Randoms from a quick visit to the Ornamental Gardens

Monday. First visit of the season to see what's new, what's growing at the moment. Disappointed to see the Japanese Maple is gone from the fountain area. The tulips have just come up -- quite a few have opened, but it looks like most will open within the next few days. The blossoms on the trees have just started -- only a few buds here and there. Some of the lilacs have budded as well. On the whole though, things are just getting started. It's nice to see all the green!

Warmth through photos

As I write this post, it is -22C (-8F) with windchill.



So as long as I don't go outside, I can pretend that the sun coming through the windows means that warm breezes are blowing, flowers are growing and bees are buzzing.

Though the winds are keen and chill
Roses' hearts are beating still,
And the garden tranquilly
Dreams of happy hours to be;
In the summer days of blue
All its dreamings will come true.

~ From Lucy Maud Montgomery's The Garden in Winter

And now for some colour...

... from the cleome patch.





Taken at the Ornamental Gardens this past summer.

Torch lily and guest

I took these photos back in September at the Ornamental Gardens. From afar, what I thought looked like oddly shaped and coloured stamens and anthers, was actually the rear end of a hornet sticking out of a Torch lily flower.



Here's a full view of the few remaining blooms at the time:

Autumn leaves

Another tree at the Ornamental Gardens (another Euonymus bungeanus I think). This one was bright red, peach, orange and yellow, with hints of green.

Fall leaves and berries

I took a few photos of this stand of trees at the Ornamental Gardens yesterday. I did a bit of searching and I think this is Euonymus bungeanus, but not 100% sure. The colours of the leaves are peach, rose, yellow and green.



The seeds stand out as well - bright red berries inside pink shells.







A full view:



And looking up again (thanks Scott!):







I love this time of year.

Beautiful light

The clouds were a giant softbox today at the Ornamental Gardens. Lots of light, lots of rich colour, lots of critters.

Bee up close

On Russian sage. From the Ornamental Gardens. Photo on left taken last year, photo on right taken last week.

Colours

The beginning of the end of summer.

Bees and Russian sage

From the Ornamental Gardens earlier today. I didn't spend as much time exploring as I had planned (the humidity, oh the humidity) but I did get to check out the organic garden and the cleome patch.