Of Flowers and Bees Pt. 3 - Farmleigh (again)

Some more pictures taken on a different date in Farmleigh, Pheonix Park (circa 2 weeks ago)... Click on thumbnails to magnify!

(I don't know which species these are, but they certainly look like anemonae, in a deep blue sea, and not something you would usually expect in a garden!)


(There is a rose garden in Farmleigh, and I love their texture and the spiral formed by the petals, like an ephemeral, colourful mandala)



(Once again, my favourites: bergamots and cute bees. I have included magnifications of the bees on each photograph. You can clearly see their shiny coats and beady eyes)


(This is a different, skniier type of bee, working on a yellow flower whose name I ignore. Not as cute as the bergamot ones...)


(Mark certainly took this picture, for I would be unable to focus here. If you magnify it, you will clearly see the spider webs shining at the sunlight. I think it is very pretty...)

Of Flowers and Bees Pt. 2 - Farmleigh

I love spending an afternoon in Farmleigh, Phoenix Park. We usually go there in the weekends, looking for lovely flowers, herbs and trees to photograph. I enjoy that a lot.

What I love the most are the bees. They are always flying all over the bergamot flowers, which they seem to especially enjoy. One may even call them nasty bugs, since they sting and so on. But I could not care less, for they are always busy buzzing carelessly away, oblivious to my presence and the camera, with their light little fluffy bodies and delicate wings. At least in those moments they seem absolutely harmless, flying around in their yellow and black stripy furry pyjamas, so focused in their feeding activities that photographing them may even seem like an easy task - as if they were striking a pose just for you! Yes, they are cute. And yes, bergamot flowers smell really, really sweet...

As before, click on thumbnails for a magnified view...

The yellow flower is a begonia...


Sunflowers...



Lots of pink dahlias...




The one on the left looks like artichoke. Could that be it?

And finally, the bergamots with some of my beloved busy bees!

Of Flowers and Bees Pt. 1 - Ballina

These pictures were taken in Mark's parents Caravan park, Belleek Park, in Ballina, co. Mayo, just some months ago. Now, I am obsessing with taking pictures of plants. Flowers. Bees (these, whenever possible!). Nature in general. Most of the time (98% of the time, to be precise), I don't even know the name of the flower. Or even if that insect is a bee or a bumblebee or a wasp. But I enjoy it nonetheless, in all my ignorant bliss.

As always, click on thumbnails for detail...

(The above are from the chestnut tree in the Park, so, chestnut flowers!)


(The bright purple one at the left is a pansy for sure!)


(This baby looks like a hydrangea, but may not be one...)