Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

A wonderland of water lilies provide an amazing spectacle at the only national park in the US devoted to aquatic plants. Even more incredible is the fact that Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens began with just 12 white water lilies back in 1882. Nature lover and Civil War veteran Walter Shaw bought a plot of land alongside the Anacostia River and planted the water lilies in a pond. Soon Walter and his daughter were importing lilies from the Orient, Nile and South America.

As the water lilies spread so did news of his unusual gardening hobby. By the 1920s thousands of visitors were stopping by to see the waxy blossoms and wide saucer like lily pads and in 1938 the federal government bought the land and turned it into a park. Today the gardens span 14 acres with 45 ponds filled with 100,000 exotic water lilies – including the 6ft diameter tropical water lily - lotuses, water hyacinths and bamboo.

Although the gardens provide year-round interest, late May to September is the best time to see the lilies in bloom and it’s a good idea to come in the morning before it gets too hot and the flowers close for the day. Surrounding the gardens is Kenilworth Marsh, the only remaining tidal marsh in Washington DC and an important wetland habitat and regular visitors include bullfrogs, turtles, muskrats and more than 250 species of birds including herons and migratory water birds.

The gardens are open 7am to 4pm daily, except Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day and admission is free.

Constitution Gardens

Bordered by the Washington Monument and Reflecting Pool to the north and close to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, it’s not surprising this 50-acre park on the west end of the National Mall is a top spot for viewing the iconic DC skyline and cityscape surrounding the US Capitol building. An oasis within the bustling city for visitors, residents and urban wildlife alike, around 24 million people a year visit Constitution Gardens.

At one time the area was submerged beneath the Potomac River and the US Army Corps of Engineers carried out a mammoth dredging project at the turn of the last century to reclaim the land that became the Potomac Park. The gardens were dedicated in 1976 as a living legacy and 200th anniversary tribute to the founding of the American Constitution.

Trees and benches line the paths to create a tranquil atmosphere and the perfect spot to take a break from sightseeing and enjoy a picnic lunch. Shade can be found beneath some of the 5,000 oak, maple, dogwood, elm and crab apple trees. The gardens are also home to one of DC’s less well-known memorials. The island in the middle of the lake has stones bearing the names and signatures of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

The photogenic landscaped gardens, which are open to the public 24 hours a day, attract visitors throughout the year and provide a permanent home to flocks of ducks and geese who end up in numerous holiday snaps.

Dumbarton Oaks

UK visitors often do a double take and have to remind themselves where they are when they walk into Dumbarton Oaks, in the heart of trendy Georgetown. For here is a lovingly planned and preserved family garden incorporating traditional European design complete with its very own English country garden.

In 1920, after a long search, Mildred and Robert Woods Bliss found their ideal country home at the highest point in Georgetown. They were particularly attracted by its beautiful trees, many of which date back to the 19th century and still survive. They set about meticulously planning and planting their perfect garden over a period of 30 years in collaboration with landscape designer Beatrix Farrand.

Visitors can see the legacy of their passion in the 10-acre grounds of the original Federal-style house. Trees frame views and create spaces between the rose garden, towering bamboos and terraces filled with herbs, cherry trees and forsythias. The lovely Pebble Garden, paved with a mosaic of Mexican stones and surrounded by rococo borders of moss, makes way for an orangery, kitchen garden and romantic Lovers Lane Pool.

Benches are tucked into corners or shaded by arbours while urns, vases and ornaments, including many specially commissioned for the garden, provide even more interest. In 1941 Beatrix Farrand wrote a plant book setting out her philosophy for the garden and how it should be maintained, which is being followed to this day.

Dumbarton Oaks is open from March 15 to October 31, 2 to 6pm, and admission is $8 and $5 for concessions.

National Cathedral Gardens

Standing at one of the city’s highest points, Washington’s National Cathedral extends almost the length of two football pitches and is the sixth largest cathedral in the world. The soaring Gothic landmark with its sparkling stained glass windows and intricate carvings is a major attraction in its own right and the 57-acre grounds include a variety of enchanting gardens overseen by the watchful eye of the cathedral’s gargoyles.

The herb garden is scented with rosemary, thyme, and mint, to name just a few, and includes Herb Cottage, where visitors can purchase herbs and herb-flavoured vinegar. The Bishop’s Garden is planted with magnolias, orchids and exquisite flowers whilst the Little Garden is designed to look like a medieval herb garden surrounded by hedges of old English boxwood.

Visitors from the UK will particularly enjoy looking at the garden’s mysterious treasure, the Glastonbury thorn tree. According to legend it blooms only on Christmas Day and when royalty visits. True to this tale, it has bloomed only on Christmas Day and during the Queen’s visits in 1951, 1957 and 2007 and Prince Charles’ visits in 1981 and 2005.

Anyone visiting during the first week of May can enjoy the added attraction of the colourful National Cathedral Flower Mart, Washington DC’s annual outdoor festival for garden enthusiasts. The event features annuals, perennials and landscape exhibits, with stalls selling gardening items, jewellery and crafts.

The gardens are open daily until dusk. The requested contribution to visit the cathedral is $5 for adults and $3 for concessions.

National Gallery of Art Sculpture Gardens

Horses, a house and a haunting sculpture inspired by the Second World War are among the diverse and thought-provoking works of art that can be discovered in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Gardens. The novel ‘outdoor room’ of the National Gallery of Art provides a peaceful setting for green-fingered art lovers to indulge two passions at the same time. The beautifully planted garden is a feast for all the senses with the maroon flowers of the chocolate cosmos adding a hint of chocolate to the air alongside the delicate scents of magnolia and mint vines.

The six-acre garden showcases 17 works from the gallery’s growing collection as well as sculptures on loan for special exhibitions. A fountain, which doubles as an ice rink during winter, provides a central focal point and there are plenty of seats where visitors can relax and reflect on the sculptures set against a backdrop of mature trees, shrubs and perennials.

The garden, enclosed by a decorative fence designed to reflect the historic character of the gallery’s West Building, houses sculptures created from different materials by artists from around the world. They include British born Barry Flanagan’s witty bronze Thinker on a Rock, where the artist substitutes a hare for Rodin’s famous Thinker. Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz draws her inspiration from wartime experiences whilst Roy Lichtenstein, best known for the pop paintings that he made in the 1960s, shows a different side to his creativity.

The sculpture garden is open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, and Sunday, 11am to 6pm. Admission is free.