Beautyberry

By Aggie, on November 18th, 2012

I first saw Callicarpa americana at the National Zoo here in DC. I couldn’t believe that these boughs of purple colored berries were real. They looked so bright and shiny, so wildly inappropriate — I thought they had to be an exotic. But no, they are our very own, native to the southeast and tolerant [...]

Yellow Swallowtail

By Aggie, on August 9th, 2012

On a white zinnia:

Baby bird

By Aggie, on May 11th, 2012

I saw a fluttering amongst the potted caladium. As I approached, a small tiny bird came into focus. So small, it had barely any feathers and could not open his eyes. He was shivering, as if cold. He looked like a newborn robin, but where he came from was unclear. There was no nest nearby [...]