Experience the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum like never before. Join FONA’s Board of Directors on Friday, May 29th for an evening of horticultural wonder, delicious food and drink, and live music. Watch as our featured mixologist crafts signature drinks infused with the flavors of the National Arboretum. Enjoy cocktails as sophisticated as the collections themselves! 

The Spring Soirée is more than a beautiful event. Your ticket directly funds FONA’s mission to support and celebrate the science, beauty, and community impact of the National Arboretum. This open-air affair is a wonderful way to connect with friends and neighbors from across D.C. who share a passion for the Arboretum. Space is limited, so secure your tickets now!

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FONA’s longest-held tradition is thriving thanks to the thousands of people who attended the Garden Fair & Plant Sale last Saturday. Ever since FONA hosted the first Garden Fair 39 years ago, this event has built a community of people year after year who are passionate about plants and gardening. Thank you to everyone who joined us at the National Arboretum for this special event, who supported FONA through plant purchases, and who continued this tradition alongside us!

Please fill out our short event survey if you attended the Garden Fair & Plant Sale. We want to continue to improve our events and appreciate all the feedback you can provide.

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The Garden Fair & Plant Sale is possible thanks to the support of incredible volunteers and generous sponsors. The volunteer Garden Fair Committee has spent the past many months collecting and caring for plant donations, as well as ordering and pricing thousands of plants from nurseries. FONA is incredibly grateful for their hard work leading up to and during the Garden Fair. Their care for this event makes it such a special affair.

FONA is also grateful to the 75 volunteers who helped on the day of the Garden Fair. They helped customers find the right plants, directed traffic, managed checkout, wrangled lines and shopping carts, loaded plants into cars, and so much more. 

FONA would like to extend a special thank you to Bartlett Tree Experts for sponsoring this year's Garden Fair & Plant Sale. We are also grateful for in-kind plant donations from Adcock's Nursery, Brotzman Nursery, Edelweiss Perennials, Far Reaches Farm, Hawksridge Farms, Hoffman Nursery, Hopewell Nursery, Lancaster Farms, Manor View Farm, McCorkle Nursery, Monrovia, Old Glory Nursery, Piedmont Carolina Nursery, Plant Delights Nursery, and Youngblood Nursery. 

The Hop-on Shuttle service scheduled for Saturday, May 2nd, has been cancelled. This marks the end of our shuttle season. Thank you to all our riders for who joined us for this pilot program! If you rode the shuttle this spring, please fill out this 2 to 4 minute survey to give us valuable feedback on your experience!

There's no better way to spend Mother's Day than with Mother Nature! Enjoy a relaxing forest bathing session at the Arboretum this Mother's day (May 10th) from 9 AM to 11 AM. Create special memories with mom as you rest under the trees and witness spring blossoming at the Arboretum. Forest bathing is an excellent way to relieve stress — just a few moments of calm and stillness can be exactly what we need to press reset on our busy lives. Registration is required and tickets cost $35.

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Curious about the migratory birds moving through our region this spring? Join us for a Bird Migration Workshop on May 17th from 10 AM to 12 PM at the National Arboretum. In this interactive, beginner-friendly session, experienced birders from the DC Bird Alliance will illuminate the science behind one of nature’s greatest mysteries: bird migration! We’ll discuss how human impacts like climate change and light pollution affect bird migration, and what you can do to support migratory birds.

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The beautiful golden-yellow blooms of Kerria japonica never fail to brighten shady gardens with their cheer. As the name suggests, the Japanese rose is native to southern East Asia, where it has been referenced in poetry for millenia. It is included multiple times in a collection of Japanese poetry from the fifth and sixth centuries called the Man'yōshū, as well as in Chinese poetry from the Qing Dynasty (15th to 18th century). Plant Kerria japonica to attract hummingbirds and butterflies, but avoid the double-flowered ‘Pleniflora’ cultivar, as it generally has no nectar. It is deer-resistant, drought-tolerant, and can grow even in full shade, making it a good choice for D.C. area gardens. The Japanese rose may need occasional pruning if it gets unruly. It has a tendency to sucker, so may need dividing if not planted in a large enough space. Its bright green stems provide winter interest and its leaves are attractively pleated, making it a year-round winner. Be careful when purchasing Kerria japonica, as it might come with a deadly fungus specific to the genus. Enjoy its lovely flowers in the Asian Collections’ Japanese Woodland or in the Friendship Garden this spring.

Celebrate World Bonsai Day with the Potomac Bonsai Association, the U.S. National Arboretum, and FONA! From May 8th through 10th, the Potomac Bonsai Festival will showcase the awe-inspiring art of bonsai, including masterpiece displays from the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum’s permanent collection. Aspiring and longtime bonsai hobbyists will find everything they need from vendors selling bonsai, pots, and supplies. This special weekend includes free demonstrations, children’s activities, workshops led by expert bonsai artists, docent-led tours of the Museum, and food trucks.



Learn More and Register for Workshops >

Here at FONA, we are big fans of native plants! At the end of last month, we held a Native Plant Sale in conjunction with the National Arboretum’s Lahr Native Plant Symposium. Native plants were also a popular choice at the Garden Fair & Plant Sale this past Saturday, with many attendees filling their carts with native pollinator-friendly perennials. We’re glad to supply our community with plants that are not only beautiful, but also provide crucial habitat and food to local wildlife populations.

If you’re looking for native garden inspiration, the National Arboretum is a great place to find it. The Friendship Garden is inspired by a native meadow, using swaths of Golden Ragwort, Robin’s Plantain, and False Indigo to create a vibrant palette of yellow, purple, and green. The Fern Valley Native Plant Collection, on the other hand, showcases shade and water-loving plants in a naturalistic woodland setting. There’s a native plant for every garden setting and style, so opt for natives this Native Plant Month!

See our calendar for a list of all of our upcoming events and programs. Events highlighted in purple have member perks like discounts and early access to registration. Donate any amount to become a FONA member!