JUST BEYOND YOUR NOSE (Mark)

The 10 Acre Arboretum and botanical garden is administered by North Carolina State University.

What you are going to see in this post is the macro level, just beyond your nose, snapshots I found interesting.

I really like how the new growth above is completely white before it spreads out to become a leaf.  I also was interested in the structure of the fully formed leaf.  (Editor's Note:  I took the white to be the "blossom."  We didn't get any information about the plant, so it will remain a mystery to us.)

You could sit by this tree in the shade and look at the beautiful colors of the trunk, contrasted with the greenery behind it, for a long time:

If you get your face right up to the bark you see the patterns emerging:

As we were winding through the Japanese Garden I was taking a picture of a larger structure when Cheri alerted me to the lichen growing on the roof:

A number of areas at the Arboretum have been planted to be pollination zones, and they really do attract the insects.  If you know the names of any of the butterflies or bees please let me know.

The patterns on this one are just stunning:

When this next little butterfly was anywhere near greenery he just disappeared.  Luckily he landed on some bark and was sunning himself long enough for me to get a portrait.

There are over 250 different types of bumblebees.  Although they do not produce honey, they are essential pollinators for fruits and vegetables.

This one was so fat that small flowers bowed under his weight when he landed:

This is another much smaller variety.  If you look closely you can see some of the purple coloring in the wings:

(Another Editor's Note:  I looked this up.  It's a passiflora, or passion flower.  Annie's Annuals sells a stunning purple-and-white version.)

The red and white of this flower makes me think of a cheery diner!

The vibrant colors here made me think of California wildfires:

If you are in Raleigh and have any time at all I would advise you to take a walk in the Arboretum.  If you do visit, see if you can find this little guy.  If I spread out my hand I could cover him up:

When Cheri’s mom was alive she could spot a purple flower from a mile away.  She would have loved being here.