Blandy Experimental Farm

White and Blue Balloon Flowers on a Hot Summer Day /  by Todd Henson

Balloon flower bouquet

My father and I took a summer drive out to Blandy Experimental Farm, the State Arboretum of Virginia. It was a hot and humid day so we didn’t plan any degree of hiking but we did park and walk around the grounds a bit. Planted along the inside border of the main building were some beautiful balloon flowers. Interestingly, there were both blue and white flowers. We’d only ever seen them in blue so the white were a surprise.

An opened balloon

White balloon flowers

Breaking of the balloon

Through the petals of a blue balloon

A tethered white balloon

Above the balloon

White in a field of blue balloons

I think of balloon flowers as one of my mother’s flowers. She and my father planted some of the blue variety just outside their front entrance and I’d occasionally try photographing them. It’s been almost a year since my mother passed away, just days after her birthday. I wish she could have seen these balloon flowers at the arboretum. I’m sure she would have enjoyed them.

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Nature’s Ornaments /  by Todd Henson

Nature’s Ornaments

This is a photo I lost track of and likely should have processed and posted around the holidays. But I’ve found it and I’m posting it now.

This photo shows cones from an eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) hanging like ornaments on a Christmas tree. The photo was created on August 19th of 2023 at Blandy Experimental Farm, the State Arboretum of Virginia. I loved the look of the cones and was drawn to this arrangement with the tree in the background providing a nice blue-green backdrop for the cone.

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Snowy Urola Moth /  by Todd Henson

A snowy urola moth blending in under a blade of grass.

While walking through some grass at Blandy Experimental Farm I saw a small flash of white. When I got down low and looked closely I found a small white moth, a snowy urola moth, hiding under a blade of grass. It was so small and narrow it just about disappeared when viewed from up top. It looked very sleek when hunkered down with its antennae and wings folded up.

A closer view of the snowy urola moth

I got as close as I could and kept photographing as the moth appeared to begin “looking about” with its antennae, perhaps trying to determine if the coast was clear or if there was a threat about. I knew I wasn’t a threat, but of course it didn’t know that.

The snowy urola moth with its antennae out

After creating these photos I moved on and left this little moth in peace.

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