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Smithsonian Gardens

Smithsonian Gardens Living museum and public garden



Legal: http://s.si.edu/legal

Established in 1972 to manage the museum grounds, Smithsonian Gardens extends the Smithsonian’s museum experience in a public garden setting, inspiring visitors with exceptional displays and educating them about horticulture, plants, the natural and built environments, and artistic design.

Operating as usual

🌸 Peak Bloom Season! 🌸 The most famous of the ornamental cherry trees, the Yoshino cherry is the star of the National Ch...
03/24/2023

🌸 Peak Bloom Season! 🌸 The most famous of the ornamental cherry trees, the Yoshino cherry is the star of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Its white to slightly pink flowers bloom before the leaves grow in, giving Yoshino trees an almost fantastical appearance in the spring. This species of cherry was one of the main ones gifted to the US from Japan in 1912.

Yoshino cherry trees were also planted at Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture to blend the landscape of the National Mall with the gardens around the museum.

Cherry blossom map: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/77e8b0e3d393497190735e03f05b2d69

📷: Michael Miller, Horticulturist

Did you know the horticulturist at the Smithsonian Gardens Greenhouse Facility have been forcing flowering bulbs for dec...
03/23/2023

Did you know the horticulturist at the Smithsonian Gardens Greenhouse Facility have been forcing flowering bulbs for decades, although the practice has been in use since the 1800’s. Check out some of these bulbs on display in the Kogod Courtyard! 🌷

Learn more on forcing bulbs: https://gardens.si.edu/learn/blog/forcing-spring-flowering-bulbs/

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03/22/2023

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As we wait for the D.C. cherry blossoms to reach peak bloom, we're enjoying this lantern slide of the Tidal Basin from the 1920s. It's in Smithsonian Gardens' Archives of American Gardens.

See more blooms across our collections, without the crowds: https://s.si.edu/2GejmLC

Photos from U.S. Botanic Garden's post
03/21/2023

Photos from U.S. Botanic Garden's post

Horticulturist Janet Draper loves this sweet species Tulipa turkestanica. 🌷 This tulip has up to 9 flowers on a single s...
03/21/2023

Horticulturist Janet Draper loves this sweet species Tulipa turkestanica. 🌷 This tulip has up to 9 flowers on a single stalk! Each star shaped flower is the size of a nickel and has a delightful fragrance. 👀 for these beauties in the Mary Livingston Ripley Garden.

Happy Spring! The Prunus x yedoensis ‘Afterglow’ are blooming along the National Mall side of the Hirshhorn Museum and S...
03/20/2023

Happy Spring! The Prunus x yedoensis ‘Afterglow’ are blooming along the National Mall side of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden 🌸🌸🌸

This hybridized cultivar of Yoshino cherry tree has pinker flowers than the straight species. The buds also tend to be more resistant to freezing temperatures.

Check out more of the cherry trees in our collection: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/77e8b0e3d393497190735e03f05b2d69

📷: Sarah Dickert, Horticulturist

 the tulip originated in Central Asia and Iran. It is called lāle in Persian, a word which shares the same letters with ...
03/18/2023

the tulip originated in Central Asia and Iran. It is called lāle in Persian, a word which shares the same letters with the name of God (Allah). In Persian culture, the flower also symbolizes beauty and love. Like fragrant hyacinths, tulip blooms mark the arrival of Spring in Iran and are ubiquitous during the celebrations of Nowruz, the Persian New Year festival. 🌷🎉 The tulips and hyacinths are on view now in thr Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art

Pollinators will be in luck if you plant clover in your lawn. 🐝☘️ Adding clover to your lawn ensures that bees will have...
03/17/2023

Pollinators will be in luck if you plant clover in your lawn. 🐝☘️

Adding clover to your lawn ensures that bees will have a source of pollen and nectar through the growing season to create honey. 🍯 Clover also add nutrients to your soil and reduces the need for fertilizer. 🌱

📷: Melinda Whicher, Supervisory Horticulturist

Spring is in the air! Nothing quite signifies the arrival of spring like beautiful, sweet smells drifting in the breeze....
03/15/2023

Spring is in the air! Nothing quite signifies the arrival of spring like beautiful, sweet smells drifting in the breeze. Horticulturist Sarah Dickert recommends adding these scent-sational plants to your garden to fully embrace and enjoy the smells of spring.

💜Hyacinths cv.: Hyacinth bulbs are a sure way to add bright color and a perfumed scent to containers or garden beds.
✨Hamemelis vernalis & H. ‘Arnold’s Promise’: Witchhazels are often one of the first shrubs to bloom in the spring. They may not strike you as a plant with scented flowers, but the earthy, sweet smell can’t be missed.
🌸Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’: This evergreen shrub smells so good it even has “odor” in the name! This can be a tricky plant to grow, but if you can get it established, the reward is well worth it.
💐Erysimum cv.: Wallflowers are cool season annuals that are surprisingly tough enough to survive through the winter in mid-Atlantic gardens. Plant alongside pansies or violas in a container by a doorway so the color and subtle scent can be enjoyed as you pass by.
🌱Sarcococca hookeriana: The common name for this low-growing evergreen ground cover is sweet box. Bet you can’t guess why!😋 The flowers are quite diminutive and practically unnoticeable, but the delightful smell will stop you in your tracks.
🌼Edgeworthia ‘Nanjing Gold’: A highly ornamental shrub with interesting form and structure, and of course, wonderfully scented flowers.

What scented spring flowers do you enjoy in your garden?

03/14/2023

Join us Thursday at noon for a free online program "Ask an Expert: Orchid Care & Cultivation"! Register at https://app.livestorm.co/u-s-botanic-garden/ask-an-expert-orchid-care-and-cultivation-online-q-and-a

Justin Kondrat, lead horticulturalist for Smithsonian Gardens' orchid collection, will answer your questions about orchids, cultivation, and home care. From fabulous Phalaenopsis to delightful Dendrobiums, after this Q&A you'll feel confident in caring for your own orchid collection.

DATE: Thursday, March 16
TIME: 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
LOCATION: online
FREE: Pre-registration required. Register at https://app.livestorm.co/u-s-botanic-garden/ask-an-expert-orchid-care-and-cultivation-online-q-and-a

In other blooms…🌷🌸🌼Spring is popping up around the gardens. Tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, magnolias, bluebells, and more...
03/13/2023

In other blooms…🌷🌸🌼

Spring is popping up around the gardens. Tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, magnolias, bluebells, and more.

What’s blooms in your gardens and neighborhoods?

03/10/2023

We’re having a wonder season of saucer magnolias in our Enid A. Haupt Garden. Enjoy the pink petals online or visit the garden this weekend to catch the bloom!🌸

https://gardens.si.edu/magnolia-madness/

Hibiscus ‘Night Runner’ was recently added to the Smithsonian Gardens’ tropical plant collection! While it hasn’t disapp...
03/10/2023

Hibiscus ‘Night Runner’ was recently added to the Smithsonian Gardens’ tropical plant collection! While it hasn’t disappointed yet, time will tell if it is a “keeper.” Our horticulturists love trying new cultivars and hybrids, but a pretty flower or new variegation doesn’t always make for a useful plant. Beauty is only one factor they consider when adding and keeping plants for our tropical collection. Form, vigor, maintenance, length it can be on display, and more are also considered. For example, a hibiscus may have stunning flowers but if they are massive and make the plant floppy and prone to breakage it’s not one we’ll want to keep around.🤞This cultivar will be a good addition to the collection! 🌺

📷: Matthew Fleming, Horticulturist

🌸 Magnolia Update 🌸The saucer magnolias just starting to pass peak bloom. The windy weather is knocking off the flower p...
03/08/2023

🌸 Magnolia Update 🌸

The saucer magnolias just starting to pass peak bloom. The windy weather is knocking off the flower petals. Our horticulture team invites everyone to visit but a friendly reminder please stay on the walkways. Thank you for respecting the garden.

Photos from Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History's post
03/08/2023

Photos from Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History's post

🌸 Magnolia Update 🌸Our horticulture team encourages everyone to stay on the walkways when visiting the saucer magnolias ...
03/07/2023

🌸 Magnolia Update 🌸

Our horticulture team encourages everyone to stay on the walkways when visiting the saucer magnolias in the Enid A. Haupt Garden. This helps to protect the delicate root systems of these mature trees so they can be enjoyed for years to come. Thank you for respecting the boundaries with the garden.

The magnolias are at peak bloom but should continue to hold their flowers through the week if the weather stays moderated.

📷: Eric Calhoun, Supervisory Horticulturist

“Grow” your gardening know-how! Our free online gardening program, Let’s Talk Gardens, covers a wide range of topics pre...
03/03/2023
Let's Talk Gardens Webinar Series - Smithsonian Gardens

“Grow” your gardening know-how! Our free online gardening program, Let’s Talk Gardens, covers a wide range of topics presented by our own professional staff, as well as guest speakers. No matter your level of gardening knowledge, there’s always something new to learn!

Join us in March on Thursdays at 12:00 PM EST for this popular webinar series.

“Grow” your gardening know-how! Our free online gardening program, Let’s Talk Gardens, covers a wide range of topics presented by our own professional staff, as well as guest speakers. No matter your level of gardening knowledge, there’s always something new to learn! Join us on Thursdays at...

For Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating the students of the Lowthorpe School of Landscape Architecture and Horticul...
03/01/2023

For Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating the students of the Lowthorpe School of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture for Women in Groton, Massachusetts. The Lowthorpe School was started by Judith Motley Low in 1901 to prepare women as landscape architects in a field that was dominated at that time by men.

This lantern slide, used in lectures, belonged to landscape architect Ellen Shipman who was an instructor at Lowthorpe. In addition to teaching, Shipman also hired recent graduates of the program to work in her all-female office in New York. As a testament to her instruction and mentorship, many of the women she taught and hired went on to head their own design firms.



📷: Plan of the student-designed herb garden at the Lowthorpe School, 1938. Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, Ellen Shipman Garden Photography Collection.

Smithsonian Gardens hopes to inspire a new generation of students to join careers related to gardening and demonstrate t...
02/28/2023
The Garden Gate: Careers in Gardening Podcast - Smithsonian Gardens

Smithsonian Gardens hopes to inspire a new generation of students to join careers related to gardening and demonstrate that through their careers, they can create sustainable change in our world. Listen in to learn more about different careers in gardening! Seed Your Future

Season 2 Stephanie DeStefano Stephanie is a grounds operations manager at American University. Listen to Stephanie’s episode to learn more about how she

Ozark witch hazel, Hamamaelis vernalis, is notable for being a North American native witch hazel that blooms in the spri...
02/28/2023

Ozark witch hazel, Hamamaelis vernalis, is notable for being a North American native witch hazel that blooms in the spring. As its common name implies, native colonies can be found in gravelly beds and streambanks in Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, and even down to Texas and Louisiana. Growing to a mature height of about 6’ and tolerant of clay soils, the Ozark witch hazel is thriving in our Smithsonian National Museum of American History terrace garden. Medicinally, H. vernalis is used as an astringent, like its North American cousin the fall blooming Hamamelis virginiana.

📷: Eric Calhoun, Supervisory Horticulturist

02/25/2023

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🌸 Bloom watch update 🌸. The saucer magnolias in the Enid A. Haupt Garden are still slowly opening up. This weekend tempe...
02/24/2023

🌸 Bloom watch update 🌸. The saucer magnolias in the Enid A. Haupt Garden are still slowly opening up. This weekend temperature will slow down the opening process. Stay tuned!

Majestic Lavender Dutch Crocus mixture blooming in a grass patch in the Enid A.Haupt Garden. This little hidden gem is a...
02/23/2023

Majestic Lavender Dutch Crocus mixture blooming in a grass patch in the Enid A.Haupt Garden. This little hidden gem is a treasure to find outside the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art

📷: Shelley Gaskins, Horticulturist

We are on ! 🌸 Stay tuned for a bloom update later this week. 📷: Sarah Dickert, Horticulturist
02/21/2023

We are on ! 🌸

Stay tuned for a bloom update later this week.

📷: Sarah Dickert, Horticulturist

Photos from U.S. Botanic Garden's post
02/17/2023

Photos from U.S. Botanic Garden's post

Flowers for your Friday. 💐 Here are a few already starting in the gardens. 🌸: Daffodils, Crocuses, Iris, Hellebores, Era...
02/17/2023

Flowers for your Friday. 💐 Here are a few already starting in the gardens.

🌸: Daffodils, Crocuses, Iris, Hellebores, Eranthis, Cymbidums

Interested in volunteering? Come join us in the garden!
02/15/2023
Volunteer - Smithsonian Gardens

Interested in volunteering? Come join us in the garden!

Volunteers are essential to our mission. Each year our volunteers donate their time to help in virtually every garden and department to care for our collections and enhance the Smithsonian visitor experience.

Will you be our gnomies? Happy Valentine’s Day! 💕
02/14/2023

Will you be our gnomies?
Happy Valentine’s Day! 💕

Winter is dreary,Let’s think of something cheery!Valentine’s funMight bring us some sun,So send these cards to those you...
02/13/2023
Valentine's Day - Smithsonian Gardens

Winter is dreary,
Let’s think of something cheery!
Valentine’s fun
Might bring us some sun,
So send these cards to those you hold dear-y!

We made these elementary school -style Valentine's from images of plants in our Living Collection. Send them to your friends and loved ones, or print them out and leave them on their doorstop with a sweet treat for Valentine's Day! The orchids and trees featured on these Valentine's Day cards are ha...

Smithsonian Gardens is now offering internship opportunities for 2023. Applications due by March 15th.
02/11/2023
Internships - Smithsonian Gardens

Smithsonian Gardens is now offering internship opportunities for 2023. Applications due by March 15th.

Smithsonian Gardens (SG) provides an array of learning experiences through its internship program thanks to the wide diversity of services and programs it

Photos from U.S. Botanic Garden's post
02/10/2023

Photos from U.S. Botanic Garden's post

Yes, this is a dogwood! One of the earliest flowering trees in the mid-Atlantic area, the Japanese cornel dogwood (Cornu...
02/09/2023

Yes, this is a dogwood! One of the earliest flowering trees in the mid-Atlantic area, the Japanese cornel dogwood (Cornus officinalis ‘Kintoki’) is a bright addition to the February/March landscape. But it truly has multi-season interest, starting with these bright yellow clusters of flowers in spring that mature to bright red berries, which the birds quickly devour. The foliage is glossy green all summer, turning to a bright red in autumn. Tawny exfoliating bark looks good year round.

📷: Janet Draper, Horticulturist

As a toast to National Rose Day, we offer you this intoxicating beauty! 🌹 Rosa ‘Tequila’ (‘Meipomolo’) is a favorite in ...
02/07/2023

As a toast to National Rose Day, we offer you this intoxicating beauty! 🌹 Rosa ‘Tequila’ (‘Meipomolo’) is a favorite in the Kathrine Dulin Folger Rose Garden.

📷: Shelley Gaskins, Horticulturist

Love the bright red berries of winterberry hollies? Then you won’t be able to resist the orange glow of Ilex 'Winter Gol...
02/06/2023

Love the bright red berries of winterberry hollies? Then you won’t be able to resist the orange glow of Ilex 'Winter Gold'! Just like it’s red-fruiting cousins, this shrub is native to eastern North America and beloved by birds and humans alike. This plant is well-suited to many garden conditions but does particularly well in low-lying areas that may stay more consistently moist. It is also important to note that these plants are dioecious- meaning there are separate male and female plants, so at least one male must be planted in proximity to the females for fertilization and berry set. The cultivar 'Southern Gentleman' has appropriately timed flowers to pollinate ‘Winter Gold.’

📷: Michael Allen, Horticulturist

Check out the February lineup for our Let’s Talk Garden series.
02/05/2023
Let's Talk Gardens Webinar Series - Smithsonian Gardens

Check out the February lineup for our Let’s Talk Garden series.

“Grow” your gardening know-how! Our free online gardening program, Let’s Talk Gardens, covers a wide range of topics presented by our own professional staff, as well as guest speakers. No matter your level of gardening knowledge, there’s always something new to learn! Join us on Thursdays at...

Looking for a place to escape the cold this weekend? Head to the Kogod Courtyard to warm up with some tropical plants! 🌴...
02/04/2023

Looking for a place to escape the cold this weekend? Head to the Kogod Courtyard to warm up with some tropical plants! 🌴🪴

Photos from U.S. Botanic Garden's post
02/02/2023

Photos from U.S. Botanic Garden's post

Almost feels like spring…🌷 The Common Ground Garden on south terrace of the Smithsonian National Museum of American Hist...
01/31/2023

Almost feels like spring…🌷 The Common Ground Garden on south terrace of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History is often one of the first spots to warm up, giving the garden an early spring.

🌱: Hellebores, Hyacinth, Crocus



📷: Sarah Dickert, Horticulturist

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The Downing Urn in the Smithsonian’s Enid A. Haupt Garden was originally erected on the National Mall in 1856 in memory of landscape designer Andrew Jackson Downing. Learn more about the Downing Urn: https://gardens.si.edu/gardens/haupt-garden/downing-urn/

📷: Melinda Whicher, Supervisory Horticulturist
Interested in more fun, in-depth content from Smithsonian Gardens?

A Moment in the Garden is our monthly newsletter that features everything from gardening advice to plant suggestions, highlights from our collections, exciting updates on all things Smithsonian Gardens, and a note from the director! It also a great way to hear about upcoming exhibits, events, and programs, such as our popular Let’s Talk Gardens speaker series. Sign up by clicking the link in bio.

https://gardens.si.edu/newsletter/
To everyone's favorite pesky bulb-mover and bird seed snacker, today is your holiday! Happy to see you snacking on a seed or nut this time. 🌰😋

📷: Sylvia Schmeichel, Horticulturist

Don't let this orchid hybrid, Cycnoches Pineapple Popcorn, fool you with its butter-yellow color and creative name. 🍿If you could smell this flower, you would get strong notes of banana mixed with burnt plastic. Mmm, tasty! 🤢

Cycnoches are unique plants that can bear separate female and male flowers. We were lucky enough to capture both flowers during a collection digitization session. Can you spot the differences?

📷: Hannele Lahti, Living Collections Photographer
💬: Justin Kondrat, Horticulturist

Just when you think roses are done with their display for the year, along comes the rose hips. 🌹 Rose hips are the fruit-like pods that form from pollinated rose flowers. The hips are usually red or orange and contain the actual fruits of the plant- the achenes- that each protect the individual seeds inside. (The “seeds” on the outside of strawberries are also achenes- the seed itself is inside the little yellow casing.) And while rose hips have many edible and purported medicinal uses, we think they are a lovely (and fascinating!) little bit of lingering color for the garden.

📷: Sarah Dickert, Horticulturist

Behind the scenes at our greenhouse, Dracaena masoniana is blooming away! (Formerly known as Sansevieria masoniana.) We’re excited to see this impressive plant in bloom since this does not happen often when grown as a houseplant. The beautiful inflorescence of white flowers even has a lovely citrusy scent.

📷: Matt Fleming, Horticulturist

Join us this Thursday, January 19th, at noon EST for a free garden chat on 'Secrets of Light and Grow Lights' with speaker Darryl Cheng, author of ‘The New Plant Parent’ and creator of House Plant Journal.

Outdoor gardeners generally have a good sense of their sunlight exposure, but houseplant owners are left with vague directions like “bright, indirect light,” which leads to dramatically different interpretations and results.

In this talk, Darryl will reveal the secrets to understanding light, focusing on how it applies to houseplants, comparing natural light and grow lights. You will finally be able to make sense of light!

Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/1816732874598/WN_wDPjC4RpSb2bZ8YNhmcL_w
We mean what we say about adding evergreens to your garden or allowing stems to stay standing through the winter for textural interest (not to mention the benefits for wildlife). Just look at this combo- stunning!

Plants pictured: Pinus ‘Jakobsen’ and Calamagrostis brachytrichia

📷: Sarah Dickert, Horticulturist
It’s ! Of all the succulents we love to nurture indoors, Kalanchoe daigremontiana may have the most interesting leaves.

The tiny plantlets on the edges of each leaf can be used to propagate more kalanchoes. That’s why it’s sometimes called “mother of thousands.”

🌱 Kalanchoe daigremontiana

📷 Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, Ken Druse garden photograph collection.
It’s Paphiopedilum season! These two beauties are blooming in our greenhouses.

1. Paphiopedilum insigne ‘Harefield Hall’
2. Paphiopedilum insigne ‘Sanderae’

📷: Justin Kondrat, Horticulturist
Fire and ice! 🔥❄️Temperatures are dropping but that just means the color on these plants are warming up. When the seasons change with cooler temps and shorter days, many plants stop producing food through photosynthesis, which means they no longer need to maintain the chlorophyll in their leaves. As the chlorophyll breaks down, the green color that goes along with it also disappears. That allows other pigments in the leaves to be seen, like with the warm hues of a smokebush (Cotinus cultivar) and a blueberry bush (Vaccinium ‘Sunshine Blue’). Or as leaves drop completely, the brightly colored bark of other plants becomes visible (Cornus ‘Cardinal’). These features add to the benefit of plants in your garden and be used quite strategically to add color and interest through the entire year.

📷: Sarah Dickert, Horticulturist
This is the only bird we have flying around in our collections. 🦜🌺

Strelitzia reginae 'Mandela's Gold' is a unique yellow bird of paradise that is a great plant to add to your flock of tropical plants.

📷: Matthew Fleming, Horticulturist

The last remnants of fall color are holding on to a few leaves of this Viburnum ‘Blue Muffin.’ A selected cultivar of the native Viburnum dentatum, this shrub is also called arrowwood. Note its slender, perfectly straight branches: perfect for arrow-making. It is a versatile shrub providing prolific spring blooms which ripen into deep blue fruits that are adored by birds.

📷: Philip Evich, Horticulturist
What looks like an orchid and grows like an orchid but really isn’t? Check out Medinilla myriantha and M. magnifica! The beautiful blooms are reminiscent of orchid flowers, and like true orchids, these plants are also epiphytic. That means they grow on the crooks of trees or crevices in rocks in their respective native Malaysian and Filipino rainforests, getting the water and nutrients they need from the air. And, like orchids, they make for beautiful and unique houseplants. They require a bit more care than other houseplants, but it is well worth it for their floral display!

They prefer a loose bark potting soil (look for an orchid mix), ideally in a clay pot to allow air to filter through the soil. Situate it in a bright window with eastern or western exposure. They thrive best with high humidity, so it will need misted during the dry winter months, but the soil itself should be allowed to dry out between waterings.

📷: Shannon Hill, Horticulturist

Happy New Year from Smithsonian Gardens! Hope you have fun exploring the gardens in 2023.
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