oooo....bonsai

Lookie, lookie. I'm officially blogging on a regular basis. Why? Because I love you.

And because I loved our visit to the U.S. National Arboretum on Saturday. Did you know such a place existed? If you're a gardening or bonsai junkie like Chris or you just enjoy pretty plants and scenery like me, this is a D.C. must-see. Plus, with free admission and atypically light crowds, I can't think of a better way to spend a mild weekend afternoon (Note to Arboretum: Please send my endorsement check ASAP so I can invest in my personal garden.)

Besides yellow, guess what color I'm currently adoring?

Lilly ponds near the visitor's center were gorgeous. Did you know the water is dyed black to keep moss growth at a minimum? Yep, I'm a responsible visitor--I read the signs.

The Lilly ponds also housed a burgeoning population of hungry Koi fish.

We spent two hours wandering through the American, Japanese and Chinese bonsai gardens. My zen or feng shui or namaste or whatever feels much more aligned.

The curvature of this tree reminds of me of the azalea bonsai Chris created.
May it rest in peace.

The bonsais were nothing short of amazing. Check out this tree's dead white trunk, wrapping artfully around a sliver of living bark keeping the tree alive.

Here is Chris, posing seriously in front of the oldest tree in the collection. It dates back to the 1600s. I'm glad Chris dressed up for this photo; the shirt is classic.

My favorite bonsai was created by John Y. Naka, arguably the most famous and revered American Bonsai master. "Goshin" or "protector of the spirit" represents Naka's seven grandchildren (there is a tree for each child).

Self-portrait in front of another of our favorites. What a great shot of the tree!

My attempts at artistry.

Butterflies blanketed the herb gardens. We're planning a return trip in the near future since we didn't even begin to see all of the gardens and displays.