Something of the Marvelous

Every summer I plant a pot of curly parsley,

and every summer the caterpillars come and eat it down to the soil.

All that remains are a few stalks of green.

The parsley always grows back,

and sometimes the caterpillars return and eat the new growth too.

Fortunately,  I don't mind sharing the parsley

because that is how swallowtail butterflies are born.

And sometimes I see them flying around after they have gone

through their cycle from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly,

and that makes me glad I planted the parsley.

So looking at the still-as-yet uneaten parsley this week,

I decided to see if I could find some butterflies elsewhere,

namely at the Norfolk Botanical Garden's

butterfly house and butterfly garden.

The butterfly house and garden is quite a walk

from the main area of the Botanical Garden,

so there was a lot for my husband and me to see before we got there.

First of all, just going through the gates at the entrance

is special because of the flower and vine sculpture on them:

And then one sees this sign

which I particularly like because it is so clever;

good advice whether one is driving or not:

The visitor center is enlivened with masses of colorful plants

like these bright fuschia flowers:

And these vibrant chili peppers:

This spectacular flower is on a pomegranate shrub--

that was a surprise as I'd never seen one and didn't know they would grow here:

The tiny pomegranate fruits were as colorful as the flower:

Aristotle said, "In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous." I.645a16

Come along with me tomorrow for a walk through the garden

where we will see more of "the marvelous"

--and maybe a few butterflies.

<>