A visit to the beautiful children’s garden in the National Arboretum, Washington,D.C.
A short trip
First of all, it’s merely a hop, skip and a jump from Virginia, so exploring in the Washington Youth Garden in D.C. this past week at the National Arboretum is quick and easy.
Much to see
My visit was in early July 2024. Though I’d seen many marvelous things already that day, including the Bonsai and Penjing Museum, the famous columns, and an incredible herb garden, my favorite thing by far was the Youth Garden.
Consequently, as a garden educator, I love to encourage people to garden. I LIVE for getting anyone addicted to growing more trees and wildflowers, and to appreciate the plants all around.
A great garden destination
All in all, there’s probably few places better suited for exploring than the Washington Youth Garden in D.C. to get people hooked on the magic of gardening. The site invokes joy, is full of thriving vegetables, fruits and flowers, and contains bluebird sculptures, trellises and a pollinator area.
Setting up the scene
Additionally, the garden is well- fenced, measures about one-half to three- quarters of an acre and is vibrantly colorful. I received a short tour by one of the gardeners there, Xavier. He was from Peru, and maintains a magnificent garden, along with two or three other gardeners.
The weather was a blissful 70° F that morning, so it was a nice day to visit. The day before? There was a 110-degree heat index. I’d spent it sweating but enjoying the Folklife Festival on the National Mall a few miles away. Despite brutal heat and flash drought that most of the area was experiencing, everything looked great.
What you might see
Throughout, barely anything looked like it had been affected by the extreme temperatures and lack of precipitation. Zinnia, eggplants and beans were in abundance. The tomatoes were trellised in a smart way that involves training them up strings and removing most of their leaves. The result? The German Green-striped heirloom tomatoes were not yet ripe, but already enormous.
Additionally, there were fun folly sculptures of things like big bluebirds. The front fencing was hexagonal, yellow wire, reminding me of the bee colonies located nearby. There was a pollinator area, a few small fruit trees. The garden was well-mulched and irrigated (presumably by the large on-site pond in the nearby Asian and conifer area of the arboretum).
Great tricks up the Gardener’s sleeves
Despite the fact that Xavier reported local presence of groundhogs, it didn’t look like they were affecting the garden too much. He told me the reason was because everything (the vegetables, herbs and flowers) work together in this organic garden, to protect everything else.
In my gardens in and near Charlottesville, I have not yet achieved this elusive balance. It probably helps that the garden here is fenced with a tall (8+ feet) enclosure. Additionally, several pairs of eyes are there, observing and working, daily. As they say: “the best fertilizer is a gardener’s footsteps”.
Impressions of the Gardens
In conclusion, if you have a chance to visit the National Arboretum, which is quite close to the wonderful state of Virginia (Ronald Reagan Airport near Arlington is just 8.5 miles away), I recommend making the Youth Garden one of your stops.
Super-friendly and informative Xavier let me taste some of the cherry tomatoes, and they were delicious. They were the first I’d tried this season.
Warm memories
Finally, he sent me home with a beautiful large marigold the size of a golf ball, plucked straight from the plant. It rode home with me in my water bottle, and is still blooming it’s great-smelling heart out, a week later.
Thank you Xavier and Arboretum staff for answering my many questions and making visitors from around the world smile!
Visiting
The Washington Youth Garden and other parts of the National Arboretum are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except Christmas Day (December 25th) when it is closed.
The gardens were founded in 1927, with over ten gardens on 4+ miles of trails on the 455 acres.
“The Arboretum is dedicated to the enhancement of the economic, environmental, and aesthetic value of ornamental and landscape plants through multidisciplinary research, conservation of genetic resources, and interpretive gardens and exhibits.”- From the Visitor Guide
3501 New York Avenue NE Washington, D.C. 20002. 202.245.4523 U.S. National Arboretum (usda.gov)