Tag Archives: Parc de la Tête d’Or

So Many Flowers

Each visit to our nearby Parc de la Tête d’Or brings a new wave of spring flowers to delight in. Our walks are filled with little detours as I wander across the grass to investigate a hint of purple here and a flash of yellow there.

A sea of daffodils

Crocuses

Violets

The shaded grass beneath the trees is riddled with delicate violets.

Pink flowers

Hyacinths

Hyacinths. These are one of the first flowers I remember growing as a child.

Red tulips

These red tulips stood out amongst the predominantly purple and yellow colour palette.

A Hint of Spring

First spring flowers poke through the grass

The first spring bulbs are starting to appear in the Parc de la Tete d’Or.

Poppy Progression

Near the bee nesting boxes in the Parc de la Tête d’Or, there is a field. What first appeared to be an unremarkable patch of grass, has undergone the most amazing transformation over the past few months.

A field of white flowers

As summer arrived, a striking mass of red poppies erupted. And now, the poppies have gone to seed, to be replaced by these more subdued white flowers.

March: the bare field

June: so many poppies

August: the poppies are replaced by white flowers

Water Birds in Parc de la Tête d’Or

The Parc de la Tête d’Or seems to have an infinite variety of things to see. Between our morning runs and evening strolls, we spend hours in the park each week, and we regularly stumble upon new areas to explore.

These water birds in the wetland area caught my attention recently.

A lone herron

Flamingoes feeding

Ducks nesting in the evening light

Bee Nesting Boxes in Parc de la Tête d’Or

For a while now, the idea of one day keeping bees has been growing in my mind. So, when I caught a passing glimpse of some bee hives in a corner of Parc de la Tête d’Or, I was keen to go back for a closer look.

Bee nesting shelters in Parc de la Tete d'Or

Bee nesting shelters in Parc de la Tête d'Or

As it turns out, they are not bee hives, but nesting boxes to encourage wild bees. A series of shelters each holds nine boxes filled with different nesting materials- twigs, hollow bamboo, logs with holes drilled in them, and blocks of clay. These bee shelters are part of the UrbanBees Project.

Different nesting materials in bee shelters

Drilled logs in a bee nesting box

I didn’t see any bees while I was there, but I’m hopeful they may appear as summer approaches.

First Signs of Spring

This weekend has brought the first signs of spring in Lyon.

Daffodils in the grass

Yesterday afternoon was perfect for a walk in the park; the sun was shining, and it was warm enough not to need a coat. We headed to Parc de la Tête d’Or and were greeted by the first spring flowers poking up through the grass.

A purple flower in the grass

Emerging daffodils

Megan Miln

Adventures in life.