Seeds in the wind

Not many flowers are still in bloom along the banks of the river, but the potential for next year's flowers is already there.

Dandelion seed head in November

Dandelions by the river in May

Dandelions are much in evidence around the time of the Ottawa Tulip Festival (in May), so much so that Kemptville in the township of North Grenville, further up the Rideau River, hosts a rival Dandelion Festival.

Milkweed seed head

The pods of the milkweed plants, once empty of seeds, can serve as pretty Christmas decorations in a vase or doorway plant pot. In people's gardens, these plants are often seen as invasive nuisances, weeds that are hard to eradicate. However, the flowers of the milkweed are famous for attracting the Monarch butterflies that migrate here all the way from Mexico. I'm afraid their numbers are diminishing, so they need all the help they can get.