The summer of 2026 in New York City was hot and wet and barely tolerable unless I was sitting in air-conditioning. But on the livable days when the sun came out, I took my camera all over the city and took as many flower photos as I could. From July 18 through September 18, I trolled the gardens I found on Governors Island and in Ft. Tryon Park, Green-Wood Cemetery, Riverside Park and Central Park. And whenever I could, I tried to photograph the bees, butterflies, dragonflies and even a ladybug while snapping the dahlias, asters, roses, sunflowers and other floral exquisiteness.
Dahlia, Riverside Park, September 5
I went through the photos and included 58 of my favorites in a video set to Chopin, since I find it quite relaxing to spend a few minutes remembering how beautiful and interesting the world can be. This blog post includes many of these photos, and more can be found on my Spring and Summer Flowers 2026 and Bugs and Butterflies pages.
Clouded yellow butterfly, Governors Island, September 18
A bee at Ft. Tryon, July 18
A ladybug in Central Park, September 5
I was especially taken with the dahlias I saw this year. This slide show has some I saw in Riverside Park, Central Park and Governors Island.
Here are a few more butterflies in a slide show, with cabbage whites, monarchs and skippers, plus a dragonfly. The shots were taken in Central Park and on Governors Island.
Here are more fun blooms from the Summer of 2026. Do I know the names of all of these? Nope, I do not. For now, let’s just call them “pretty flowers.”
