More from Kew Gardens, much more

The reason that I went to Kew Gardens on 4 August 2013 was to say farewell to the Temperate House as it closed for five years of refurbishment and that gave me the perfectly reasonable excuse to explore other parts of the gardens.

These are just some of the highlights from a short walk through Kew.

I prefer to enter Kew via Lion Gate and to head in to the heart of the gardens from there. The first landmark that I came across was the Pagoda and this is what it looks like from the, aptly named, Pagoda Vista, that links it to the Palm House.

Next to the Palm House, and struggling to get attention, is the Waterlily House, another favourite of mine. It's small and simple and very pretty, even more so when the waterlilies are in bloom.

A new attraction, and one that came as a surprise to me, is the display of large fungi along the Broad Walk which I took for my regulation coffee and cake at the Orangery. The fungi, like the seeds a few years ago, are part decoration and part education. There are several types of fungi on show and the large scale means that you can get up close and appreciate the design.

Outside of the Orangery is another new thing, a wild flower garden. Again I picked a good day to see it and the flowers were making the most of the sunny day.

The Aquatic Garden is hidden in the north-east corner of the gardens and is worth tracking down. The structure has period charm, it dates from 1909, and would be at home in the garden of a grand house.

From the Aquatic Garden a path leads reluctantly between some buildings to the Student Vegetable Plots which take hidden to new levels. Which is a shame as the plots are both interesting and pretty.

From there it was a simple walk to Victoria Gate via the Order Beds and Rose Pergola. That meant walking around the lake the east end of which was lined with a final burst of flowers.