With more than 230,000 acres of parkland within the metro area, DC is a nature-lover’s paradise. If you’re looking for a place to picnic or an urban retreat, escape to one of these beautiful parks and gardens.
Constitution Gardens
Constitution Gardens spreads across 45 acres of landscaped grounds, including an island and a lake. Trees and benches line the paths to create a tranquil atmosphere and a perfect spot for a picnic. The gardens boast approximately 5,000 oak, maple, dogwood, elm and crabapple trees, and spread over 14 acres. Bordering the Reflecting Pool to the north, the gardens also include the Signers of the Declaration of Independence Memorial.
Dumbarton Oaks Gardens
Located in the heart of Georgetown, the Dumbarton Oaks estate offers 10 acres of formal gardens in a charming Georgetown setting. Oak trees, a rose garden, a towering bamboo stand and an English country garden surround the mansion. The grounds of the mansion consist of several terraces devoted solely to the planting of herbs, cherry trees and forsythias.
Gunston Hall Gardens
Overlooking the Potomac River, just south of Washington, DC, Gunston Hall was built by noted patriot George Mason. Today, Gunston Hall is known for its lovely grounds, which include 550-acres of formal gardens and wooded countryside. The gardens were restored by the Garden Club of Virginia and contain only plants and shrubs actually found in colonial days. The densely wooded estate includes a nature trail, which leads visitors through the forest and past red cedars, white oaks, water oaks, red maples, beech, black walnut and sassafras.
Hillwood Museum and Gardens
Designed for cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post and located at one of her former homes, the gardens at Hillwood contain more than 3,500 varieties of plants and trees. Wooded paths connect the gardens and encircle the sweep of lawn on the mansion's south side. Azaleas, violets, rhododendrons and dogwoods add to the garden's beauty. Among Hillwood’s delights: a Japanese garden featuring a waterfall and bridge, a rose garden and greenhouses containing more than 5,000 orchids.
Franciscan Monastery Garden
Flowers, trees and shrubs grow lavishly on the 40-acre grounds of the Franciscan Monastery in Northeast. Daffodils, flowering dogwood, cherry and tulip trees add to the garden's splendor. The garden includes pathways and authentic replicas of Holy Land shrines. Tropical treasures cultivated in the monastery’s greenhouse include hibiscus, lantanas, tiger lilies, giant caladiums and palm and banana trees.
Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is the only National Park Service site devoted to the propagation and display of aquatic plants. Kenilworth is tucked away in Southeast Washington, DC along the east bank of the Anacostia River, the city’s last tidal marsh. The Gardens span 14 acres, with 45 ponds that sustain more than 100,000 exotic water lilies, ferns and lotuses, the East Coast’s foremost collection.
National Arboretum
Perched on one of DC’s highest points, the National Arboretum rambles over 444 acres. Whether blanketed in spring green or autumn gold, this prestigious horticultural institution offers a welcome refuge for outdoors enthusiasts. Ten miles of hard surface roads wind through the scenic grounds, making it ideal for exploration on bicycle, on foot, or by car.
Potomac Park
Divided into two sections, East and West Potomac Parks, this swath of green space covers some of the city’s most memorable sights. West Potomac Park includes spectacular views of the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, Constitution Gardens, the Reflecting Pool, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the FDR Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial and the Tidal Basin, framed by the famous cherry trees. East Potomac Park also blooms with cherry blossoms in the spring.
Tudor Place Garden
The stately grounds of the Tudor Place estate in historic Georgetown include five acres of beautifully landscaped gardens. Owned by Martha Custis Peter, granddaughter of George and Martha Washington, the gardens have retained the expanse of green lawns, parterres and woodland originally developed by the Peter family. The sloping South Lawn contains the specimen trees planted in the early 19th century. Formal plantings such as the Flower Knot and English Box make up the North Garden.
U.S. Botanic Garden
Azalea, lilies and orchids bloom within the glass and aluminum conservatory, while specialized areas of the facility explore primordial plants, medicinal plants, and other topics of interest. The Botanic Garden also features an exotic jungle and a tropical rain forest, in which climbing vines race toward the top of the tiered greenhouse, plus a collection of more than 10,000 varieties of orchids. The Botanic Garden also hosts a variety of permanent and visiting exhibitions.
Washington National Cathedral Gardens
Located atop the highest point of the city, the 57-acre grounds of the Cathedral include a variety of gardens, including an herb garden, where visitors can purchase herbs and herb-flavored vinegar. The Bishop's Garden is the setting for magnolias, orchids and exquisite flowers. The Little Garden is designed to look like a medieval herb garden surrounded by hedges of old English boxwood. The Cathedral is also home to a rather mysterious treasure, the Glastonbury thorn tree. According to legend, it blooms only on Christmas Day and when royalty visits. True to legend, it has bloomed only on Christmas Day and during Queen Elizabeth's visits in 1951, 1957 and 2007 and Prince Charles' visits in 1981 and 2005.
Woodlawn Plantation Gardens
Overlooking the Potomac River in Mount Vernon, Virginia, Woodlawn Plantation is known primarily for its extensive collection of old-fashioned roses. Roses were a favorite of the plantation's original owner Nelly Custis Lewis, George Washington's foster daughter. During a reconstruction of the gardens, the Garden Club of Virginia included two parterres (formal rose bed areas) in honor of Ms. Lewis. These parterres hold more than 36 beds of roses.
