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We recently made a trip to the Montreal Botanical Garden for the Butterflies Go Free exhibit. The butterflies are brought in by a fair-trade butterfly and moth nursery in a Costa Rican village which produces chrysalises that are sold to different organizations. The forest becomes a source of revenue for the community instead of being cut down or burned, and the insects get to keep their habitat. The nursery also takes care to release adult butterflies and moths into the forest, in order to maintain their natural populations. It was quite an experience being surrounded by these beauties, floating all around you, and making the occasional stop, where, if you are fast enough, you can quickly snap a photograph.  Is this a butterfly or a moth in the making?  The gathering place for owl butterflies. Their markings are beautiful, but the real surprise comes when they spread their wings to display a lovely metallic blue.  A tasty, nectar-rich Calliandra haematocephala, or red powderpuff.  The banded peacock is native to Southeast Asia.  Small troides native to Asia.  The blue morpho was one of my favorites.  A cobra moth hanging from rows of chrysalis. Isn't he a beauty?  I love the colors and markings of the white morpho.  A monarch soaks up some sun. The Montréal Botanical Garden is one of the world’s largest botanical gardens, offering a collection of 22,000 plant species and cultivars, 10 exhibition greenhouses, and approximately 30 thematic gardens. A visit to the greenhouses proved to be a great way to chase away those winter blahs. They are packed with 36,000 plants representing 12,000 species, varieties, and cultivars. Sadly, one greenhouse, the Main Exhibition Greenhouse was closed, as they are preparing for their next exhibit, Butterflies Go Free. I am really looking forward to making a trip to the botanical gardens this summer, when we can tour the outdoor gardens. In the meantime, I thought I would share a few of my favorite photos from our trip.
 The Orchid and Aroids Conservatory contains 1,500 orchid species and hybrids.  I fell in love with the many varieties of Agave in the Hacienda Greenhouse.  Aeschynanthus, or Basket plant, is native primarily to Southeast Asia.  "Poor Man's Cycad." Encephalartos means "bread in the head." This refers to the practice of making flour from the starch contained in the stems of these plants. The female plants produce these colorful cones.  One of my favorite orchids in the Orchids and Aroids Conservatory was this Phragmipedium, Eric Young grex, native to South-Mexico, Central-America, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Brazil.  The Hacienda Greenhouse was one of my favorites. I fell in love with these Golden Barrel Cacti, as well as the blue-green of this Agave guiengola.  I didn't want to leave the Tropical Rainforest Conservatory. Every few minutes we were surrounded by a fine mist, which was a welcome relief from the dry winter air.  I tried my best to photograph the i.d. tag for each plant I photographed. However, I was like a kid in a candy store. This was my favorite orchid, and wouldn't you know it, I didn't get the i.d. Can anyone identify this one?  This was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon. We left feeling so relaxed, and are really looking forward to our next visit.
Over the holiday weekend we had family in town visiting, so of course we spent some time walking and driving around Vermont to appreciate some of this beauty that surrounds us. This past week was the time for peak foliage, and the colors were absolutely beautiful!! The leaf peepers were out in full force, taking advantage of the infinite photo opportunities as well as the temperatures, which were right around 70 degrees. In addition, the Canadian holiday meant even more visitors who came to enjoy this time in Vermont.
       In the woods behind our house, there is an old logging road which is quickly becoming carpeted with the colors of fall. The trees are dressed in rich reds, browns, oranges, and yellows. On my way to work, I drive by what must be the cutest farm on the planet. Behind it, you can see miles and miles of colorful trees covering the rolling hills – it is truly breathtaking and makes one feel happy to be alive.
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