spring at the arboretum

Ben had joined me and the boys one afternoon in late March for some errands and we made a quick stop at the NC State Arboretum to see how the blossoms had changed since my last visit.

Historic Oakwood Cemetery

I drove around the Oakwood historic district near downtown Raleigh one day (lots of interesting architectural styles and homes with pretty gardens). I stopped at the Oakwood Cemetery to take a closer look at some blossoming trees. Nearly 1,500 Confederate soldiers are buried there, along with many prominent political figures.

the arboretum.

We spent a few hours Saturday afternoon exploring the National Arboretum and enjoying the signs of spring. The Asian Collection is one of my favorites at spring time. There is also a huge grove of magnolia trees in shades of white, yellow, and pink and the camellia garden was in full bloom. The kids found a massive tree with good climbing branches so we spent most of our time there. We're still waiting for the cherry trees to fully bloom later this week. It's hard to believe that they peaked around March 20 last year.

Oliver chasing a bee.

 

I love the comparisons from year to year. Our visit to the Arboretum last spring can be seen HERE.

magnolias in old town.

The girls were at a friend's house Friday evening so Ben and I headed to Old Town with Oliver. I was craving a shake so we hit up BGR for dinner and then walked down the street to Christ Church to hang out in the courtyard and enjoy the blooming magnolias and perfectly warm weather. Oliver loved the extra attention and had fun wandering at his own pace.