Ottawa’s Centretown neighbourhood is a mix of the old and new. A lot of old houses and apartments have avoided the wrecker’s ball and are a source of much of my photography. The garden in the first photo is one I return to throughout the warmer months, I like its untended look. The elements in the balcony garden look carefully chosen, a little oasis in the city.
There’s just something about yellow flowers in springtime!
Despite the heat, I just felt cooler looking at the plant growing in the shade. Its common name is Bleeding Heart, not a name I would have chosen for such an attractive plant.
I liked the effect the breeze had on the tulips, it almost looked like they were dancing.
In an older part of town many of the houses were built of brick. I liked the play of light and shadow on the red brick and the fringe of green the unopened tulips formed.
When I saw this beautiful tree I pointed my lens up to fill the frame. I believe it’s a Forsythia, if not please let me know. No doubt about the daffodil, an annual spring favourite.
After a long winter, the temperature is warming up! The ground is coming to life again and there’s something to savour everywhere you look.
With the temperature struggling to get out of the single digits, I thought I’d retrieve a warm weather scene; perfect for a grey day in late March.
The metallic green sweat bee was working its way along the flower. As small as they are they’re easy to notice with that dazzling colour. It’s day one of spring and I impatiently wait for the first flowers and bees to emerge.
As the calendar slowly moves towards spring, scenes like this are getting closer.
With winter slowly moving along, I thought a warm weather scene was in order. I liked the untamed look of the sunflowers so I let them fill the frame and didn’t crop the shot.
This single poppy stood out among the other flowers in the garden so I gave it centre stage.
These sunflowers were still in fine shape in late October. Our fall was relatively mild which gave the flowers longer to shine.
The wind had dislodged the abandoned nest but a limb had snagged it giving me a chance to admire its workmanship. Queen Anne’s Lace is also known as Bird’s Nest and I can see why.
I thought it unusual not to see an ant on the peony buds. But the fly was colourful so I took the photo. In processing, I noticed an ant; it’s upside down on the upper bud.
If I could choose I’d have the ground covered in flower petals rather than snow 😏.
I took these photos earlier in the month. Hard to believe as the temperature today is struggling to reach double digits 😏.
On a walk last week, hoping to take some landscapes, I noticed this pretty bunch of daisies. As I moved closer I saw this wasp-like insect as well as a number of bees on the flowers. I didn’t have an ideal lens for insects but I took a couple of photos anyway. I imagine one of my last insect photos this year.
I enjoy photographing the seed heads of Queen Anne’s Lace. Their structure is a delicate marvel.
We have quite a few Community Gardens in the city. I saw these flowers growing next to a vegetable patch. Their bold colours caught the sun rather nicely.
It didn’t look like there was too much goodness left in the flower but the bee had other ideas!
The Japanese Beetle had a tenuous grip on the dahlia but managed to right itself. They are attractive beetles but are destructive and feed on a large variety of plants. No friend to gardeners!
The early bee gets the pollen. One of the first bees I saw this year on a wild rose.
Violets are delicate looking but are really quite hardy. These garden flowers form a natural bouquet. I thought I’d add the clematis to continue with the purple theme.
There’s something very peaceful about watching water lilies float on the water’s surface, I was kind of hoping for a frog to come along too but not that day.
These sunflowers were growing in a shady spot facing the river but the sun found them anyway.
This building was a neighourhood grocery a long time ago. It’s divided into apartments now. Its brick facade is a favourite stage of mine to showcase its wildflower garden. I stop by regularly, all year round.
I could have cropped in closer but I thought the flowers and the bee shared the stage.
It’s been a good summer for bees. This sweat bee or halictid bee was one of three different varieties I saw in the space of a few minutes. More to come…
Summertime and so many flowers. Some bolder than others.
The old house that once stood on this lot was torn down many years ago. The land hasn’t been developed and is enclosed by a mesh fence which I shot through. I was struck by the sunflowers standing tall. They continue to flower and give pleasure to anyone that passes by.
Cabbage White on the fly.
A nice pair, they complement each other.
Coneflowers in summer, a welcoming sight.
There are many old homes with pretty gardens in this downtown neighbourhood. Turning the corner I noticed these little green visitors that added a bit of whimsy to the mix.
The coneflowers caught the sun while most of the garden was still in shade. At a different time of the day the light would have been more balanced but then I don’t think the picture would have been as interesting.
These are rudbeckia, commonly known as black-eyed susans. I caught them as they danced on the breeze.
I like to watch bees as they fly between the flowers. Unlike other insects, they’re not scared off easily or bothered by my presence.
I noticed the blue graffiti on the door frame earlier in spring. When I passed by recently and saw the day lilies I knew I had my picture.
The first flower peeked out of the long grass, its stem bent by a recent rain. I thought the shadow added interest to the tiny flower below.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 