All the attention at the Chicago Botanic Garden has been centered around the Titan Arum or Corpse Flower, fondly called "Spike," that is about to bloom.  You can read about it on the CBG website and even follow a 24/7 webcam so you know when the flower is blooming.  Like expectant parents we wait, but it should happen any day, any hour now. It has brought many crowds to the Garden to watch the flower as it grows and progresses toward blooming. Meanwhile there are many things that continue to bloom at the Garden. In my frequent visits to check Spike, I continue to enjoy the beautiful water lilies in bloom in the Heritage Garden.  This week I was lucky to catch a lotus in bloom.  This 'Perry's Giant Sunburst' lotus has bloomed several times already but, unless you are there the day it blooms, you will miss it.  They are spectacularly beautiful but are usually at their peak for photographing for one day. Not only was the flower in peak bloom but it was a nice overcast day, perfect for photographing aquatic blooms.

'Perry's Giant Sunburst' Lotus   'Perry's Giant Sunburst' Lotus