|
N° 243 — April 23, 2025
Enjoy regular updates and insights from FONA, the U.S. National Arboretum, and our award-winning Washington Youth Garden.
| | | | Evenings at the Arboretum | |
Extended evening hours are back! On Friday, May 9th, May 30th, and June 20th the entire Arboretum will stay open to the public until 8 PM. This is free for all to enjoy, and is made possible by FONA and the Capitol Hill Community Foundation.
On May 9th from 5 PM to 8 PM, join FONA and Anacostia Riverkeeper for our first community fishing event of the year. Come fish along the Anacostia River at the National Arboretum. No fishing experience is necessary and all ages are welcome to join. Anacostia Riverkeeper will provide all supplies and fishing instruction. Fishing registration will open next week.
| | Spring Cocktails Among the Bonsai | |
Don't miss out on a special Spring Cocktail Reception in the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum this Friday, April 25th from 6 PM to 8:30 PM. This fundraising event, held on the eve of FONA's Garden Fair & Plant Sale, is a great way to support the work of FONA and the U.S. National Arboretum. Come enjoy light bites and delicious drinks in this one-of-a-kind collection.
Purchase a Ticket >
| | | Important Details for the Garden Fair | | FONA's Garden Fair & Plant Sale is this Saturday, April 26th at the National Arboretum. This event is run by FONA staff and volunteers and has a lot of moving parts. We hope the information in the rest of this newsletter helps you have a safe and enjoyable time at the event. See you on Saturday! | | Click the map to view in full screen. | | |
SCHEDULE
-
8 AM: Arboretum opens to the public. Members may start lining up outside the Plant Sale tent for members-only hours. Some food vendors, like Zeke's Coffee, will be open early.
-
9 AM - 11 AM: Members-only hours in the Plant Sale tent. The Vendor Village is open to the public during this time.
-
11 AM - 4 PM: Both the Plant Sale tent and Vendor Village are open to the public. Free family-friendly activities are offered by DC Child Care Connections from 11 AM to 3 PM.
-
4 PM: Event ends. All visitors must pick up their plants from plant sitting by this time.
-
5 PM: Arboretum closes to the public.
PARKING & SHUTTLE
-
Attendees must park at either the R Street parking lot near the Visitor Center or the Grove parking lot. Parking is free.
- A free shuttle service will run between the parking lots and the event, which will be held in the New York Avenue parking lot. Shuttles will run from 7 AM to 5:30 PM.
- A limited number of handicap parking spots are available in the New York Ave lot. No other event parking is allowed in this lot.
- A pedestrian pathway connects the R Street lot to the event. Please use the pathway if you walk to the event so cars can safely use the road.
- Per the spring traffic plan, cars can only drive one way through part of the Arboretum.
EVENT REMINDERS
- There are no discounts on plants.
- Plan to pay with a credit or debit card in the Plant Sale tent (no cash sales).
- Free plant sitting will be available until 4 PM so you can leave your purchased plants while you enjoy the rest of the event.
- Dogs are not allowed in the Plant Sale tent, but are allowed on leash in the Vendor Village. Bringing your dog is not recommended since the event can get very crowded.
- A limited number of shopping carts are available. Shopping carts must stay in the Plant Sale tent area.
- In the event of inclement weather, we will send an email on Friday with alternative arrangements. This event's rain date is Sunday, April 27th.
| | What to Expect at the Garden Fair | | There's so much to do and see at the Garden Fair & Plant Sale! This is FONA's largest event of the year and is an important fundraiser. 100% of proceeds from the Plant Sale tent and a portion of all sales in the Vendor Village directly support FONA's work at the Arboretum. Come buy a plant (or five or ten) and support FONA and the National Arboretum! | | | | |
FONA'S PLANT SALE TENT
9 AM - 11 AM: Members-only hours
11 AM - 4 PM: Public hours
Whether you want to grow herbs on your apartment patio or outfit your yard with unique shade-loving perennials, the Plant Sale tent has great options at great prices. Our garden experts can also answer your questions and offer advice so you can find the best plant for your needs. Donate any amount to become a FONA member and to shop during members-only hours from 9 AM to 11 AM.
Plan to pay with a credit or debit card in this tent (no cash sales). Here are the plants that have been ordered:
| | Don't forget to buy one of our brand new FONA t-shirts or tote bags when you check out from the Plant Sale tent. The design features pieces of the Arboretum that, when they come together, make this whole place so special. Grab some gear and represent FONA and the Arboretum wherever you go! | | | | | |
VENDOR VILLAGE
9 AM - 4 PM
We have added even more vendors to our Vendor Village! 29 local plant, gardening, home goods, food, and beverage vendors are bringing products specially selected for this event.
| | |
Plants
Clothing, Jewelry, and Beauty
| | |
Art & Home Decor
Food & Drink
| | |
FREE FAMILY ACTIVITIES
11 AM - 3 PM
DC Child Care Connections will offer free child-centered, family-focused activities for children ages 2 to 12. They will include face painting, arts, crafts, and games. Adult supervision is required during all family activities.
| | | | | In Memoriam: Angela Domanico | |
Our hearts are heavy to share the news that Angela Domanico, a long-time member of the Garden Fair & Plant Sale committee and of FONA, passed away on February 12, 2025.
Angela always had a strong interest in gardening. She used her position at the University of Maryland’s Hornbake Library, where she worked for over forty years, to learn more about gardening and agriculture from the faculty and programs there.
Angela and her husband, Alan, attended their first Garden Fair at the National Arboretum in the early 1990s. They stuck around after the fair and helped clean up at the end of the day, meeting other volunteers. Each year after that, they got more involved and took a more active role in planning and executing FONA’s Garden Fair & Plant Sale. If you have attended the Garden Fair in the past few years, you would have seen Angela running the Plant Sitting tent with Alan by her side.
| | Special thank you to Bartlett Tree Experts for supporting this year's Garden Fair & Plant Sale! We are also grateful to in-kind donations from Adcock's Nursery, Anonymous (2), Bell Nursery, Edelweiss Perennials, Far Reaches Farm, Hawksridge Farms, Hoffman Nursery, Monrovia, Old Glory Nursery, Pender Nursery, Plant Delights Nursery, Pleasant Cove Nursery, R.A. Dudley Nurseries, Alan Rudan, Youngblood Nursery, Zanfel. | | | | | From our Friends: National Links Trust | |
Hone your golf skills for free, right next door to the National Arboretum! National Links Trust will host Free Lesson Fridays this year from April through September. The event will rotate each month between the Langston Golf Course in Northeast D.C. and East Potomac Golf Links in Southwest D.C.
The first Free Lesson Friday is next Friday, April 25th from 5 PM to 7 PM at the Langston Golf Course. All equipment is provided, and no experience is needed to participate. Registration is requested but not required.
Learn More & Register >
| | |
Spring Cocktails in the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
Friday, April 25, 6 PM - 8:30 PM
Evening event serving light bites and delicious drinks
Purchase a Ticket >
Garden Fair & Plant Sale
Saturday, April 26, 9 AM - 4 PM
Shop thousands of plants and local vendors
Learn More & Register >
Community Fishing
May 9, 5 PM - 8 PM
Free fishing along the Anacostia
Save the date — more info coming soon
Extended Evening Hours
May 9, May 30, June 20, 5 PM - 8 PM
Arboretum grounds day open to the public
Mother's Day Forest Bathing
Sunday, May 11, 9 AM - 11 AM
Meditation and mindfulness
Learn More & Register >
| | | It's now easier than ever to become a FONA member. Donate any amount to join or renew your membership for one year, or pledge to give monthly and support our work all year round as a Sustaining Member. There are also many tax-smart donation options. | |
Did a friend forward you this newsletter?
| | | | |
