September 9, 2021 at 2:31 pm
As summer draws to a close, one of our newest staff members, Phil Evich, shares his thoughts and observations from time he spent rotating through each of the Smithsonian gardens and landscapes earlier this season. Phil was able to work with all the Smithsonian Gardens horticulturists, which gave him a better understanding of the designs […]
July 20, 2021 at 10:38 am
One of the many joys of working at a public garden is the ability to constantly change and improve the garden spaces. Often it is merely the addition or removal of a few plants here and there, but sometimes we get to enjoy completely renovating a space from the ground up. This spring at the […]
July 2, 2021 at 3:11 pm
Americans have always been known for both revolutionary thought and lasting traditions. An early American tradition during colonial times centered around drinking tea. At that time, tea was such a commodity that bricks of it were treated as cash and people literally waited for tea-laden ships to arrive in seaports. Most of us have heard […]
June 1, 2021 at 9:53 am
Happy Rose Month! I’ve yet to find a person who doesn’t admire roses for their beauty. Finding those who see them as resilient, drought-tolerant, and disease-resistant plants takes more time, but it is possible and very rewarding. Thanks to a Smithsonian Gardens professional development grant awarded in October 2018, I was given the opportunity to […]
March 12, 2021 at 11:47 am
At the beginning of each year, as the cold of winter ends and the days start to slowly get warmer, we celebrate the coming of spring with one of the first flowering trees to bloom. Magnolias begin to open in March and continue blooming throughout the year, expressing itself uniquely in their many species that come from all over the world. Today, we […]
March 2, 2021 at 11:34 am
Smithsonian Gardens Horticulturist Shelley Gaskins shares tips on earth-friendly rose gardens as a part of our Let’s Talk Gardens webinar series. Shelley manages the Kathrine Dulin Folger Rose Garden next to the Smithsonian Castle. Rose Tip #1: Do your research! Roses are rated on several characteristics. Choosing roses that are rated as resistant to fungal […]
June 8, 2020 at 2:47 pm
Roses not only provide our gardens and bouquets with incredible beauty and fragrance, but they can also connect us to our families and friends. With a little planning, some know-how and a lot of curiosity you can grow roses that will inspire future connections and smiles. The fragrance of an old garden rose always reminds […]
May 12, 2020 at 11:39 am
Everyone adores peonies – it is one of those plants, along with tulips and lilacs, that cry out “Spring is here!” The peony most people are familiar with is the herbaceous peony or Paeonia lactiflora. These plants produce fragrant blossoms in all shades of white to the deepest red, with petals counts ranging from just a single row to solid pompoms. ‘Herbaceous peony’ means the plant dies back entirely during the winter and re- appears in the spring. Native to areas like Tibet, […]
April 14, 2020 at 3:39 pm
This year many are thinking about growing their own vegetable garden. Growing food and being more self-sufficient is a common reaction in times of national struggle. Perhaps the most well-known vegetable gardening campaign occurred during World War II – Victory Gardens. In 1944, about 20 million Victory Gardens provided 8 million tons of food or […]
September 26, 2017 at 6:42 pm
For years I have been enamored with the Dutchman’s Pipe family – especially the large showy tropical varieties with their flamboyant flowers. Despite the cool features of these plants they are not palatable to our local Pipevine Swallowtails. Although the plant is in the right family for them to lay their eggs on, the larvae […]
July 6, 2017 at 7:05 pm
After 2 years of planning, Common Ground: Our American Garden opened on June 28, 2017 in conjunction with the opening of the National Museum of American History’s new wing. Find out how it happened.
August 31, 2012 at 4:16 pm
Roses are grouped into three types: species, old garden roses, and modern roses. This classification system is based on their existence in the wild, as with species roses, or their date of introduction. The year 1867 heralded the introduction of what is generally accepted as the first modern rose, in this case a hybrid tea […]