Smithsonian Flower Garden

As the summer is churning down in to fall we wanted to visit the Smithsonian flowers by the castle on the National Mall. On the west side of the castle there is a hidden garden of sorts full of the many fabulous flowers. And there are so many different orchids in bloom. They look so beautiful out in “nature.” The hibiscus are also looking their best - there’s a lot of reds, pinks and purples. The gardenia smell is so pleasant and reminds me of Florida. The bees have a lot to pick from. We are never disappointed when we visit this place and every summer it looks even better. It’s always worth the trip. 

Smithsonian Gardens and Ducks

It’s always a treat to walk through the gardens around the National Mall. We were visiting the Smithsonian Castle last week and things were starting to look very summery. I was surprised to see so many poppies. We planted poppies in our tiny Capitol Hill patio garden one year and they looked so pretty. It seems the predominant colors of the flowers now were orange, yellow and gold. On the way back to the car we walked around the Capitol reflecting pool. Now is the time to see all of the baby ducks that sometimes use the ramps that are put out by the grounds staff. We found several ducklings huddling together on the perimeter as their parents were swimming nearby. As we walked through the US Botanic garden there were remnants of the beautiful wisteria vine overhead. A bunch of school kids were visiting and taking a break on the lawn. It was a beautiful day for a morning walk. We like to head in to town at least once a month. There is always something to see. 

Neighborhood Azaleas

Spring is so beautiful in the DC area - especially because of the flowers. First there were the daffodils. And then came the magnolias. The cherry blossoms seem to get the most attention. Then came the tulips in all of their glory. But now is the time for dogwood and azaleas. It seems the flowers quickly come and go - so it’s important to see as much as possible as long as it lasts. Unfortunately we missed the wisteria - although there was plenty of it along the GW Parkway. Yesterday as we were walking in the neighborhood park we came across several azalea bushes. What made them interesting was that they were all together and each color was represented - white and different shapes and sizes of pink, purple. They were in all stages of blooming. They look most beautiful when they take their own shape rather than cutting them to a round ball or trimming them so everything is the same length. My mom had a lovely garden in New England. We loved the birds and the seasons. We had several gardens in the Midwest. Now we have a very small balcony and I haven’t even planted any flowers in the baskets yet. I suppose that’s why I’m enjoying the gardens so much every where we go.  

Enid Haupt Gardens at the Smithsonian Castle

When we lived on Capitol Hill we took morning walks to the Smithsonian Castle and gardens. Every time we go there is something different. And the flowers are always so lovely! Now that we live in northern Virginia we still try to visit town at least once a week. Oftentimes we will park by the Smithsonian Castle and start our morning walk there. Usually in the summer additional pots are added for more exotic plants and flowers. And at this time of the year they are all exceptionally beautiful. I was also on the look out for some interesting photos for the weekly challenge. But the person who I asked to edit my entry last week didn’t seem to care for any of the submissions and selected the Capitol instead. There were so many varieties and colors - many were tropical and unique. The colors ranged from everything under the sun. It is always so delightful to walk around here. Due to construction at one of the art museums the display is closer to the east side. We are looking forward to visiting again very soon. And right next door is the Mary Livingston Ripley garden by the Hirshhorn Museum. So many choices!