the Orangery it was a short walk west to the patch where most of the Magnolias live. Some could not bother to wait for me and were well past their best in the last week of April but there were still plenty in healthy bloom.

That part of the gardens is mostly woodland with a mix of grasses and flowers between the trees. Most areas have simple lawn-style grass and these are supplemented by patches of longer grass and wild flowers. The Bluebells were just starting to show but were not yet in the large numbers that can make their displays so impressive. So, instead, I have chosen this picture of less intimidating purple and white flowers.

There were, of course, still plenty of Daffodils. Some could be found in the formal beds, like in the top picture, but I prefer them when they are out in the wild among the trees.