Time to admire...

Just imagine something... You wake up in the morning and go for a walk... just around the block, or perhaps to see what flowers are blooming in the Denver Botanic Garden. Now you move slowly along the trail, looking for flowers and thinking...

 

Burning Bear Trail

This hike had been on my list to do for quite a while. So that morning I woke up and knew I wanted to do it now. I didn't think twice, grabbed my backpack, threw it in the trunk, and headed toward Grant. It was a beautiful morning with almost no traffic, so after an hour or so I turned onto Guanella Pass Road and soon pulled into the parking lot near the trailhead. Well... 8 a.m. in the mountains meant 49°F and... it was chilly! But the views of the distant ridges were simply outstanding! So I didn't think about the temperature for long, grabbed my gear, and headed toward the trail.

 

In Yellow Light...

I believe every season has its favorite flower color. And the closer we get to fall, the more yellow flowers seem to pop up everywhere. Starting around midsummer, yellow becomes one of the dominant colors in the gardens. Or maybe I'm simply imagining it... Maybe it's just my eyes becoming more sensitive to yellow.

 

Walking in circles...

I had this strange dream the other night...
I was wandering around the Denver Botanic Garden looking for the perfect flower.
The problem was...
I had absolutely no idea what the perfect flower was.
I mean, what flower should I call "perfect" and finally end my search?
I had no idea.
So I kept walking in circles, with this strange feeling that I would simply know when I found it. I would see it... and somehow understand.

Well, this one wasn't it. And don't ask me why.

 

Easy morning

The heat dome that brought us days of toasty temperatures finally gave us a break this Tuesday. The morning temperature was just below 60°F, and the forecast promised a pleasant, even cool, day ahead. In fact, the overnight low was well below average and even set a record low for the date. It was a welcome change, even if it would last only a couple of days. And I knew the perfect place to spend a few hours outdoors - wandering along the creek at Lair O' the Bear Park.

 

Once upon a time...

Once upon a time... 

...the queen bee woke up one morning and decided that today was the day. The day she had been dreaming about for a long, long time. The day she would finally leave the hive and see this beautiful world beyond it.

 

In the air... on the ground... in the water...

Whoosh... This cormorant flew way too low over my head and made my jump! On the other hand - it was quite an encounter, and I decided to stay a little longer and watch the birds maneuvering through the sky...

 

Water blooms...

The Monet Pond in the Denver Botanic Garden has never looked more beautiful than it does this summer. Water lilies and lotuses are in full bloom, and they look absolutely stunning. So... let's take a slow walk around the pond and simply admire the blooms, shall we?

 

Misty flowers...

Last Sunday I entered the Denver Botanic Garden and headed straight for the Monet Pond, ignoring all the flowers along the way. I wanted to check on lotus... I was hoping it would be in bloom. And I wasn't disappointed. Not at all! Because the lotus was wide open, basking in the bright morning sunshine...

 

Wild flowers... wild birds...

I really enjoy visiting the Denver Botanic Gardens and watching the flowers change from week to week. It's always such a peaceful and relaxing way to spend a morning, and it's close to home, too :) What many people don't realize is that the Denver Botanic Gardens actually has two locations. As much as I love the York Street gardens, once or twice a year I make a trip to the Chatfield Farms location. It's a little farther away and the experience is completely different (it has nothing to do with a distance though). While the York Street gardens feature one of North America's largest collections of plants from cold temperate climates around the world, Chatfield Farms is known for showcasing plants native to Colorado.

 

One gem. Many facets.

You know, I've done it many times before - dedicating an entire post to just one flower... For some reason (and I honestly have no idea why), it usually ended up being about yellow flowers. You can check them out here - One flower show..., or here - Sunny day... Sunflower day..., or here - One flower show. Code yellow.. So, if I'm going to do it again, maybe it's time to choose a flower that comes in a whole palette of colors. What do you think? And..well... I know I've already showcased water lilies quite a bit over the past few weeks, but they have been absolutely spectacular in the Denver Botanic Garden this year. They're simply impossible to walk past without stopping. So let's begin early in the morning, when the flowers are just beginning to open...

Blooming Pond

The Monet Pond in the Denver Botanic Garden has definitely become one of my favorite places this year. There are so many water lilies! Just look at these leaves... they're almost as colorful as the flowers themselves.

 

What do we do...

What do we do with the drunken sailor?
What do we do with the drunken sailor?
What do we do with the drunken sailor?

Early in the morning!

Way hay and up she rises, 

Way hay and up she rises, 

Way hay and up she rises, 

Early in the morning!

Oops, wrong start! Let's try it again... 

What do we do when we have a day off and it happens to be a Tuesday? Obviously... we wake up early, have a quick breakfast, and drive forty minutes through the morning traffic to reach a trailhead. Not just any trailhead, but the Morrison trailhead of Mount Falcon Park. I hiked this trail a couple of years ago and decided it was time to do it again. Right from the start, the views were stunning, and I had a really good feeling about the day ahead.

 

Water Lilies' Kingdom

I'm not sure I've ever seen so many water lilies in the ponds of the Denver Botanic Garden. There are always plenty of them, but this year feels truly special. And I know, I know... this yellow columbine isn't exactly a water lily :) But let's be honest, there are plenty of other flowers around, and it's hard to walk past them without stopping to snap a photo or two...

 

Bright morning on Barr Lake

What happens when you arrive somewhere before sunrise? Well... you wait... because without light, there is no photography :) But sometimes you can find something else to do while waiting. Perhaps have a bite to eat and fuel yourself for the hike ahead...

 

Sunday morning in Hudson Gardens

Hudson Gardens & Event Center is one of those places where you immediately feel at home. Flowers, ponds, and winding paths give it a cozy and welcoming atmosphere.

 

Quiet morning...

Well, there is nothing better than wandering through the Denver Botanic Garden before it is open to the general public...

 

Columbines in the gardens...

By the end of May, the Denver Botanic Garden is finally in full bloom. Everywhere you look there are bright colors, fresh foliage, and flowers competing for attention. It feels as if the entire garden suddenly woke up and decided to put on a show.

 

Blackbird day

The last time I visited Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge, I didn't see many birds (click here to refresh your memory - Water, trees, birds... animals too ;)). But there were plenty of blackbirds, and last Sunday I fully expected to find them there too ;) So, I started the morning with a walk around Lake Ladora…

 

All the different colors...

Sometimes I am not even sure why I do it again - getting up early and going to Denver Botanic Garden to take another dozen photographs of flowers. The same flowers. Again. But then I remember how beautiful they are in the morning light and... well... I know exactly why I want to do it again :)

 

Mostly irises...

One nice, sunny morning... I was walking along the paths of Denver Botanic Garden, taking pictures of everything bright and beautiful... like these California poppies...

 

It feels like May now

After a crazy February, an even more bizarre March, and a somewhat ordinary April, this spring hasn’t quite felt right. And the snowfall a couple of weeks ago certainly didn’t help. But now… it finally does. Even though many flowers seem to be blooming a little ahead of schedule, everything finally feels as if it’s happening at the right time.

 

Blackbirds... steel birds… all kind of birds...

Cherry Creek State Park is a great place to spend a couple of hours on a Sunday (click here to see a previous hike there from a couple of years ago - Mountains and trees). And it’s an even better place for birdwatching… or simply admiring the mountains :)

 

Sunny morning

Well... not much story to tell. Just a peaceful morning in the Denver Botanic Garden.

 

Water, trees, birds... animals too ;)

That morning, a week ago, turned out to be cold and cloudy. An interesting combination for late April... But by 9am the clouds had parted and blue sky lured me to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge, where I hoped to find something interesting...