Caring for a Garden in an Office Building

We live in a condo and our unit faces an office building. On the second floor there is an outdoor patio - where I have occasionally seen a person sit at the table - and a surrounding garden space that has a few trees planted in it that match the surrounding elements. Yesterday many bags of dirt suddenly appeared. Shortly thereafter a large crew of about ten people arrived and started working on planting additional shrubs and plants and flowers. It took most of the day. Because it is an office building I’m not sure how easy it was to get the tools, equipment and plants up there? And I’m not sure there is even a water spout to attach a hose. Between the office building and our condo we have the same landscaping crew attending to the gardening needs. But I have never seen anyone doing anything on the second floor area. It’s in a strange place. In the end the garden looked nice enough. I guess we will see over time how long it will last. We used to have gardens in our Midwest home and our little patio on Capitol Hill. Now we just have a few window boxes with coco liners that I haven’t even planted this summer. It’s really hard to keep the flowers going with a western hot exposure. My husband has a miniature rose plant that he attends to. I hope it all works out well across the street. It was at least entertaining to watch the crew put it all together. 

US Botanic Garden

We used to walk there almost every day when we lived on Capitol Hill. Since we moved to northern Virginia four years ago we still make it a habit to drive in to town at least once  a week not only for a morning walk - but to visit the US Botanic Garden. There is always something new to see. And even if there wasn’t we love to walk through both the indoor and outdoor gardens. The First Ladies garden is undergoing renovation and the summer flowers are all in bloom. The vegetable gardens in front have all been redone as well and look very distinguished with the Capitol building as a backdrop. The huge green leaves are magnificent against the fountains in the main conservatory. Of course the orchids always have an exceptional grouping of very unusual plants. The Bartholdi fountain gardens and vegetable patches are harvested by the staff. The cornstalks are reaching to the sky. It’s hard to believe there is such a lovely space in the urban jungle - and it sits right outside of the house office buildings and Capitol grounds. It’s always a treat and it’s such a soothing experience. 

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. 

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. 

US Botanic Garden Orchids

We love the US Botanic Garden. We visited before we moved to Capitol Hill, walked by it almost every day when we lived on Capitol Hill, and now visit at least twice a month when we drive in to town from northern Virginia. There is always something magical to see. Christmas season always has the trains and the monuments that are made out of plant material. Currently there is a new “exhibit” highlighting orchids. So we went last week for a morning walk with the intention of seeing the orchids. It’s still a great time to go before the mad crowds show up for cherry blossom season later this month. The weather has been unseasonably warm so it’s a very inviting walkabout. The orchid show did not disappoint. The plants were showcased not only in the main conservatory, but throughout the building. The flowers came in all shapes, sizes and colors. In the jungle area was a huge display that went to the ceiling. The orchids were in terrariums and sitting next to fountains. I know we will go back again in the near future. Who wouldn’t love a stroll through the gardens?