A Quiet Time at the US Botanic Garden

Now that the holidays are over, so are the long lines to see the Christmas trains and decorations at the US Botanic Garden. So instead of walking through the outside gardens today as we usually do, we decided to promenade through the inside of the beautiful building. It is one of the few places that is open during the government shutdown. Of course we knew we wouldn’t stay long with several layers of clothing, hats, and mittens we were wearing in the sixteen degree temperature. But the sun was brilliant so all was right with the world. Except for a tour of about ten people, the place was really quiet and several of the sections were closed off. The main entry area was really empty! But soon it will be brimming with something very special in time for spring, Easter, and warmer weather. So we walked about without any obstructions or heavy traffic leaving me plenty of time today take whatever photos I wanted. I think this visit we were drawn the most to the citrus - sour oranges and lemons. This is probably one of my favorite spots in town. Nothing beats sunshine and nature. 

Succulents and Cactus

We have a lovely wall vase that I like to keep filled with fresh flowers. Or, depending on the season, it gets filled with holiday themed plants or branches with twinkling lights. Back in February we were searching for something to put in the wall vase and thought maybe a cactus or succulent might look okay. That, with an air plant might do the trick. So I put them in the vases, along with the dirt and stones, and they have been doing okay. But I didn’t like the look of the dirt in the clear glass vases. So we decided to move these plants to a low rise vase, fill it with rocks, garnish it with the same air plant, and move it to the other apartment where it gets a lot of light in the morning. We had to recently move the house plant that used to sit on the kitchen table out to the patio. So there was plenty of space for this arrangement. I don’t have anything to put in the wall vase at this time but will probably get some fresh flowers at the grocery store tomorrow. It’s nice that have a “live” wall arrangement. It changes with the seasons and usually looks nice - except for the succulents and cactus. 

A US Botanical Garden Guided Tour

We've been to the US Botanical Garden many times since we moved and several times before we moved to Capitol Hill. But this was the first time we had a guide take us through the gardens - on a lunch break - arranged by our office manager. It was a beautiful day as we walked about two blocks over from the Library along Independence Avenue. It was a small group so it was even more interesting - none of the others had been there before! There were cooking demonstrations going on in  the main building, amidst the citrus display. It was all about tomatoes. Our guide pointed out things that we've passed by - artificial trees being strangled by the strangler fig; how each "room" is regulated with great sophistication; how the dessert section blooms at night when there are no visitors; the "pets" that get released in to the gardens (especially the scaled types); an original South African tree from the original 1830's expedition whose purpose was to collect plants and specimens from all over the world; the Swiss cheese leaves that have a reason for the way they look; showing us ferns that "hide" when they are touched; and plans for the 2015 Christmas train display and future exhibits. The botanical garden was the only other structure beside the original Capitol building in 1810. Things have certainly changed. But one thing remains - everyone loves the outdoors and the beautiful flowers and plants around them. And it's just so pleasant!

The Orchids and Such at the US Botanical Garden

In Milwaukee, there were the domes. Inside the domes were displays of flowers and seasonal updates. We visited a few times in our thirty years there. Here in DC is the US Botanical Garden. It is located only a couple blocks from our house and we visit it frequently. The special exhibit showing now is about the secret life of roots. But there are also the ongoing arrangements that we also like to explore and re explore every time we get a change to wander in. There is a lovely orchid room filled with the most unusual varieties. Next to that is the succulent area filled with cacti of every kind sitting nicely under the glass enclosure. A papaya tree sticks out apart from the prickly neighbors. A Cacao tree is in the front "lobby" where the long ponds on either side are surrounded by citrus trees - a familiar scene to me having grown up in Florida. At Christmas time the exhibit space is transformed in to trains and fun. But now it is filled with roots of all kinds. The place always has a constant stream of guests scurrying about and admiring the beauty of it all. The interior is a huge jungle with a platform to view the scene from above. My orchids never look this good - but then again my house is not a botanical garden. All the more reason to keep coming back.