August 2009
In Our Own Backyard
Weeping Willows and Glorious Gardens
A Trip to the National Arboretum
By Janice L. Kaplan
The U.S. National Arboretum, located only two miles from the Capitol, is a paradise of trees and flowers including wonderful open spaces for children to run, hiking trails with views of the Anacostia River, a museum devoted to miniature bonsai trees, an open-air tram tour, a native butterfly garden and a new online virtual tour for kids, “with some of the weirdest, coolest and grossest plants on hand,” says Nancy Luria, head of education and visitor services, who developed the kids’ tour.
It’s hard to imagine a bigger fan of the Arboretum than Julie Miller, the mother of a toddler, preschooler, preteen and teen, who recently visited with her two younger sons. Her top 10 list says it all.
- Kids can never get too much exposure to nature. At the Arboretum, “There aren’t any brand names or billboards,” says Miller. “How refreshing!”
- The Arboretum is a great way to wake up the senses. “We were delighted by the colors--mint and fern green, fuchsia, pale pinks and purples--and the sweet smells of herbs, flowers and fresh air,” she says. “My young ones were intrigued by the shapes of plants at various stages.”
- Every season is different. August, for instance, offers blooming crape myrtles and prairie wildflowers, hydrangeas and waterlilies.
- Every time you visit, there’s something new to see. For instance,the “Power Plants,”exhibition features a selection of plants that provide valuable sources of bioenergy.
- The Arboretum’s 446 acres--the equivalent of about 339 football fields--provide a scenic backdrop for exercise, whether a walk, stroll, run or bike ride.
- It inspires the imagination. “Our family likes to picture Benjamin Bunny peeking out from underneath a hedge of the National Herb Garden,” says Miller.
- It’s hard to beat the people-watching. Visitors represent every possible background, from parents in the neighborhood pushing strollers to overseas visitors taking in the bonsai museum.
- The younger crowd never tires of feeding hundreds of koi that swim in the East Terrace pool.
- Visitors of all ages marvel at the massive National Capitol Columns along with its reflecting pool and fountain, one of D.C.’s most notable and dramatic landmarks.
- It’s free!
Highlights for Families
A tree that weeps, a shrub that George Washington grew and a fish with whiskers are among the plants, animals and objects that children will discover when they visit the Arboretum’s virtual tour for kids (usna.usda.gov/Gardens/collections/VirtualTours/KidsVirtualTour.html).
Twenty-eight stops along the tour present a picture with a question or a challenge on one page, and answers and additional interesting facts revealed by clicking to the next page. At home, children can print the map and directions on how to find each of the stops and use the information to practice their wayfinding skills when they visit the Arboretum in person. The virtual tour becomes a scavenger hunt when used on the Arboretum grounds.
National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
Pint-sized visitors and their adult companions will want to stop by the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, which has one of the largest collections of these timeless trees in North America. Highlights include an almost 400-year-old white pine that survived Hiroshima and was in one family for six generations before they donated it to the museum; the most famous bonsai in the world, “Goshin,” which is a forest planting designed by John Naka, considered the father of American bonsai; bonsai that were presented to Presidents Reagan and Clinton; and a bonsai affectionately known as “Jackie Gleason Dancing.”
On a recent visit, 9-year-old Grace Allen of Arlington says she “liked that the trees were different shapes and had cool trunks and cool leaves.” Her cousin Jack Allen, also 9, was most impressed by bonsai that had more than one trunk.
This summer, the museum is featuring “Becoming a Bonsai,” a special exhibition that explores how a common crape myrtle is transformed into a charming bonsai through pruning, wiring and repotting. The exhibit, on view through August, includes artifacts from the museum’s collection, including tools used by bonsai masters.
Assistant curator Aarin Packard, 28, hopes the exhibit will introduce bonsai to a younger generation and inspire families to take up the hobby. “Many of today’s young people are interested in the green movement,” says Packard. “This is a logical extension of that. Making a bonsai not only gets kids interested in nature, it produces a work of art at the same time. What could be better?”
Youth Garden
The Washington Youth Garden at the National Arboretum, supported by Friends of the National Arboretum, provides a year-round environmental science and food education program for D.C. youth and their families. Using the garden and Arboretum as a living classroom, the program teaches participants to explore their relationships with food and the natural world. Staff, interns and community youth and families are often on hand and happy to answer questions about the garden.
Tram Tours
On weekends and holidays from mid-April to mid-October, the Arboretum offers 45-minute guided tram tours of the gardens and collections at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m., and 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. The taped narrative provides an introduction to the Arboretum’s history, mission, research, garden displays and collections. The tour is most appropriate for children who are willing to sit through the leisurely ride. Tickets are available at the kiosk in the parking lot near the R Street gate.
Janice L. Kaplan is a writer and communications consultant for nonprofits including museums, foundations, arts and human services organizations.
Things to know before you visit the National Arboretum:
Location: 3501 New York Avenue, NW, three miles from downtown Washington
Phone: 202-245-2726. For information about guided tours, classes and events, call 202-245-4521.
Age: The Arboretum is open to all ages. Children under 16 must be supervised by an adult.
Handicap and Stroller Accessible: A number of gardens and buildings are accessible. Further information is available on the website or at the reception desk in the administration building.
Hours: The grounds are open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. except December 25. The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; it is closed on federal holidays November through February. The administration building is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. throughout the year and from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on weekends, March through October. (It is closed on federal holidays November through February.)
Cost: The Arboretum is free. Tram tickets may be purchased for $4 (adults), $3 (Friends of the National Arboretum and National Bonsai Foundation members) and $2 (children ages 4-16). Children under 4 are free.
Transportation: The closest Metro stop is Stadium Armory station on the Blue and Orange lines. Transfer to the B2 Metrobus; disembark the bus on Bladensburg Road at Rand Street, just past the Arboretum sign on the right. Walk back to the sign at R Street and walk down R Street two blocks to the Arboretum entrance.
Food: Families are encouraged to bring picnics.
Website: usna.usda.gov. The website for the National Bonsai Foundation, which supports the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, is bonsai-nbf.org.