My indulgent family and I took the Tube to Kew Gardens (officially, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) while in London last month. I could easily have spent the whole day there, but we had only about 4 or 5 hours, so I had to pick and choose among the various gardens and hope we didn’t miss anything spectacular.

Speaking of spectacular, the Great Broad Walk Borders made for a gorgeous start to our explorations. Only two years old, this long, colorful double border studded with pyramidal yews draws you along a promenade between the Palm House, one of two grand glasshouses, and the Orangery.

In mid-June, swaths of purple-flowering perennials mingled with green foliage, punctuated with jolts of yellow and red. A collection of magnificent trees lines the border and keeps the eye from wandering.

The white Orangery building, which houses a restaurant, peeks over ‘Rozanne’ geranium, allium, and Jerusalem sage.

Allium looks like purple sparklers.

Even more so when it goes to seed.

Each plant is arranged in a ribbon that arcs through the bed, creating distinct color blocks.

The colors were vibrant on this cloudy day.

I wasn’t the only one photographing. Also, I adore those clipped yew pyramids.

More alliums, with the orange Kew Palace visible in the background.

Jerusalem sage in my own Texas garden finished blooming in April, but in cool London it was in full flower in mid-June.

I like this color combo of tan, yellow, and purple.

Reds look good with it too.

I’m not familiar with this burgundy, pincushion-like flower, but I love it. Update: It’s likely Cirsium rivulare (thanks for the ID, Alison.)

It looks lovely with butter-yellow Jerusalem sage against an evergreen backdrop.

A closeup

Jerusalem sage flower clusters remind me of a shrimp cocktail.

OK, this combo is perfection.

A salvia stream flowing through the border reminds me of the salvia river at Lurie Garden in Chicago.

Purple and gold

‘Indian Summer’ alstroemeria looks like azalea.

A tall grass with a see-through inflorescence stands out amid frothy chartreuse blooms.

Yellow yarrow, steely blue eryngium, and burgundy leaves — nice.

Pinecone-topped tuteurs support pink roses at the entrance to another path.

Behind the Palm House, a rose garden was in full mid-June bloom.

I’ve never liked rose gardens — I prefer roses mixed with other plants — but the roses do look very happy.

You could sure make a lot of bouquets here.

They smelled divine.

Apricot rose…

…and a matching apricot bill and feet on this goose at the pond in front of Palm House. Just because.

We ducked under the low branches of a purple beech on our way to The Hive, a buzzy art installation I’ll share in my next post.

Coming up next: Kew’s The Hive art installation and pollinator meadow. For a look back at London’s lovely parks and Tower of London, click here.

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