Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Taking A Winter Stroll In A Garden

I went by the Canadian Museum of Nature a couple of weeks back on a grey day, because I wanted to photograph the Landscapes Of Canada Gardens in winter conditions. I will do so again at some point in the spring. This is the main entrance, still marked with the building's original name, the Victoria Memorial Museum. The building combines Gothic Revival and Scottish baronial styles, and looks very much like a castle.


I went in reverse of my usual course this time, starting with the mammoth family. The Mammoth Steppe is one of four ecosystems represented here, along with Prairie Grasslands, Arctic Tundra, and Boreal Forest, each featuring plants from those ecosystems planted along the path. This time of year, the plants are dormant, mostly buried beneath the snow.


The path leads beneath this large sculpture of an iceberg. This was done by Bill Lishman, the Canadian artist, naturalist, and inventor whose achievements include an ultra light glider he used to guide geese on migrations. His story was adapted for the film Fly Away Home, and I took these shots after the news came out that Lishman passed away of leukemia just before the new year.


As you can see, the plants are mostly buried beneath the snow this time of year. That's certainly true of the grasslands area, as well as low lying plants in the boreal forest area, but not the trees. 


A couple of days later, I returned, but this time to the east side of the property, where a pair of statues of mother and baby dinosaurs can be found. These are of the species chasmosaurus irvinensis.

35 comments:

  1. ...wonderful sculpture garden.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think you may have taken us here before? In any event, it's a stunning place - and a visionary idea.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice to see elephants in the snow :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I wish I knew what that font was on the museum's facade.

    Janis
    GDP

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello, the sculptures are awesome. Great exhibit. Happy Wednesday, enjoy your day!

    ReplyDelete
  6. @Tom: yes it is.

    @Mike: yes, last time in the fall.

    @Marianne: they're well suited to the snow.

    @Janis: it is a fancy one.

    @Eileen: thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'd love to wander round there and see those sculpture gardens. I haven't been to Ottawa for a long time so perhaps this is the year for a field trip.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Those animals look quite content to be out there in the snow.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Neat idea to show the grounds in different seasons. I was in the museum in the 60's and found it very dark inside.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love the animal and iceberg sculptures.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Everything looks lovely in the snow.

    ReplyDelete
  12. @Shammickite: it's well worth visiting again. I think I'll do a tour inside the museum sometime soon. I'll need to fill some time in March and April in this blog after Winterlude and before the Tulip Festival, and museums are good for that.

    @Marie: it was beautifully done.

    @Sharon: they seem quite at home.

    @Red: I only started visiting the museum after their extensive renovations that ended in 2010, so I don't really know what it was like before. I love what's been done with it.

    @Nancy: I do as well.

    @Lois: it does!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Very cool! I like the iceberg sculpture very much.

    ReplyDelete
  14. love those windows and front doors. awesome!!! so cool. ( ;

    ReplyDelete
  15. Love sculptures ~ such talent and wonderful wintry photos!

    Happy Week to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

    ReplyDelete
  16. A lovely museum and garden. I look forward to your spring visits, too!

    ReplyDelete
  17. It was sad to hear of Bill Lishman's passing. He was a real talent and seemed to be a nice guy.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Um belo trabalho fotográfico, gostei bastante.
    Um abraço e continuação de boa semana.

    Andarilhar
    Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
    Livros-Autografados

    ReplyDelete
  19. Surprised they let those woolies roam around in the garden. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  20. @Jenn: I do as well.

    @Beth: it is quite an impressive entrance.

    @Carol: thanks!

    @Jeanie: I enjoy this museum.

    @RedPat: that's the impression I had of him. An extraordinary fellow.

    @Francisco: thank you!

    @Revrunner: they're well behaved. :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Nice to see the different animal sculptures in winter now.
    The 6th photo of the iceberg with the museum in the background is my favorite.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Very nice with all the snow. My favorite is the iceberg.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Winter dormancy. It's a good thing there are nice sculptures about or it might risk looking a bit like an empty lot.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Did you show us this place before...it looks familiar and I remember being quite impressed with it at the time?

    ReplyDelete
  25. The Iceberg is one of the few modern sculptures that I like. It has a power all of its own. It's creator was a man with more than just art in his soul.

    ReplyDelete
  26. @Jan: it's quite different from the last time I featured this area.

    @Bill: the snow is a lovely touch for the spot.

    @Kay: it could! The plants certainly aren't showing themselves at present.

    @Lowell: yes, back in the fall was the last time. I like going through for another run of photos once a season.

    @Mari: it does stand out well.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Love that Heffalump in your second picture. Yes, it is.

    ReplyDelete
  28. The Canadian Museum of Nature is the most wonderful building William, it makes such a fabulous backdrop to your shots above.

    ReplyDelete