Smithsonian Castle Garden Magnolias

It feels like a century ago. It was a week or so before we tested positive for Covid for the first time. Spring is such a beautiful time of year here and the magnolias at the Smithsonian Castle are the first to bloom. The display is magnificent. So way back on March 13 we drove in to town for the express purpose of visiting the magnolias. It was a bit cloudy, but that usually makes for better photos. We parked by the Air and Space Museum - that finally has a new front entrance built after what seems like years under renovation. Then we walked over to the gardens and weren’t disappointed even though it seemed like the blooms were more sparse than usual. The tulips were also just starting to show buds and unfortunately we haven’t been able to get back to see the splendor of it all because we didn’t feel well for over two weeks, and now the monsoons have set in and it’s not good travel weather. The cherry blossom festival lasts until this weekend so the crowds are still around until then and then into the summer months. I rather liked having the city or myself over the last four years.  Hopefully we will be able to explore our favorite places soon enough. We do miss our weekly drives in to town - for so many reasons. 

Smithsonian Castle Enid Haupt Magnolia Garden

I wanted to see them before they all blew away or got frost bitten. The magnolias at the Enid Haupt garden next to the Smithsonian Castle are breathtaking. When we lived on Capitol Hill we walked by this place almost every day after I retired. We also pass through the Mary Livingston garden next to the Hirshhorn Museum and the arts and industries building. As you walk in the direction of the Washington monument the castle gardens located in front of the Smithsonian Castle and are ever changing. In the spring they are the most beautiful because the magnolia trees turn in to a powdery pink wonderland. One year the buds were all about to bloom when the freezing temperatures arrived and they all turned brown. It was such a sad sight! This time we arrived just before peak blossom. There were still a lot of buds that had not fully bloomed. The sky was a bit overcast and we were there earlier in the morning so it wasn’t as bright and sunny as one would like to capture the spring environment. The purple pansies were all in place in front of the castle and the tulips were beginning to show themselves. When they bloom it is simply lovely. There weren’t as many visitors because it was a Monday but you can tell it’s getting to be the busiest season in DC with more street traffic. This will be the first real cherry blossom season since the pandemic three years ago. It is really beautiful this time of the year. We are glad we can still take a morning walk on the National mall. And they are even more interesting in Spring. 

Smithsonian Castle Architecture and Treasures

We often times go to the National Mall for a morning walk, to take photos for the weekly challenge, and frankly just to get out of the house. Last week we went to the Smithsonian castle. It’s a great place for a restroom break! It also has a small dining area. The gardens around the castle are also worth noting. If you don’t look far enough you might miss the interesting collection of articles and artifacts that are on display. Three of the items that caught my attention this time were pieces of the Hindenburg propeller and girder and a piece of the Wright Brothers Hangar that housed the world’s first airplane. There are all sorts of other oddities including Olympic skates and space related items. But what’s perhaps even more interesting is the architecture that surrounds all of these things. You get the feeling that you are somewhere in Europe with the cathedral ceilings and detail of the arches. We rarely see a lot of activity there because it is sort of off the beaten path. It’s worth the look. 

Enid Haupt Garden

Aside from the US Botanical Garden, the Enid Haupt garden in the Smithsonian Castle grounds is one of our favorites. When we lived on Capitol Hill we walked through both of them almost every morning. Now we visit about once a week and try to get to one or the other when I’m looking for photo options for the 52Frames challenge. This week we stopped by the Enid Haupt garden on the way back from visiting the National Gallery of Art. I was looking for items with texture, and there were a lot of possibilities. The plants and flowers were bursting in the late summer season. Between the heat and the excessive rains we have had in the area this year the environment was perfect to create this very humid and tropical place. It feels more like Florida than Florida. Even the grass on the mall remained green this year. The number of visitors also was less this week than even lasts week. I rather like it that way - especially trying to stay as far away rom anyone as possible. Even though we moved to northern Virginia over two years ago it still feels like we still live on Capitol Hill. After all, we are part of the DMV, and a Washington DC suburb - still close enough to be considered Washingtonians. 

Magnolias at the Smithsonian Castle Gardens

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BlogTouch Pro is back up and ruining! Now all the photos show as photos instead of white boxes. And the timing is great - the magnolias at the Smithsonian Castle gardens are just about at peak bloom. It was a brilliant sunshine on our walk this morning. The cherry blossoms in front of the Capitol were also looking pretty as well as those on the way to the Air and Space Museum. Either a new or moved art installation was taking place at the Hirshhorn sculpture garden. Crocus and other bulb flowers were blooming all about the garden paths. But the show stopper was the Smithsonian garden magnolias. Luckily this year they haven’t been frozen out by unusually harsh conditions. It was like a fairyland wandering through the very familiar place. And of course spring in DC is not complete without the duck boats. And speaking of ducks - a momma duck was sitting on her nest at the US Botanical Gardens. My husband and I looked great in the daffodil bed at the Bartholdi fountain. Finally -  a beautiful day with sunshine and springtime.