Q… K for Kew – an hour through the woodland, family beds and rock garden…

Aconitum Bicolor (below)   From here, we leave the Family Beds borders and step into the Rock Garden (bypassing the superb Salvia Borders are there is still a long way to go before they look at their best - October at least) First, this extravagant show of seedheads which at first I took for Pulsatilla...…

Davies Alpine House at Kew Gardens – and the Rock Garden too – wandering through Kew today

Continuing with my wanderings through Kew, leaving the Duke's Garden behind and passing the emerging grass borders, we head to the Davies Alpine House and the serpentine Rock Garden beyond. More peonies and iris, more intense colour and floral fireworks - though this last specimen, Viburnum macrocephalum Sterile is more of a giant snowball!  

A Kew Gardens Miscellany – Alpines, Trees and Random Autumn Stuff

Nerine flexuosa in the Davies Alpine House at Kew. Scilla maderense (below) This clam shell construction lies at the head of the Rock Garden, next to the Princess of Wales' Conservatory and the Grass Borders. Actually there wasn't a great deal to see in the Alpine House this time - a few cyclamen, Paperwhite narcissus…

The best of the rest at Kew – a miscellany from my latest visit: the Rock Garden, Woodland and Water Lily House

Geraneum phaeum (above) - small, dark, richly colouted flower heads held in a haze above chevron'd foliage. Ideal for shady spots. Scilla peruviana (above) - last seen in the Alpine House at RHS Wisley - here it is in amongst the peonies at Kew The Japanese Pagoda Tree (below), well supported - Wild Garlic (above…

Iris and Peony at Kew Gardens – positively glowing on a damp Thursday afternoon

Above - the lipstick pink of Paeonia Honor, with an unnamed white form, below Below - Paeonia officinalis subsp. officinalis Above and below - Paeonia rockii subsp. atrava Above, Paeonia clusii Above - Paeonia officinalis subsq. officinalis against Iris Red Zinger (also below) Two unnamed Iris Below - actually tinted more lilac in reality, and…

If you go down to the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise – top marks for RHS Wisley

In the Wild Garden - woodland glades at RHS Wisley in Surrey- meandering paths betwixt the Rock Garden, the Alpine Meadow and Seven Acres. Plenty to delight with bluebells, rhododendrons, camellias, tree paeonies, Chinese dogwoods, Ekianthus campanulatus, Fritillaria Imperialis, Bergenias, Dipelta, Acers, the Judas Tree - Cercis siliquastrum and probably every colour in the rainbow.…

After winter, intimations of Spring… Kew Gardens

and finally, the shop - orchid mania due to the extravaganza going on in the Princess of Wales Conservatory

Golden Snowdrops – Galanthus nivalis ‘Sandersii’

Four tough little things, these golden-yellow snowdrops - Galanthus nivalis 'Sandersii' I confess at first I thought these were just a little anaemic but closer inspection proved their yellow markings were just as they should be. Plenty of snowdrop varieties have come through in the Rock Garden at Kew and many deserve a closer look.…