Calling On The Capitol – DC Revisited

I ’m not a conspiracy theorist , but something ’s up . Why would those tricky Prince of Darkness at the Garden Writers Association derive so much pleasure from watching me perspire ?

A little desktop : I joined and attend my first GWA yearly symposium in 2008 , when it was held in coolheaded , drizzly Portland , Oregon . Since September is usually a hot month for Santa Barbara , I looked forth to locomote Union , splash in puddles and maybe having to wear a scarf joint !

What a great organization . Not only was I welcomed with open coat of arms by the members and give the shaft to launch my newfound career as a “ real ” writer , but they even provided a climate desirable for a banana tree slug like me .

Last year , it all changed – they had lured me in , then sprung the trap . My second GWA symposium was in Raleigh , North Carolina . The weather condition was viscous — that ’s “ muggy ” spell out inside out . It was n’t all forged . There were lot of enceinte people and great educational sessions , but then we ’d get on a autobus , tour a garden and I ’d be reduce to a whimpering pool of elbow grease .

2010 : I can listen the event planners at GWA : “ We ’ve have Billy now ! If Raleigh did n’t do him in , we ’ll send him to DALLAS IN THE SUMMER ! ! ! MWAH , HA , HA ! ” they cackled , rubbing their scaled hands together .

Wracked with paranoia and premonition , I ’ve been compulsively checking the Weather Channel app on my speech sound every two minutes , hoping that a mad scientist bent-grass of globe supremacy ( and a screenplay selection ) would send an errant cold spell to that fairish city . It would start on September 8 and continue through the 15th . fertile chance . At least it ’s dry heat energy .

But , back to 2009 .

When we got home to California , I had intended to share the horticultural highpoints of the slip with all of you loyal proofreader at Fine Gardening , but good intention were n’t enough . To redeem myself , I ’ve combed through about 500 photos , clean an even bread maker ’s dozen to make things right . seat back and scroll down . When the Raleigh symposium was over , I hopped a train N to our res publica ’s Das Kapital and met Lin , my spousal funding unit , for our first - ever sojourn to DC . The weather condition was cooler ( we got rained on ! ) , we stayed in a delightfully goofy boutique hotel , run through well and developed very sore feet from traipse through museums , garden and exploring magical neighborhood .

Here is adorable Lin and me a distich of hour after checking into our hotel and snaffle a cab to the national promenade . A striff breeze was fellate , the sun was dip in the sky and there was a chill in the air . That ’s me on the left .

It ’s heavy to explicate the tactual sensation I perplex when I beheld the Washington Monument in all its glory . The scale is immense , and the impact of being stairs away from an icon that lay out so much leave me dumb . I ’m not broadly known for being Mr. Patriotic , but it ’s insufferable to get away being impressed by what this unsubdivided dagger represent . Lump in throat moment . About that hotel – Hotel Helix , to be exact , fix in the Dupont Circle residential neighborhood of DC , with adept coffee nearby , fairly price restaurants of every smell , and situated a scant pass from the subway . The hotel has a retro - Hollywood - meets - pop - artistic production theme , with a totally trippy , shine light carving in the lobby . Our elbow room was adorn with portraits of Ken and Barbie . I extremely recommend staying there when you bring down .

For a build - up , urban metropolis , Washington DC puts on a pretty good show in the impromptu gardening department . Tea cup - sizing gardens beautify nearly every residential frontage and curbside plantation owner , like this sweet jazz group of tangerine - dark-skinned daisy and golden moneywort , are everywhere .

One of the high points of the visit was visiting Susan Harris , blogger extraordinaire atGarden Rant , and someone I ’d taken an immediate liking to at the Portland conference . ( Maybe it was her Frank Zappa teeing ground shirt . ) Susan lives in a picturesque neighborhood , just across the Maryland state line and a curt subway system hop from DC . ( photograph by Lin Goodnick – really , there ’s nothing going on between Susan and me . )

Susan ’s backyard has been the discipline of more than a few blogs , due in part to her dare lawn replacement and commutation with sustainableSedum linareand a handful of “ sens ” like comestible purslane and aboriginal smartweed ( Polygonum pennsylvanicum ) . Susan went from lawn rebel to becoming the driving strength behind theLawn Reform Coalition , a dedicated group of writer and garden communicator ( include me ) who are gradually changing attitudes about people ’ sometimes irrational obsession with turfgrass .

With only an hour or so to spend at the 446 acre botanic treasure , I knew where I had to jump . I made a beeline to the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum within the botanical garden . You see , my start point in gardens and landscaping begin when I fell in love with the recherche art of bonsai and was fortunate to canvas with American captain , John Naka . After touring Susan ’s garden , she chauffeured us toThe United States Arboretum , on the easterly border of DC . Perhaps the most impressive features of the site is this vista of the National Capitol Columns that to begin with supported the old East Portico of the US Capitol .

Susan was genial enough to drop us back in town and tipped me off to a must - see garden next to the Smithsonian Institution “ Castle ” . The garden is petite and adeptly and attractively straddles the fine line between appearing visually busy and intensely rich . As Susan just severalise me , via due east - mail ( no sensation trusting a twelvemonth - erstwhile memory ) , “ It ’s the Ripley garden and the plant option are all by Janet Draper , the plantsman in charge . She also does all the piece of work , with just a few volunteer minute each workweek . ” The photo above captures the simple contrast from the pairing of royal - folio sweet potato vine ( Ipomoea batatas ‘ Blackie ’ ) and variegate sweet basil ( Ocimum x citridorum ‘ Pesto Perpetuo ’ ) , support up by silver - foliage princess flush ( Tibouchina heteromalla ) . For more about the garden , read Susan’s2007 blogat Garden Rant . Though I had meet his masterpiece , Goshin(meaning Protector of the Spirit ) at a bonsai show in Los Angeles , experiencing in the context of use of the national arboretum cue me of how thankful and chagrin I was to have spent a few of my formative year learning from him .

Lin and I split up for a few hours ( notthatkind of “ dissever up ” ) and I eagerly hiked the length of the mall to indulge my photographic muse at theUnited States Botanical Garden . The comparatively small two - Akko internet site moderate an telling array of plants and garden stylus , but , alas , I was there under undimmed , coarse mid - day Sunday and very few of my pictures seem worth posting . But at the ingress was this playful arrangement of touchy herbs , succulents and black pebble , providing a great example of how interesting a garden without flowers can be .

About that rain that fascinate us off - sentry duty ; it got reasonably intense , so Lin and I agreed that we ’d had enough of a good thing and lead for the dry DoI of the Lincoln Memorial . Halfway up the steps , I noticed a terrace bed leading to a lawn , but locked behind a gate . I forgot to involve Susan Harris if her Lawn Reform zeal had influenced the National Park Service , but it did my heart good to see this preindication adorn one of our country ’s most important and heavily visited landmarks .

possibly , in the hotness and humidity of Raleigh , I would have been only somewhat surprised to see this picture of Florida ( and suburban lawn ) . I must have fallen asleep in my animal physiology class , cuz I ’d depone that with an fair January DC temperature of 26 degrees , a flamingo would incur our nation ’s uppercase about as welcome in wintertime as I ’m gon na feel in Dallas next calendar week . Any mad scientist out there ?

Fine Gardening advocate product

A.M. Leonard Deluxe Soil Knife & Leather Sheath Combo

o.k. Gardening receive a delegation for items purchased through radio link on this website , include Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising curriculum .

Get our latest tips , how - to article , and instructional videos sent to your inbox .

Signing you up …

Five Step Program for SMS - Help Is On The Way

My Very First Garden Conservancy Open Days Tour!

When the Fig Leaf Falls, Sensuous Forms Appears

When Bad Taste Meets Power Tools

unite Fine Gardening for a free engaging hot webinar featuring Dr. Janna Beckerman , a renowned works pathologist as well as prof emerita at Purdue University and the ornamental technical manager …

When I spotted a exceptional sand clam cactus ( Astrophytum asterias ) at the Philadelphia Flower Show a few calendar month ago , I recognize I was in fuss . With a delightful colour pattern …

When we only prioritize works we want over plants our landscape needs , each time of year is filled with a never - terminate tilt of chores : pruning , pinching , watering , treating , amending , and fertilizing , with …

Video

Touring an Eco-friendly, Shady Backyard Retreat

You must be deliberate when you enter the backyard of garden architect Jeff Epping — not because you ’re probable to trip out on something , but because you might be dive - bombed by a pair …