wcw AUGUST 2023

travel
Check out the
US Botanic Garden, Washington, DC
Oasis of beauty and serenity in the nation’s capitol
IF
I worked in Washington, DC,
I would have my lunch outside
at the US Botanic Garden.
I’d also go inside and surround
myself with tropical moisture on
a cold winter’s day. And if a lot was weighing
on my mind, I’d pop in and walk among
the orchids. You get the idea. Tropical
gardens, conservatories, and the like, are
peaceful retreats that are also invigorating
and refreshing.
The US Botanic Garden is unique in that
it sits on the National Mall - that dense
space where US history and its many
treasures are on display in a variety of
museums and national monuments as well
as our working government. The Garden,
located next to the Capitol Reflecting Pool,
was on the wish lists of George Washington,
Thomas Jefferson and James Madison
who all wanted a national botanic garden
for the young nation’s capitol.
Thus the history of the U.S. Botanic
Garden coincides with the history of the
U.S. itself, and, with their efforts as well as
others, one was established on the National
Mall in 1820. According to their website,
The Botanic Garden has been in continuous
operation since 1850 and in its current
location since 1933.
The Garden is a living plant museum
that shows the importance of plants to
not just human beings, but the earth’s
ecosystems as a whole. It offers a historic
conservatory that houses courtyard gardens,
themed garden rooms, and special
exhibits.
The Garden extends to its outside
grounds where there are plantings that
represent different environments from
around the United States. Across the road
from the conservatory, Bartholdi Park is a
showcase for plant combinations centered
around a beautiful fountain.
Exactly what is a botanic garden? Today,
cultivation and preservation, as well as
botanical displays and carefully-selected
plant collections is what sets a botanic garden
apart. The International Association
of Botanic Gardens decided in 1963 that a
botanic garden is a place ‘open to the public
in which the plants are labelled.’
All modern botanic gardens have a role
in plant science, conservation and inspiring
the public to appreciate the vital role
of plants and fungi to life on Earth. Today,
there are 1,775 botanic gardens in 148
countries world-wide so that explains in
part why they are so popular.
The “wow” factor is how lush the interiors
of the Garden’s buildings are. You
can climb metal stairs and walk among
the sub-tropical and tropical plants from
around the world and get misted and feel
transported. It’s also a “wow” to see such
diversity in nature and come face-to-face
with plants that give us many products that
are vital in health, but also for enjoyment
(like chocolate).
7
Latest exhibit:
The United States Botanic Garden has an
exhibit sharing the stories of agriculture –
from the people that grow the food and the
important cultural connections food provides
to modern techniques and scientific
innovations that make agriculture more
sustainable and productive. “Cultivate:
Growing Food in a Changing World” is on
display through December 2023.
Visitors can learn how inventive ideas
in agriculture, both scientific and social,
sustain and enrich life and how growing
and cooking food connects people with
each other and their communities. You
can see dozens of colorful varieties of
corn and learn about the wild relatives
of modern plants we eat, go hands-on to
explore the science of agriculture through
microscopes and hand lenses, dive into the
stories of the many different peoples that
have farmed the land through the centuries,
and enjoy the smells of the plants that
connect several local chefs with their food
cultures.
Find upcoming programs at www.
USBG.gov.
7
History:
The United States Botanic Garden is the
oldest continuously operating public
garden in the United States. The Garden
is rooted in the nation’s heritage. During
the late 18th century, George Washington
had a dream of a national botanic garden
and was instrumental in establishing one
on the National Mall in 1820. Washington's
letter written in support of a botanic
garden in the new federal city is in the archives
of the Library of Congress.
The institution traces its beginning to
1816, when the constitution of the Columbian
Institute for the Promotion of Arts
and Sciences in Washington, D.C., proposed
the creation of a botanic garden to
collect, grow and distribute plants of this
and other countries that might contribute
to the welfare of the American people.
On May 8, 1820, President James Madison
signed a bill passed by the U.S. Congress
designating land for the garden to
the west of the Capitol Grounds, from First
Street to Third Street between Pennsylvania
and Maryland Avenues.
This facility functioned until 1837, shortly
after the organization stopped holding
meetings. In 1842, the idea of a national
botanic garden was reestablished when
the United States Exploring Expedition
to the South Seas (the Wilkes Expedition)
brought a collection of living plants from
around the globe to Washington, D.C.
These formed the first permanent collection
of plants for the U.S. Botanic Garden,
and four plants in the Garden today date
back to this expedition. The plants were
kept in a specially constructed greenhouse
behind the Old Patent Office Building
while a new Conservatory for the Garden
was constructed between 1842-1850.
The Victorian Conservatory opened to
the public in 1850 and the U.S. Botanic
Garden has been in continuous operation
and open to the public since this date.
The Garden moved to its present location
in 1933 and includes the Conservatory,
which was renovated from 1997-2001;
the gated outdoor gardens, which opened
in 2006; and Bartholdi Fountain and Gardens,
which were created in 1932.
The U.S. Botanic Garden maintains more
than 9,500 accessions, which equates to
about 44,000 plants. These are used for
exhibition, study, and exchange with other
institutions. The Garden's noteworthy
collections include economic plants, medicinal
plants, orchids, carnivorous plants,
cacti and other succulents, aroids, plants
of eastern North America, bromeliads, cycads,
and ferns.
7
Visiting the U.S. Botanic Garden
Learn about the importance and fundamental
value and diversity of plants, as
well as their aesthetic, cultural, economic,
therapeutic, and ecological significance.
There’s excellent public transportation in
the area since it’s just off the Mall. Try to
Metro - it’s clean, affordable and easy to
navigate.
H Location: 100 Maryland Avenue SW,
Washington, DC
H Hours: open every day of the year
from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., with the National
Garden staying open until 7 p.m. from
Memorial Day until Labor Day. Bartholdi
Park is open every day from dawn until
dusk
H Admission: Free
H More info: www.USBG.gov
H Virtual 360 degree tour: www.google.
com/maps
20 WEST COAST WOMAN AUGUST 2023