Kew does have a 'train' for those who prefer not to walk or experience rainfall - more specifically the 'Kew Explorer' people mover. But if I were you I'd bring a sturdy brolly and poncho and stick it out in the open - you'll soon forget the wet for all the amazing plants. Should conditions really deteriorate the northern end of the park offers denser tree cover. In any case indoors is arguably just as fascinating as outdoors at Kew. If you do get to see behind the scenes, don't get waylaid by mucky horticulturalists or weird herbarium people - the real jewels of Kew are to be found amongst the Jodrell research staff... jokes! :oP

Claire, my Rhode Island Reds survive the winter nicely in the milk house part of our old dairy barn, the cattle and horses have free range of the bottom part, they come and go in the winter as they please. None of it is heated, so they do require fresh water daily in the winter because it freezes but there is no heat source. I am considering getting a heated waterer so they don't have to be watered twice a day. That's why I have Rhode Island Reds, they can nicely survive Michigan's winter as long as they have shelter. They even go outside on sunny winter days and run about in the snow. In fact, I don't know anyone that has a heated chicken coop or barn. We do have a pond and in the winter a full 100 gallon stock tank with a heater so the water is always "open", but I've never had a chicken drown, or even go into the tank or the pond, so I don't think you have to worry about your chickens drowning either. The biggest issue with chickens running about free in a yard is predators. Everything from the neighbor's dogs to coyotes, hawks, fox. Skunks like to sneak into the coop and steal eggs. For the protection of my own personal flock they only are allowed to run about while I'm there to supervise (and besides, they peck only the ripe tomatoes if they are unsupervised in the garden) and they are always locked into their coop at night when they go inside to roost. All of mine are tame enough to be picked up and will run into their fenced enclosure if I pick up a bucket and call them, so it's easy enough to keep them confined when I'm not there to protect them. Annie

I'm going to come back and read this more carefully later... but for now, WOW! I'm scanning through these photos and all I can think is your neighbors must be incredibly envious! Either that, or they are benefiting from all your hosta when you have to split them. You must have a huge yard! And I'm so embarrassed that I DID buy some hosta from The Home Depot just yesterday to give myself something pretty to look at while my hosta all recover from back-to-back hail storms. I'll get myself to a nursery tomorrow and get some "proper" hostas. Stunning. Spectacular. Gorgeous. Incredible. LOVE everything about your gardens. Thanks for sharing such inspiring photos!

I am so sorry that I missed it, Robo! I initially signed up to "attend" your virtual baby shower (and did contribute), but this Saturday morning instead found myself in our car heading from our rented house on the Oregon Coast up to tour some other cute beach towns north of us. I was outvoted by my DH, Sis and BIL, who were anxious to get an early start. I'm so glad it went well and that you had a fun time, though.