There are many reasons to visit the beautiful children’s garden in the National Arboretum, Washington,D.C.
Exploring in D.C.
This is a description and list of the many reasons I had fun exploring the Washington Youth Garden in D.C. It’s only minutes from Virginia, so exploring at the National Arboretum (where the Washington Youth Garden is located) is quick, easy and inspiring!
Much to see in the garden
I visited in early July 2024. 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 exploration by far was the Youth Garden.
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. This place did not disappoint!
A great garden destination
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, has thriving vegetables, fruits and flowers, and contains bluebird sculptures, trellises and a pollinator area.
Setting up the scene
I received a short tour from one of the gardeners there, Xavier. He was from Peru, and maintains a magnificent garden, along with two or three other gardeners.
The weather a blissful 70° F that morning, great for visiting. The well-fenced measures about one-half to three- quarters of an acre and is vibrantly colorful.
The day before? ‘Twas 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 ingenious tomato-trellising involved 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.
Fun folly sculptures of things like big bluebirds dotted the landscape. The front fencing was hexagonal, yellow wire, reminding me of the bee colonies located nearby. The garden also contains a pollinator area, a few small fruit trees, and is 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. He told me it’s 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 between “whistle-pigs” and my vegetables. It probably helps that the Washington Youth garden is fenced with a tall (8+ feet) enclosure. Additionally, several pairs of eyes are observing and working there 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, I recommend making the Youth Garden one of your first stops. It is close to the wonderful state of Virginia (Ronald Reagan Airport in nearby Arlington is just 8.5 miles away),
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!
Exploring
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)