Kew in April #2…

Kristina and I made our monthly visit to Kew yesterday.  We were hoping for lots of blossom but other than this pompom-like pink stunner, we seemed to have either missed it time wise or walk wise.

 

 

Looking back over my post from April last year, there is a noticeable difference in the blooms this year.  They are much earlier, which is surprising as we had a long, cold winter.

 

 

The rhododendrons were in full bloom and my favourite was this unusual pale lemon one.  I always tend to think of rhododendrons being pink or mauve.  These were  a whole month earlier than last year.

 

 

We also stumbled across this beautiful pale lemon magnolia, still in all its glory while its cousins were dropping all their petals.

 

 

My absolute favourites though, were the tulips.  We didn’t see them like this before, that’s for sure.

 

 

Whether they are parrot tulips in an urn with happy-faced violets underneath…

 

 

…or striking lily-flowered tulips (I’m guessing that this is the type they are because the lily-flowered ones love to open out in the sun), underplanted with white forget-me-nots…

 

 

… or peony-like ones, perfect against the blue forget-me-nots…

 

 

…or stately single tulips with wallflowers…

 

 

… I cannot get enough of them.  Love tulips.