Bee Harvests Pollen at the Botanical Garden in Copenhagen, Denmark

During an idyllic afternoon at the Botanical Garden in Copenhagen, Denmark, I found this bee harvesting pollen from the flowers. The garden is located in the center of the city, on 24 acres of rolling landscape. Part of the Natural History Museum of Denmark, the goal of the Botanical Garden in Copenhagen is to add to the knowledge and understanding of the diversity of the vegetable and fungi kingdom. The centerpiece of the park is the 1874 Palm House, a Victorian era glass greenhouse that perches atop a small hill. I entered the Palm House from a side entrance and made my way through scores of segmented rooms, stopping in the central rotunda to climb the old cast-iron spiral staircase for a view from above.

From the rotunda I stepped outside for a sweeping view of the outdoor gardens, descending via a monumental staircase to a pretty circular fountain. After spending several hours strolling the grounds, I had barely scratched the surface. The gardens are organized into sections that contain more than 13,000 species. And I got completely distracted when I came upon these huge clusters to flowers, where bees of all different sizes and colors were harvesting pollen. I was so mesmerized that I failed to notice that thick grey clouds were gathering overhead. Even when the first fat drops splashed on my camera, I kept shooting. Finally, I looked up and realized I was about to be caught in a downpour. I quickly put away my gear and rushed for the exit, but not soon enough. Just in time, I ducked under a tree with broad leaves that became my substitute umbrella. The rain cloaked everything in mist and muted the colors. It was ethereal, as if I’d been transported into the center of a pointillist painting.