Smithsonian Castle Garden Magnolias

It feels like a century ago. It was a week or so before we tested positive for Covid for the first time. Spring is such a beautiful time of year here and the magnolias at the Smithsonian Castle are the first to bloom. The display is magnificent. So way back on March 13 we drove in to town for the express purpose of visiting the magnolias. It was a bit cloudy, but that usually makes for better photos. We parked by the Air and Space Museum - that finally has a new front entrance built after what seems like years under renovation. Then we walked over to the gardens and weren’t disappointed even though it seemed like the blooms were more sparse than usual. The tulips were also just starting to show buds and unfortunately we haven’t been able to get back to see the splendor of it all because we didn’t feel well for over two weeks, and now the monsoons have set in and it’s not good travel weather. The cherry blossom festival lasts until this weekend so the crowds are still around until then and then into the summer months. I rather liked having the city or myself over the last four years.  Hopefully we will be able to explore our favorite places soon enough. We do miss our weekly drives in to town - for so many reasons. 

Enid Haupt Garden Magnolias

It was such a beautiful day. Even though we had just visited the city earlier in the week, the threat of rain made us want to make another trip to see the magnolias at the Enid Haupt gardens. Because once the flowers are blooming, heavy rains and wind will wash them away. Even though it was a Saturday we decided it was worth the ride. I usually don’t like going to town on Saturday because the parking is awful around the national mall. And since people are feeling like moving about these days, it’s more crowded than during the week when it feels like we are the only ones out there for miles. And now since we don’t live on Capitol Hill anymore we have to find parking like everybody else. Parking in our old neighborhood would have been too far of a walk this time. Once we found a spot near the air and space museum, the gardens are just a bit further away by the Smithsonian castle. The magnolias were simply lovely. We walked this way just about every day for many years and everything is so familiar. Of course there are other flowers to be seen as well as cherry blossom sculptures. It is the season for beautiful fairyland experiences. We didn’t want to miss out on it. 

Cherry Blossoms in the Neighborhood

You don’t have to go to the tidal basin to see the cherry blossoms. It’s very crowded this time of year - and it’s probably the busiest time of the year in DC with all the tourists, spring break students, and locals. So rather than head that way we decided to just walk about our neighborhood on Capitol Hill. Starting at the Supreme Court it already looked like a fairy land. You could see signs of spring in some if the most unexpected places. Heading towards Union Station through the park the squirrels were scurrying about amid the pleasant blooms. The daffodils were everywhere and the magnolias looked really pretty against the row houses. There was a fairy garden and ultimately several cherry blossoms along the way - some right in the Park by our house. For a lot of reasons we didn’t get to do our usual drive through Potomac park and the tidal basin this year. But we were not disappointed to look right in our back yard. 

Magnolias at the Smithsonian Castle Gardens

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BlogTouch Pro is back up and ruining! Now all the photos show as photos instead of white boxes. And the timing is great - the magnolias at the Smithsonian Castle gardens are just about at peak bloom. It was a brilliant sunshine on our walk this morning. The cherry blossoms in front of the Capitol were also looking pretty as well as those on the way to the Air and Space Museum. Either a new or moved art installation was taking place at the Hirshhorn sculpture garden. Crocus and other bulb flowers were blooming all about the garden paths. But the show stopper was the Smithsonian garden magnolias. Luckily this year they haven’t been frozen out by unusually harsh conditions. It was like a fairyland wandering through the very familiar place. And of course spring in DC is not complete without the duck boats. And speaking of ducks - a momma duck was sitting on her nest at the US Botanical Gardens. My husband and I looked great in the daffodil bed at the Bartholdi fountain. Finally -  a beautiful day with sunshine and springtime.