A Trip to the National Arboretum

I am absolutely obsessed with flowers.  It's a fact that I don't even try to hide.  If Ben gave me an unlimited budget, our house would be covered in fresh flowers all year long.  In my life, there are many things that I am passionate about, but flowers have to be at the top of the list.  So this weekend my husband took me to the National Arboretum. We tried to go a few weeks ago, but we got there right when it was closing. As we drove through to grab some last minute pics a security guard kicked us out. Although we did manage to get some pictures of the Azaleas. 

Yesterday we managed to get to the arboretum at noon and had plenty of time to take in all the beauty. The azalea blooms had all fallen off, so we were truly blessed to have seen them in April, but there was such an array of flowers, herbs, and trees and it was amazing to see them.

I really tried not to post every single picture I took, BUT I just couldn't help it.  I LOVE FLOWERS! They were just all so pretty!

The Koi in the Koi pond were huge! They kept coming above the water, and the babies would follow the parents around eating and swimming.  It was amazing.

Growing up, I learned about Bonsai trees because my dad has always loved them, but I never knew that they could look like this! They were absolutely gorgeous.  This one was from the Chinese garden in the Bonsai section.

I'm not really sure what the flower above is! They were so pretty and came different shapes and the layers of petals changed.  According to my horticulture book, they may be a type of poppy flower.

Every time I see Irises now, I think of my bridal bouquet and how amazing it was that I had such a talented florist.  My wedding would have been nothing without Beth Richard.

The peonies, oh the peonies.  They were in full bloom and gorgeous.  They are probably one of my favorite flowers.  I think the past five pictures have been peonies because I'm a little obsessed.

This is a magnolia flower.  The magnolias here were absolutely gorgeous and absolutely huge!!! I knew they could get big, but wow. I wish I could have gotten a good picture to show just how big they are.

Visiting the National Arboretum was such an amazing experience.  I loved seeing all the different plants and learning about their origins.  I also learned that herbs are not just plants used in cooking.  They are any plant used by humans, so, by that definition, roses are herbs! Crazy, right? 

I can't wait to visit the Dallas Arboretum and compare the types of plants and flowers each has.