Floral Library Tulips

Everyone flocks to the Tidal Basin to see the cherry blossoms. They are a sight to see. But there is another lovely spot to check out that is right across the street from the Washington Monument near the parking lot of the Tidal Basin. It is the floral library that has a revolving garden from spring to fall. Right now there are so many varieties and types and colors of tulips. It’s really beautiful. We drove in to town last week to visit Stumpy - the little cherry tree that could - and on our way back to the car we stopped at the floral library. It was quite busy with visitors and locals alike trying to take photos from all different angles. Spring is always so lovely in DC. The flowering gardens and trees and bulbs are stunning. Unfortunately they don’t last very long but we are so fortunate to have an opportunity to visit often. We lived on Capitol Hill for thirteen years and loved the US Botanic Gardens for all of the obvious reasons. Now that we live in northern Virginia we don’t miss out on any of it. My husband doesn’t care for daffodils and tulips. But even he was surprised by how lovely the garden looked.  

Tulips at the Capitol

Since we were stuck at home for the last theee weeks due to Covid - for the first time in four years - and the lousy monsoon weather, we finally had a chance to drive in to town yesterday. Since we missed a walk around all of the cherry blossoms at the tidal basin I was hoping to at least have an opportunity to see the tulips. We were at least lucky enough to see the magnolias at the castle before we got sick. This is our favorite time of year to see all of the beautiful flowers and trees that are in full bloom. So we parked in our old neighborhood on Capitol Hill - it was ridiculously packed with buses, cars and tourists. Then we headed over to the Capitol building. And there they were - the red, yellow and orange tulip color scheme - on the walkway leading to the visitor center and all around the two fountains right in front of the east entrance. It’s really difficult to photograph red tulips for whatever reason, but I tried my best and took several, hoping one of them might work for the photo challenge this week. These are the times that I wished we still lived on Capitol Hill. Even though street parking was always a headache we could at least do our morning walks without having to think about it. Every time we go in to town my husband laments that we don’t still live there anymore. Then I remind him of all of the inconveniences. He always forgets about those. 

Capitol Hill Tulips

The cherry blossoms always take center stage in spring in DC. But there is a parade of flowering plants, trees and shrubs in the city. In between the cherry blossoms and the azaleas come the tulips. And there are so many colors, types, and varieties on display that it is breathtaking! There is a lovely display of tulips right across from the Washington Monument in the annual floral garden. There are several patches that hold a different tulip type. And of course at the Smithsonian castle gardens there is a beautiful large garden with pansies and tulips. The US Botanic garden also has a huge display of tulips in the Bartholdi fountain gardens and all around the conservatory. Unfortunately we didn’t drive in to town when the blossoms were at their best, but made a great effort to see as many as we could while they were still in bloom. Spring is such a beautiful time of year here. When we lived on Capitol Hill for thirteen years we enjoyed all of the parks and gardens in the neighborhood. Because there is little yard in the townhouses there are so many lovely areas to walk to and relax in. We do miss many things about living in DC. But it’s really more difficult to navigate in the city the older we get. So we are glad we can still visit when we want. And seeing the tulips is such a treat! 

Annual Tulip Garden

Now is the time for cherry blossoms. They are widely celebrated around the Tidal Basin and the traffic becomes ridiculous this time of year. But before the cherry blossoms are the magnolias. The saucer magnolias are widely celebrated at the Enid Haupt gardens in front of the Smithsonian Castle. And before the magnolias are the daffodils. They are found just about everywhere. And inside of the US Botanic Garden the orchids are on display. It’s a bit early for the tulips, but they are the next widely celebrated flower to catch everyone’s attention. The annual floral garden sits by the Tidal Basin across from the Washington Monument. The wide assortment of tulips is beginning to show all of its glory. We walked through the area two weeks ago and everything was still very green. This week we walked though again and the tulips are starting to show the variety of colors and configurations. Once the tulip season is over the gardens are replenished with rotating flowers that make the city what it is - beautiful. Nothing can take the place of nature. The flowering trees and shrubs, cherry blossoms, magnolias, daffodils and tulips remind us that spring is one of the most beautiful seasons. We always look forward to seeing the splendor of it all. 

Spring is in the Air - a Walk Along the Tidal Basin

It’s getting to be spring in the DC area so that means it’s time to start hearing all about the cherry blossoms. It is probably the most crowded time of the year in the city. With the pandemic it was less so and better for us because we could still enjoy the season without being overwhelmed. And when we lived on Capitol Hill we didn’t have to worry about parking and haven’t missed the cherry blossoms since we moved here seventeen years ago. So last week we drove in to town and parked at our favorite place next to the Tidal Basin for a morning walk and to see the progress of the cherry blossoms. It’s still very early on but you can see the buds starting to take shape - even in the trees that look half dead. I have a favorite tree that is rather small and hallowed out with only three little branches. We saw a grungy Canadian goose feather that was the perfect subject for my macro photo challenge. Just past the Jefferson Memorial we came upon a female mallard duck with about ten tiny ducklings floating along with two geese hovering nearby. Then we walked through the Franklin Roosevelt Memorial and stopped for a few photo ops. It’s one of the prettiest memorial backdrops. Rounding the bend we walked by the Martin Luther King Memorial shining brightly against the very blue sky. Some of the cherry trees look like monsters with outstretched arms. On the way back to the car we stopped by the annual flower garden where the bulbs are beginning to pop up. It was a most enjoyable walk on the sunny almost spring day. Luckily for us we get to see the Tidal Basin all year round, but it is exceptional at this time of year.