This past weekend at the National Arboretum was filled with garden connections and groovy jams. At our Fall into School Gardening event in the Washington Youth Garden, dozens of D.C. educators prepared to connect their students with garden science. They picked up free seedlings from FONA and our partners at the UDC Master Gardener Program and received hands-on training for how to prepare a garden bed. This event kicked off FONA’s Educator Coaching Program, which will work throughout the school year with teams of educators from five D.C. schools to strengthen their school garden programs. The new cohort of educators met for the first time and shared about their hopes for the future of their school gardens.

During a gorgeous evening in the Ellipse Meadow, hundreds of people enjoyed our Music in the Meadow Rock Garden concert and paid homage to the herbs and other plants that connect to music. The Route 66 Band played renditions of classic and contemporary rock songs, and visitors even wore tie-dye, headbands, and leather pants to represent their favorite rock era. Attendees also engaged with instruments made from natural materials from the House of Musical Traditions, as well as instruments that Xavier, FONA’s Garden manager, made from plants like zucchini stem flutes.

This concert was made possible thanks to funding from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. FONA is incredibly grateful to Christine Moore and Erin Holden, National Herb Garden staff, for helping bring this event to life. Stop by the Herb Garden to explore the Rock Garden exhibit and learn more about the connections between plants and music.

We are hosting a special coffee pop-up at the National Arboretum this Saturday, September 13th! The best part is — the coffee is free for all to enjoy. Off Day Coffee will provide complimentary pour-over coffee in the Visitor Center from 9 AM until noon, or until coffee runs out. There is a $5 suggested donation, which will be donated directly to FONA.

We are very excited to partner with Off Day Coffee for this pop-up. With beautiful weather expected on Saturday morning, we hope you will take a moment to enjoy a nice cup of coffee in the company of good people and plants.

For the fifth year in a row, FONA partnered with Urban Adventure Squad to offer a summer outdoor learning program for elementary and middle school students at the National Arboretum. Participants spent a magical week in mid-August exploring the Arboretum’s magnificent trees!

Students practiced identifying leaves, bark, and seeds of different tree species and learned the hyperlocal history of the area. They also learned about pollination and composting in the Washington Youth Garden, and participated in TreeWise activities from Casey Trees’ Junior Urban Forester curriculum to better understand pollination and resource sharing between trees. Students even created comics, stories, and other creative projects written from the viewpoint of a tree!

Looking for a fun outdoor learning opportunity for your student when D.C. public schools are closed on October 9th and 10th? Urban Adventure Squad will offer full-day programs out of the Washington Youth Garden at the Arboretum for 1st through 5th graders on those days. Registration opens on Monday, September 15th at 8 AM. Scholarship rates and sibling discounts are available.

Learn More & Register >

As the weather cools down and the leaves begin to change, fall is a great time to get outdoors and volunteer at the National Arboretum!

FONA is looking for volunteers to support our garden work and fall programs as they ramp into high gear (stay tuned for our Fall Happenings event guide in next week's newsletter). Join regularly-scheduled volunteer hours in the Washington Youth Garden on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and get your hands dirty while meeting others who love to garden. Or support visitor programs like our Fall 5K, Garlic Planting Party & Bulb Sale, and Winter Festival & Christmas Tree Sale. No experience is required, and while you can volunteer for a single day, we greatly appreciate when people can commit to volunteering for multiple events or throughout the growing season.

Complete FONA's Volunteer Interest Form >

The National Arboretum is also looking for volunteers to support work in the Arboretum's archives and living collections. Prior gardening or other experience is not required. The Arboretum asks that volunteers commit to at least four hours of work per week.

Learn More About Volunteering with the National Arboretum >

Depending on the cultivar, Anemone x hybrida bloom white or pink with single or semi-double flowers, and are great cut flowers. Their late summer and autumn bloom time make them staples in the garden, especially as some cultivars bloom for two months. Japanese anemones like moist soil that doesn’t get too wet and they tolerate part-shade conditions, preferring them in warmer climates. They’re tolerant to browsing wildlife and are semi-evergreen in warmer zones. While they can be used as a ground cover, they are rhizomous and spread quickly once established, so don’t plant where they can escape into natural areas.

Taxonomically, this plant was split from the genus Anemone and renamed Eriocapitella x hybrida in 2018 but the old name is often used as it is familiar and some don’t accept the new classification. It is the hybrid of the similarly renamed Anemone hupehensis var. japonica and Anemone vitifolia. This hybrid was made by gardeners of the Royal Horticultural Society in the 19th century. Despite the name, Anemone hupehensis var. japonica is not native to Japan (though it has been naturalized there for centuries). Instead, it is native to China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Check out Japanese anemones in the Asian Collection this fall.

Kamala Codrington-White, an Agricultural Science Research Technician at the National Arboretum, shares plants of note at the Arboretum in this recurring segment. Find these plants on your next trip to the Arboretum. Photos by the National Arboretum.

Early Morning Yoga with Bikram Yoga Works

Most Saturdays through October 18, 9 AM - 10 AM

Outdoor yoga for all skill levels

Class Schedule & Registration >

Late Morning Yoga with Bluebird Sky Yoga

Most Saturdays through October 18, 11 AM - 12 PM

Outdoor yoga for all skill levels

Class Schedule & Registration >

Off Day Coffee Pop-Up

Saturday, September 13, 9 AM - 12 PM

Complimentary pour-over coffee in the Visitor Center

Community Fishing

Friday, September 19, 5 PM - 8 PM

Free fishing along the Anacostia River

Learn More & Register >

Evening Sound Bathing

Friday, September 19, 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Refresh your mind with soothing soundscapes

Learn More & Register >

Fall Equinox Forest Bathing

Sunday, September 21, 9 AM - 11 AM

Guided meditation and mindfulness

Learn More & Register >

Indigenous Peoples' Day Forest Bathing

Monday, October 13, 9 AM - 11 AM

Guided meditation and mindfulness

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Garlic Planting Party & Bulb Sale

Saturday, October 25 | 11 AM - 3 PM

Save the date — more info coming soon!

Fall 5K

Sunday, November 9 | 8:30 AM

Run or walk through stunning fall foliage

Race Registration >

Veteran's Day Forest Bathing

Tuesday, November 11, 9 AM - 11 AM

Guided meditation and mindfulness

Learn More & Register >