ProfessorRoush was away from his garden this week, key time lost in the prime, "not-too-hot and not-too-cold" spring clean-up period, but I was gardening frequently in my mind and occasionally taking a little sojourn from the conference I was attending to visit better environs. Can you guess where I was from the picture at right?
Well, if that wasn't a big enough clue, how about this picture at the left? Better? The first is the front entrance of the US Botanical Gardens conservatory building in Washington DC, the second, of course, the US Capitol building, the latter taken a few short hours ago as I was wasting time after the conference and before I had to skedaddle to Reagan International. I'm writing this from the airport at the moment, hoping to finish before my flight.
Spring is earlier here in DC by a week or two from Kansas. No cherry blossoms here yet, but this Star Magnolia (left) on the south end of the Capitol building was in full bloom, and there were a number of other early magnolias shivering but trying to open (right).
I highly recommend a side visit to the US Botanical Garden if you can tear yourself away from Arlington, the monuments, and the Smithsonian. Years ago, I was able through sheer luck of timing to attend
a great peony lecture by Roy Klehm at the USBG, and this week, the Garden is highlighting its orchid collection (right).
A wander around the USBG is a pleasant change from the cool damp Washington spring. I was tickled at the inventiveness of the USBG staff in placing "dinosaurs" into the foliage of their Primeval Garden, and I re-acquainted myself with old friends like this enormous Angel Trumpet in the Southern Exposure Garden (right). I even took the time to search out a
non-flowering Titan Arum on display in the Tropics area of the Garden (below, the spotted trunk with the umbrella canopy). According to one display, the USBG has 24 specimens of the corpse flower in its collections, a wise move since the rare bloom of each draws visitors like flies to its flowers.
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| Titan Arum |
Open 10 a.m to 5 p.m. every day including weekends and holidays, the USBG Conservatory is a often-missed but indispensable stop for any gardener visiting DC, and you should also not miss all the outdoor gardens surrounding it. Right next to the US Capitol, 365 days a year; find it, walk it, and enjoy!
ProfessorRoush was away from his garden this week, key time lost in the prime, "not-too-hot and not-too-cold" spring clean-up period, but I was gardening frequently in my mind and occasionally taking a little sojourn from the conference I was attending to visit better environs. Can you guess where I was from the picture at right?
Well, if that wasn't a big enough clue, how about this picture at the left? Better? The first is the front entrance of the US Botanical Gardens conservatory building in Washington DC, the second, of course, the US Capitol building, the latter taken a few short hours ago as I was wasting time after the conference and before I had to skedaddle to Reagan International. I'm writing this from the airport at the moment, hoping to finish before my flight.
Spring is earlier here in DC by a week or two from Kansas. No cherry blossoms here yet, but this Star Magnolia (left) on the south end of the Capitol building was in full bloom, and there were a number of other early magnolias shivering but trying to open (right).
A wander around the USBG is a pleasant change from the cool damp Washington spring. I was tickled at the inventiveness of the USBG staff in placing "dinosaurs" into the foliage of their Primeval Garden, and I re-acquainted myself with old friends like this enormous Angel Trumpet in the Southern Exposure Garden (right). I even took the time to search out a non-flowering Titan Arum on display in the Tropics area of the Garden (below, the spotted trunk with the umbrella canopy). According to one display, the USBG has 24 specimens of the corpse flower in its collections, a wise move since the rare bloom of each draws visitors like flies to its flowers.
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