Snake in the Grass
My boyfriend and I had nothing to do this afternoon after waking up from a nap, and we didn't want to just sit around at home all day. So, on a whim we headed over to the North Carolina Arboretum on the southwest side of Asheville.
There was an especially enlightening exhibit about poisonous and otherwise dangerous plants, but unfortunately we had to rush through it because we got there so late. And on top of all that, I didn't have time to charge my camera battery, which died not long into our visit.
This means I will have to return when I'm better prepared. Thankfully, this place is only about ten minutes away from my apartment so that ought not to be too difficult. I'll be sure to charge the camera next time.
In the meantime...
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This is the Quilt Garden, planted with colorful flowers and plants in patterns that mimic traditional Appalachian quilting patterns.
This leads to the arboretum's bonsai collection, which is one of the best in the South, and among the better collections in the nation. Unfortunately, it was already closed for the day.
There was a wedding going on. If you want to get married outside, Asheville offers a bevy of choices, including here, the botanical gardens, and the gardens at Biltmore Estate.
The arboretum maintains a small sculpture collection. This one is nice, despite his out-of-whack proportions, but my favorite sculpture is a large metal depiction of a black widow spider. It's called "Lover Girl."
Years ago the arboretum hosted a conference for representatives from botanical gardens and arboretums from around the world. At that conference the North Carolina Arboretum was voted to have the most beautiful natural setting of any such facility in the world.
Lest we forget that this
is an urban issues forum, here are some photos from downtown taken a while back that just didn't fit into any other thread. Might as well use them before they go stale.
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