October at Longwood – Part 1

Last week a fellow photographer and I took a day trip up to Longwood Gardens. From where we live it’s less than two and half hours’ drive, so we got up early and were at the doors when they opened.

Seasonal plantings – including ‘towers’ of mini-pumpkins – welcome visitors to Longwood Gardens in October.

We were there to explore the new Meadow Garden (the subject of my next post) and see what the Flower Garden Walk and conservatories had to offer before the Chrysanthemum Festival kicks off on October 25th.

The day was beautiful – a virtually cloudless sky and pleasant temperatures. Which meant NOT a good day for trying to photograph the gardens where sunlight was involved. Even with a polarizer, we struggled. Longwood doesn’t allow anyone in before 9 am, and so lovely, soft early morning light wasn’t an option.

We did the best we could, and had a good time. Here are the best shots I could get. Next post – the Meadow Garden.

The Italian Water Gardens, at least partially in shade, were fun to photograph as the water patterns changed.

A small gazebo between the Italian Water Gardens and the route back to the Conservatories

Inside the Conservatories, strong sun created shadows in the walkways.

This has to one of my favorite parts of the Conservatories – the “living wall” public bathroom corridor! It’s apparently the largest one of its kind in North America.

The Silver Garden, in one of the Conservatories, contains a variety of Mediterranean plants.

Tropical wall plants near the orchids.

Ferns, ferns, and more ferns.

 

High Summer at the US Botanic Garden

In late August, I took a personal field trip to the US Botanic Garden, located on The Mall in downtown DC. It had been a while since I visited. The National Garden has grown in since its early days and was the site of lots of cleanup work the day I was there, so I didn’t photograph it. But the areas around the entrance to the building were awash with beautiful, full late-summer plantings, both in beds and containers, including those planted as an extension of the garden’s “Amber Waves of Grain” exhibit  (which remains up through October 13).  Hope you enjoy the photos!

“Amber Waves of Grain” raised beds – a summer exhibit at the USBG – get a grooming by a staff member.

Corn and annuals in the “Amber Waves of Grain” exhibit.

Container plantings between the National Garden and the entry court to the USBG building.

A view towards the Mall museums from the front of the USBG. Wooden benches invite visitors to sit.

Container plantings with annuals and tropicals.

The National Museum of the American Indian is visible from the entry court garden.

Bees at work on annual Verbena in the sidewalk beds.