2 posts tagged “national arboretum washington dc”

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We rented a car so that we could get  to a friend's place way out in the 'burbs of Virginia last night.    When the manservant brought the car home he said that he had had to park it "way down near the park"  and that it was pouring with rain.  

I said:  Oh well you'll have to get it and pick me up (I melt in rain).

15 minutes later it was time to go and he left the house while I locked up and then walked out. I trudged through puddles to the park looking for a manservant sitting in a car -  a colour and type not known. I came across a car idling at the kerb and when I bent down to check if there was a manservant inside some ladies on a porch shouted at me in Spanish.  I'm not sure they were being polite!   (Spanish is on my list of things to learn before I die).

Confused I go past the park and to the end of the block  - cars have gone along the street all the time so surely the manservant would've recognised me even under the umbrella (???)...... I trudge back towards the house and see a bright red Kia double parked at our place. 

Its horn is blaring.  As I get closer the manservant is getting out and as he sees me he shouts in exasperation:  God,  you really are a damn Princess!!

I catch the eye of an elderly man on the footpath and we smile like co-conspirators as I say:  "Looks like I'm in trouble"  and he says:  "Girl, I say you might be"        

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This morning the rain was gone; the sky was blue, the sun shining and the temperature was right for a walk.  We drove the rental car to the National Arboretum -  a wonderful "park"  established in 1927 by an act of Congress to be a living museum where plants are cultivated for scientific and educational purposes.  It is 446 acres with 9.5 miles of winding roadways.  There are many "bush" tracks from the roadways into the wonderful collections of trees & bushes & ferns. 

We parked and walked up to the National Capitol Columns which were originally on the East Portico of the US Capitol in 1828.   The columns are set on a foundation of stones from the steps that were on the east side of the Capitol.   Old identification marks from the quarry are still visible on some of the stones.  Acanthus leaves are carved into the design at the top of the columns.  

Here are some shots taken from the Ellipse where the Columns stand:      

The National Arboretum is a wonderful space of 446 acres with 9.5 miles of roadway wandering through it.  It is right here in Washington DC - but you really need a car to get to it.  This last weekend we rented a car and visited on Saturday to see the azaleas which were in their flowering peak.

The Arboretum was established by an Act of Congress in 1927 and is today administered by the US Department of Agriculture and is run with a staff of 99 and about 150 volunteers.

As the only federally supported arboretum, and one of the larger arboretums in the country, the National Arboretum breeds plants for arboretums throughout the country. The Arboretum was opened to public viewings in May 1954 - primarily after high demand from the public to view the azaleas.

The Azalea Collection came about when the arboretum’s first Director, Benjamin Morrison, developed hybrids  from breeding large-flowered Indica azaleas with cold-hardy species. Between 1946 and 1948 10,000 unnamed hybrids were planted. Morrison then introduced 454 azalea cultivars.  Most of these are not available in the nursery industry. 

In the Ellipse Meadow of the Arboretum are twenty two 34' Corinthian columns - the National Capitol Columns - which were actually on the East Portico of the Capitol from 1828 - 1958. The columns are set on a foundation of stones from the steps that were on the east side of the Capitol and old identification marks from the quarry are still visible on some of the stones.