Bonsai Trees

Photos: April 6, 2016

Yesterday at the Botanical Gardens we walked through the greenhouse that holds a number of bonsai trees. It is hard to imagine the care and expertise needed to nurture these specimens. This is a 40 year old Chinese Peashrub.



This Gingko is just coming into leaf again. I'll have to make a point of going back to see what it is like when the foliage is full.



(Above - a Japanese Maple - 65 years old)  I'm fascinated by the art of bonsai. It takes a lot of skill and patience. This site has a lot of information. It's interesting to see the trees undergoing seasonal changes.



This Bald Cypress is also 65 years old. How many people have been responsible for its care? On the site mentioned above, there are photos of bonsais that are 800 years old and older. It is hard to imagine the succession of people who have nurtured them - through all kinds of upheaval (political, weather...) until now. They are works of love and devotion.

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As the above photos were taken yesterday (as were my butterflies, I figured I should include one photo from today



We have had snow and rain since our visit to the Botanical Gardens yesterday. It is April; it will melt, but in the meantime I prefer to sit with my back to the dreary weather and think again of butterflies and bonsais.

Solitude

Photo: May 31, 2014

It is interesting to me that you can take something out of context and have it tell a totally different story. I look at this image and feel a sense of solitude - of peace, of quiet. Out of sight are the baby ducklings, the other visitors to the Botanical Gardens... But sitting and watching this duck did give me a sense of peace and calm. So maybe the picture doesn't lie!

At the Montreal Botanical Gardens

Photos: May 31, 2014

A friend and I took our cameras to the Botanical Gardens. I just bought myself a monopod and wanted to see what it was like shooting with it and I have a new small camera - wanted to put it through its paces - shooting both automatic and manually. A learning day - but also a day of delight. The Botanical Garden's new slogan is Hurry Up and Slow Down - and slow down we did - stopping to admire the flora and fauna in the outdoor gardens.







Many varieties of irises were blooming. Their intricate shapes and patterns just had to be admired.



The peonies were just coming into their own.



Their bright interiors called to the insects to come and spread their pollen



Turtles were out sunning. Their stillness reminds us to stop and wait for treasures to come along.



New life abounds. Dozens of ducklings paddled around the pond, their little feet pumping at a good clip.



Bird songs serenaded our visit. This redwing blackbird stopped to sing out, puffing himself up to get maximum volume.



One less insect - one well-fed grackle.

Last year David Suzuki started a 30 X 30 challenge - for 30 days spend at least 30 minutes in nature.

From the web site: "Over the last decade, researchers have realized what most of us know intuitively: nature is good for us! It is well documented that being regularly immersed in a natural setting, like a park, field or forest, can lower blood pressure, anxiety and stress levels, and boost immunity. ‘Green time’ has also been shown to reduce feelings of anger and depression, while increasing energy, creativity and even generosity."

I can attest to the benefits - so Hurry up and Slow Down in nature - it does a world of good.

Bonsai

Bonsai II, originally uploaded by susanvg.

On the way into the greenhouse that housed the butterfly exhibit, I passed through an area with a number of bonsais. The Montreal Botanical Gardens has a large collection of bonsais, some hundreds of years old. Each pot is a world in miniature.



It takes much loving care to nurture these trees into this size and these shapes. Many of the bonsais in Montreal are only available for viewing from May to October. I'll have to make another visit to see more of the collection.