Beautiful US Botanic Gardens

It is one of my favorite places. The US Botanic Garden always has something to enjoy at any time of the year. When we lived on Capitol Hill we routinely visited - oftentimes stopping in to get out of the heat - or the cold - on morning walks. We still visit at least monthly when we visit from northern Virginia. It’s still a great place for a morning walk and a great opportunity to take photos for my weekly 52Frames challenge. But this time of year it is especially lovely. The Christmas trains have been located outside on the west side of the conservatory because of the pandemic. The display showcases farms from around the world. And this year the monuments and memorials that are made out of plant material are finally back on display throughout the building that has since reopened so everyone can visit again. The grounds around the main building are quite festive. The large glass balls sitting out in front are our favorites. We never miss the opportunity to take a selfie when we walk past. The view of the Capitol building is always a great one from just about any angle - especially behind the red berries. We haven’t been by at night yet this month but it’s probably lovely with all the lights and such. Inside are the various poinsettia, kids fun stuff, and the all year round gardens. We always look forward to our visits there at any time of the year. 

Orchids at the US Botanic Garden

On March 4 we took a ride in to DC to visit the US Botanic Garden, then went to lunch in Alexandria. How things have changed since then. We have stayed in the house for over two weeks now - as we are in the “at risk” age group. It’s been hard to think of blogs to write because we aren’t going anywhere and I’m not taking any photos. So I need to resort to past excursions to think about, with a bit of a different perspective. The last entry about the orchid show focused on the main lobby of the botanical garden. This time, the up close and personal photos of the orchids in the main lobby are highlighted today. This display was probably one of the most beautiful in size, scope, and types of plants. Luckily the gardens are sharing the exhibit on line and Instagram and beyond. It’s really worth a look.