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...

 

So let's pause here and there as we make our way toward the Monet Pond and simply take in everything beautiful around us ;)

...and once we reach the pond, let's slow down. We're in no rush, after all. Let's really look at the flowers instead of merely glancing at them.

I really liked this cluster of lilies, along with the reflections of the sculptures installed in the middle of the pond :)

And... yeah... this is also the time of year when waterfowl are raising the next generation, and tiny ducklings begin gliding across the water in search of something to gobble up.

...and let's not forget about the predators! Zipping left to right and right to left just above the surface, searching for prey.

Let's step away from the pond for a moment and take a look at what is growing just beyond the water's edge. Beautiful roses and purple coneflowers kept me busy for quite a while :)

These foxtail lilies attracted dozens of bees, and it was impossible not to try capturing them as they collected nectar.

A large patch of yellow coneflowers attracted even more bees...

...and not only bees ;) Just look who I found crawling on the shaded side of one flower.

But I couldn't stay away from the water for long. I kept returning to admire the lilies - pure white, bright red, and every shade in between.

Then, just a few steps away, the yellow columbines held me hostage for another ten minutes, followed by yet more coneflowers.

And the first thing I noticed upon returning to the pond was this dragonfly hovering above the water, patiently waiting for something.

Aren't they wonderful creatures? They're as fast as lightning, darting around like tiny jet skis.

Let's take another short detour from the water lilies to admire some daylilies.

And then... back to the water. More lilies and more dragonflies.

Foxtail lily again, and, of course, another bee :)

It was a pleasure wandering back and forth, zigzagging between the pond and the garden paths, shifting my attention from water lilies to ducklings, from dragonflies to flowers, and back again.

I loved watching this little brave guy... sure the mother was somewhere nearby, but it seemed perfectly fine exploring on its own. It never looked back, making wide circles, diving, gliding, finding food, and learning how to survive.

And then there were more bright flowers...

Let's take one last look at the water lilies (and I only captured a small number of them that day) before calling it a day and leaving...

...and on my way back, I stopped once more at the same yellow columbine that opened this story. Well, two hours later it didn't look any different, but something stopped me there and... I simply snapped another photo, the last one of that day ;)

Photos taken on June 13, 2026