More Green Space

 Today we went into DC to see the National Arboretum, which is part of the United States Department of Agriculture rather than the National Park Service. First stop, of course, the Visitor's Center. When I asked what we should see they told us we shouldn't miss the Bonsai exhibit. They were right. These unbelievable trees are displayed simply with enough space between them to appreciate each one individually. We saw one that started training in 1875 and then found one that started in 1856. Unbelievable! A short while later we came upon the tree pictured to the left. Believe it or not, it's a Sequoia. Thee little tea bag looking things sitting on the soil in the pots are release fertilizer each time the plant is watered.

In the National Herb Garden I saw plants that reminded me of cattails, which were pearl millet. I'd read about millet, but this was the first time I'd ever seen it. They also had rice, wheat, and rye planted there. Who knew that many varieties of wheat only come up to my waist! There were several scented geraniums in pots around the knot garden. What surprised me though were the roses. Many of the plants didn't look healthy, so I guess it's not just the rose bushes around campus that are having a bad year.

In 1958 they removed several of the original sandstone columns from the Capitol to make way for an addition to the building. They used marble for the new columns, and the originals eventually found a new home in the Arboretum. They dominate a large meadow that has paths mowed through it. Across the meadow stands the capital of one of the columns on what is called the Capitol Columns Overlook.


The columns are pretty impressive, and they sit on top of a hill with a reflecting pool in front of them. We also walked through the Azalea Collections. Even though it's past their blooming season, the was an oasis of cool on a muggy afternoon. We walked up the Mount Hamilton Foot trail, which takes you to the Mount Hamilton Overlook, one of the highest points in DC at 240 feet. If you look through the trees, you can see the Capitol two miles to the west.

It continues to surprise me how much green space there is within the 68.3 square miles of the District of Columbia. Walking across the meadow you wouldn't know that the Capitol is less than three miles away.

These weekend excursions are what I envisioned doing when I first moved down here a little over two years ago. While I did a couple on my own, they're definitely more enjoyable to do with someone else. And we get in a lot of walking.