September 30, 2024 at 11:53 am
As you walk through the Smithsonian Gardens in Washington, D.C., you will notice a variety of birds. The city is home to over 300 bird species, from tiny finches clinging to flower heads to large hawks soaring in the sky above. These birds rely on diverse plant life and green spaces to nest, feed, and […]
May 10, 2023 at 6:37 pm
My mother loves hummingbirds, so for Mother’s Day, I added plants and a hummingbird perch to her garden that will create habitat for the bejeweled birds. While hummingbird feeders are an easy way to attract these fast flyers, they can cause issues if they aren’t maintained properly. Feeders need to be continuously cleaned for the […]
December 14, 2021 at 7:39 pm
Every year, Smithsonian Gardens decorates the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C. with festive plants for the holidays. This year, SG recorded a few time-lapse videos showing what the process looks like at the National Museum of American History (NMAH), National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), and Smithsonian Castle. Watch (at a lightning pace) how the whole thing comes together and […]
January 19, 2021 at 4:26 pm
In honor of National Houseplant Appreciation Day which falls annually on January 10th, Smithsonian Gardens highlights the importance of houseplants, bringing a greater awareness and appreciation of the ways in which houseplants can improve our lives. Join us in bringing the outdoors in! Plants have been cultivated indoors for 3,000 years. Early indoor gardening is […]
January 6, 2021 at 2:00 pm
Now that the holidays are officially over it’s time to shift gears and start thinking about the upcoming spring gardening season. While 2020 proved to be a difficult year in some ways for gardeners, the surge in popularity of both vegetable and ornamental gardening was a great boost for seed companies. This sudden demand left […]
December 18, 2020 at 2:22 pm
This scenario may sound familiar. A few years ago, you picked up an Amaryllis bulb at your local garden center (or were gifted one from a friend) and it bloomed a couple of months after you planted it. The instructions were clear about how to do that: plant the bulb, water it in, give it […]
October 7, 2020 at 5:43 pm
Just because it is winter does not mean that our gardeners or gardens get a rest. Smithsonian Gardens welcomes visitors year-round. These visitors include many tourists but also wildlife, as our gardens serve as an important urban habitat for birds, insects, and mammals. Within our gardens you will find many plants that add winter interest […]
April 7, 2020 at 10:30 am
Everyone has heard the horror stories of a plant or animal species introduced to a new area with good intentions, only to find out years later it wasn’t such a good idea. The Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana ‘Bradford’), commonly referred to as the Bradford pear, is one of those plants. First introduced in the mid-1960’s […]
February 13, 2020 at 7:38 pm
All birds need food, water, shelter, and nesting sites. But not all birds migrate during the cold winter months. Some stay local, which means they must modify their feeding and living habits.
December 15, 2017 at 4:49 pm
Most of the birds and some of the insects we find in the Washington, D.C. area migrate to warmer climates during the winter. However, many species stay in the DC Metro region throughout the year and must rely on a favorable habitat for food and shelter. Unfortunately, many natural areas are shrinking due to human development. As a result, gardening choices […]