kew Gardens

Monkey Puzzle Tree

I made the most of the sunshine and my day off work today by going to Kew Gardens. I have only been there before once, it was a few years back, at the end of May and during a heat wave; most of the late spring blooms had been scorched away and the roses were in full flower. This year I got to see what I really wanted to, the lilacs and azaleas. This weekend they should both be absolutely perfect, but I got a good show!

I tried to take some pics but they didn't turn out very good - my camera battery was flat so I was relying on my phone camera.

Golden Lights Azalea

Azalea of many kinds

The weather was absolutely gorgeous, warm and sunny but with a refreshing breeze. Unfortunately none of my pictures of the lilac came out, but it was the scent of the lilac which was worth the trip. Why is the sense of smell so evocative of time and place? The lilac's scent transported me back to being 7 years old, being in a new house on a new air force camp, and the gardens of the farmers cottages behind our house were full of lilac bushes which I would run and hide in. I love May!