Garden Excursions- your comments, ratings on public gardens

As requested on the 'longwood trip' thread, how about some feedback on various gardens around Mid Atlantic?
I do hope to take/drag the kids to National Arboretum in DC soon. Plus side--no fee, huge, koi pond, bonsais, Japanese gardens, azaleas..I haven't visited often. Minus--no food onsite and not a nice part of town, so take a picnic, or don't stay past mealtime, and then drive out to College Park or Bowie to eat.

The longwood trip thread, which may have 'written the book' on Longwood- plenty of pictures so bear with loading it if slow
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/850074/

This message was edited Jun 20, 2008 2:18 PM

Sally - Washington Gardener Mag has a 'day trip" to a local public garden in every issue that says exactly what you are asking - review of the place, always includes tips on how far the garden place is from DC, where to eat, costs, etc. See washingtongardener.com - on their Subscribe page scroll down to the back issues list and you'll see many listed in their topics covered. I'm going back to Mt Vernon this weekend since seeing in their last issue that there is a new garden house addition.

As to the USNA - good news is they now have a "green" food cart there on weekends - I sampled from it at the Garden Fair plant sale this past spring, it was good stuff and not pricey - all organic and fresh. At other times you can picnic in the grove of state trees - which is usually my choice - pack some goodies instead of paying the big bucks

Nearby the USNA is Checkers and other fast food along NY Ave - but not any real "ambience" to speak of - and yes, not the best neighborhood - but improving...
~ Amy

Amy- thanks for the food information.
Improving? Thanks heavens, for the people in the quiet little neighborhood outside the back entrance.

I just had the opportunity to visit Ladew Topiary Gardens in Monkton, MD. I was under the impression that it would be all bushes, boy was I wrong! These gardens offer much more than topiaries. Beside beautifully pruned topiaries, you've got color themed, Japanese, Rose, shade, wildflower & zen gardens, just to name a few. It does take all day if you wish to tour the entire place. During the summer months, they also offer outdoor concerts in the "Big Bowl" area.

I'll upload pictures very soon to the Go Gardening section of DG. I'm still editing the pictures, which number around 130. Time consuming to edit, but fun to look at with lots of fond memories of an enjoyable day at Ladew Gardens.

It has been a while since I visited, but I adore Dumbarton Oaks in DC. http://www.doaks.org/gardens/virtual_tour/ggr_virtual_tour_31.html

happy- I'll have go to there next spring for Crabapple Hill- I love crabapple scent.

Great idea for a thread Sally. This might just come in handy if there is ever a day or two that John and I are not bogged down with other commitments and feel like taking a day trip.

Ruby

Shirley, perfect timing! My daughter and her husband are visiting next week and he wants to attend a Red Sox game in Baltimore. He thought maybe we'd enjoy shopping while he's at the game, but Ladew sounds like much more fun :)

Yuph! Sounds like perfect timing to me to, rcn48!

Here's the most famous topiary at Ladew Gardens. It's from part of the fox hunt scene.

Ladew's Japanese Gardens

Ladew's Victorian Garden scene.

Ladew's water feature from the Temple of Venus.

Arches in Ladew's Rose Garden

Wonderful pictures, Shirley. Thank you for sharing them.

Ruby

Thanks Ruby! Glad you enjoyed them. Here is another thread that I started on Ladew Topiary Gardens, plus it's in the Go Gardening section of DG. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/876131/

Thanks Shirley, will check it out. I loved the hunting scene.

Ruby

Thanks again Ruby. You're viewing part of the hunting scene. A wide angled lens is necessary to capture the whole thing.

Oh my gosh!!! I can't imagine the work that went in to it.

Ruby

How often does the topiary have to be trimmed?

The trimming starts at the end of May and continues until the hemlocks are trimmed in late summer. Hemlock topiary are trimmed only once a year to ensure the long-term health of the hedges.

How many gardeners work at Ladew?

There are 6 full-time, year-round gardeners plus seasonal staff.

http://www.ladewgardens.com/index2.html