Here are some pictures from a visit to Kew Gardens. This is the palm house, a beautiful Victorian building that takes your breath away at any time, but especially when the sun is setting behind it.
You can walk up an iron staircase and walk along the top of the palm house and look down on their amazing collection of palms and tropical plants.
Kew gardens is a nice place to watch the sun go down. 
It's been a while so here's a nice picture of the sky for you.
I've planted some seeds! The window ledge is looking like it's meant to again.
The greenhouse has come back to life too. I've planted up my onion sets before planting out - I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but mine didn't do too well last year so I'll give it a go this way and see what happens.
Planted up the chillies and the greenhouse crops. 
I've used our chilli's from last year so hopefully they'll do well again. There's something nice about the new gardening season, it's a fresh start - new beginnings. Leaving a trail of mud through the house, dirty finger nails and forgetting to put the roast on. 
Our little apple tree has done us proud this year. Snow White couldn't resist these beauties could she? The kids have been going out and picking their own apples off the tree. It's nice to watch. Our green apples aren't doing so well, but there's still quite a good crop, they are just quite small so I think they'll go into pies or for crumbles.
Even though I've been a bit neglectful of the allotment lately there's still a plenty to bring home. I donated some marrows to the allotment shop and hopefully we'll get some more courgettes instead. There are lots and lots of tomatoes down at the allotment all just starting to ripen. 
The chilli's in the greenhouse are doing well.
My greenhouse tomatoes won't ripen though. They don't get enough sun. It's more of a tortoise house than a greenhouse, but come on! Get red! What's the matter with you? You're a tomato, you want to be red. You should be ashamed of yourself - green skin - feel embarrassed. Red! Red! Red! 
We went on the last day of the Tatton Flower Show and we got great weather. I was quite restrained because we were going away the same evening so I knew I wouldn't have chance to do lots of planting. I bought some huge wooden plant labels that I'm going to write and varnish for the allotment and a few plants.
The gardens that I liked best are the ones were the ones with a more natural feel to them.
There were plenty of silly things there that luckily I couldn't carry home on the bus. I did bring back a metal kingfisher though...hmmm.
I was so organised this year that I went round and took photo's of all the plants that I liked. That way I've got the name and what it looks like and I can look up the seeds later. Like this Tomato Soup Echinacea. That's on my list for next year.
The veg stands were amazing as always. 
I think you can take ideas away from all the gardens and adapt them to your own. There seemed to be a lot of plants being built up this year. The drifts of colour were effective too on this one. I'm going to have a go at making lettuce patterns on the allotment next year. See? I was inspired. 
We've made a bird scarer. I don't think it's going to scare off many birds, but it does look good. Amazing what a few plastic bags from the Bargain Booze shop can turn into. No? Oh well.
We made a scarecrow. Isn't it lifelike?
Here he is in all his glory. The Cat in the Allotment. He didn't win a prize, but he's a winner to us.
Look at my beautiful little baby pumpkins. If I don't grow a pumpkin this year then I won't be happy. You're supposed to feed them with beer aren't you? Well, I'm not doing that. Sorry pumpkin, I don't want you that much. 
I won't make stupid jokes about my lovely pear..... it would be childish. Last year we had a grand total of one pear, this year we've got loads! No weird pear tree disease that we had last year either. Hopeful signs, unlike my apples. They've got little peckerty peck marks all over them from the greedy pigeons.
Oh dear oh dear.... Shhhh don't tell my sweetcorn but it is a source of great embarrassment. I'm ashamed of it. There, I've said it. It's pathetic. I tell it I'm proud of it and I hide my secret shame behind a fake smile.
I have inter planted my courgettes with sunflowers - not because my sweetcorn is so dreadful and I'm going to get rid of it, but because will be so aesthetically pleasing when they grow. Oh yes, that's why I've done it.
All my lugging of wood chippings in wheel barrows has paid off and my paths are looking good. The wood chip pile was smoking this morning - yes on fire!!!! I put it out. I'm like a super hero path maker. Putting out fires and building paths and before I'd even had my lunch. All in a days work.
I like it when the perennial sunflowers come out. It cheers me up.
The poppies are nice too.
I've got baby pumpkins! I'm so proud. I'm glowing. Aren't they beautiful, my little babies. Don't tell the sweetcorn it will only get jealous.... 
This garden is called 'Grass' by Tony Smith. It was quite striking - if you like grass. The square in the middle is dug out and has a sunken seated area - made of flowers - no, don't be silly - made of grass. It's about sustainability and the way that we use grass these days. Do you use grass?
These people know how to use colour and contrast. I just chuck stuff in - nature doesn't clash right? Some of the stands are artistic perfection.
The wonderful Monty Don was there filming for Gardeners World. We hid from the cameras and watched from the edge. He's even got his red braces on. Hail the Don! Hail the Don!
We collect guitars in our house. Every one with its own specific purpose of getting in my way. They had a great idea of using them for planters....I have this idea filed away under 'Spring Cleaning'.
See what I mean? Look at this - some neater Aliums that mine in the Floral Marque.
The Delphiniums in all their glory. Mine always get slugged.
I'll try again with them next year. They are too nice to give up on. 
Some people don't like fox gloves in our house, but it was pointed out that 'you can't have a cottage garden without them' and it's right. How can you not like these? I'm planting some next year - shhhhhh don't tell and nobody will notice.
Fancy them letting a live gorilla in. You'd think it would be dangerous. He just stayed up there like a statue - amazing.
The carnivorous plants are always a bit Tim Burtonesque. On the way out we saw an old man and his wife with bags of them - you can't always trust the old timers - vicious streak well hidden under all that beige clothing.
The orange and reds in this garden were so vivid and vibrant they were like fire. Yes! Fire!
Nice roses - I saw a purple/blue one but it was gone when I went back for it. Next time Mr. Rose you will be mine.
What are these called? I've forgotten - they have them abroad - the ones from abroad we'll call them.
'Simple Elements' by Stephen Cobb. A garden to be viewed rather than used. The different elements representing fire, water, earth and wind. Far too neat and tidy for me to recreate, but I like the idea of living sculpture. We should have more of it.
This one is 'Remember the Dream' by Yvonne Mathews in honour of Macmillan Cancer suppot. There is a wishing pool and a place to sit and dream. It was a mass of pinks roses and clematis leading to the swing where you can reflect and breath in the scent of lavender and sweet peas. Every hospital should have one of these gardens.
The bonsai trees are always incredible at these shows. 
They are like little works of art.
I like aliums. Hurrah for aliums. They are kind of fun.
This is the garden that Monty was filming in. He mentioned the combination of flowers and vegetables together. This is probably how my allotment should look and if I had more space it would do. It's got to be the best way to trick the naughty pigeons and to attract the good bug eaters. 
Fancy a sit down? I'd pinch this idea if i had a big garden. It would be really easy to do. There should be more of this too. Why don't they put some of these in the parks? I'm always tempted into doing some gorilla gardening when I look around our boring town. I don't think I'd get away with this recreating this one though...
We stumbled upon Joe Swift in The Bodgery garden designed by Chris Myers.
What is a Bodger? They make parts for chair makers but never the whole thing - hence an unfinished job becoming known as a bodged job. This fella with a beard is the bodger that inspired the garden. He does that job for real - in real life. I liked the little hut built in the hillside with the smoke coming out of the top and the workman in his rural setting turning the wood. Natural and scruffy - like me. Well scruffy like me. Not sure why the scarecrow was advertising back supports though - oh well.
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