Kew Gardens Late (June 2013)

As if I did not go to Kew Gardens enough it is now experimenting with early and late opening for members on some days.

One of the late openings was on Thursday 27 June and I was able to pop-in on my way home from another few days in Midlands power stations.

Kew Gardens re-opened at 6:30pm and that is when I arrived thanks to some careful planning and all the rail services running on time.

First stop was the cafe in the Victoria Centre as I needed something to eat and a small tomato and broccoli tart did the job nicely. The Sam Smiths organic larger was appreciated too.

The late June weather was not behaving itself and instead of a gently setting sun I had to contend with a grey sky that flickered between wet and dry.

So I went to the nearby Palm House.

The advantage of the open evening was immediately apparent as the place was fairly deserted and most of the people there were settled on benches eating picnics and so were not in the way of my photographs.

Taking photos in the Palm House is normally a challenge due to the large number of people squeezed in there and the bright jackets that a lot of them insist on wearing.

The Palm House is a brilliant idea. The Victorians built an extraordinary building and then filled it with extraordinary plants and it is this clash between design and nature that I love so much. My photo libraries must have hundreds of pictures taken of large leaves against a background of metal and class and still I took a few more.

I did look down at the beds too and that is where I spotted these unusual plants.

I have no idea what they are, which is true of most things in Kew Gardens. Of course I could read the helpful labels but I'd only forget what they said and have to read them all each time so it is better to accept it will not work and not bother to read any of them ever.

I had to leave the Palm House at some point and the rain was still waiting for me when I did. Not much rain admittedly but enough to deter me from venturing further in to the gardens so I called it a day and headed home happy.

My first foray in to Kew Gardens Late was just an experiment and one that worked. It was only meant to be a little diversion on the way home and an opportunity to eat and drink somewhere different, which is exactly what it was.

Of course it would have been better if the sun had made an appearance, perhaps it will next time.