N° 145 — April 12, 2023

Enjoy regular updates and insights from FONA, the U.S. National Arboretum, and our award-winning Washington Youth Garden.

Photo by Matthew Rakola

Garden Fair & Plant Sale

We're gearing up for our annual Garden Fair & Plant Sale on Saturday, April 29th! This event will have thousands of plants for sale (plant lists coming soon), dozens of local vendors, and free outdoor activities for all ages.


Remember, FONA members get early access to the Plant Sale from 9 AM to 11 AM. Become a member today to get first pick of our one-of-a-kind plants!

VENDOR VILLAGE


Over 30 local gardening, home goods, food, and beverage vendors are bringing products specially picked for this event. Here's who will be there:

Gardening


Home Goods & Lifestyle

Food & Drink


Other

Please note, activities hosted by DC Child Care Connections, The Washington Ballet, and Cultivate the City require pre-registration. All activity registration is now open, including for the DIY Terrarium Workshop (FONA members, email us for the discount code).


See Full Garden Fair & Plant Sale Details >

Photo by Matthew Rakola

Spring Blooms

There's never a dull moment during spring at the National Arboretum. Although azalea peak bloom is still to come, late-blooming cherry trees, redbuds, lilacs, and flowering dogwoods look beautiful this week.


To see the Arboretum's flowering dogwoods, we recommend visiting the Dogwood Collection. This collection not only houses a wide variety of dogwood trees, but also has spots to relax and look out over the Anacostia River.


Directions to the Dogwood Collections >

To see the Arboretum's lilacs, visit the research fields north of Fern Valley along Beechwood Road, a short walk from the Capitol Columns. The large number of lilac bushes in the field offer a beautiful array of colors and scents.


Directions to the Lilac Research Field >

Click the photo above for a larger view the shirt design. Final shirt color may vary.

Summer 5K

Early-bird registration for our Summer 5K ends soon! Enjoy the National Arboretum in full summer swing while you run or walk the course during the race on June 3rd.


If you sign up by midnight on Wednesday, May 3rd, registration costs $40 and includes a race t-shirt (see shirt design to the right). Standard registration starting on May 4th costs $55 and does not include a t-shirt (FONA members use your discount code).


Register for the Race >

Special Lecture Invitation

Join us for a special in-person lecture with Tony Kirkham at Dumbarton Oaks on Wednesday, May 3rd from 5 PM to 7 PM. Tony Kirkham recently retired as Director of Arboretum, Gardens, and Horticultural Services from the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, where he worked for over 40 years. His lively, colorful lecture will take us through a timeline of 250 years of trees at Kew highlighting the assemblage of some 14,000 incredible trees in a 300-acre green space near London.


This lecture is co-hosted by FONA, Oak Spring Garden Foundation, and Dumbarton Oaks. Registration is required, tickets cost $20.


Register for the Lecture >

Ginkgo biloba tree at Kew Gardens. This particular tree is one of five 'Old Lions' trees at Kew that were planted when the garden was founded in 1759. Photo by Tony Kirkham.

Native Plant Sale Wrap-Up

Thank you to everyone who attended our Native Plant Sale on March 25th! Although this is our smallest annual plant sale, we were amazed by how many people arrived early and stayed through heavy rain to purchase plants. Proceeds from this event directly support National Arboretum's Lahr Native Plants Symposium and Fern Valley.


We also appreciate the feedback from event participants, and will continue to make the event better by bringing in more vendors and making the space easier to navigate.

Upcoming Events

Garden Fair & Plant Sale

April 29, 9 AM - 4 PM

Plants, vendors, & activities

Details & Registration >


Music in the Meadow

May 13, 6:30 PM - 9 PM

Evening concert in the meadow

Details & Registration >


Summer 5K

June 3, 8 AM

Run or walk through collections in bloom, members use discount code

Register for the Race >


Springhouse Run Volunteer Days

Various dates and times

Keep the restored stream healthy

Upcoming Dates & Registration >


Forest Bathing Walks

Various dates and times

Meditation and mindfulness

Upcoming Dates & Registration >

The Arboretum is open every day from 8 AM to 5 PM except December 25th.

There is a temporary traffic plan in effect until mid-May that impacts traffic flow and parking throughout the grounds.

Check Our Website for Full Details >

Become a Member
Donate Today
CONNECT WITH US:
@FONArboretum
@WashYouthGarden
Facebook  Instagram  Linkedin  
Friends of the National Arboretum
3501 New York Ave NE
Washington, DC 20002
202.544.8733
FONA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization with the mission to preserve and enhance a vibrant public space and support experiential programming that instills a love of plants, nature and the outdoors in all who visit, while promoting the overarching research and education mission of the U.S. National Arboretum.

Since its inception, FONA has helped support the Washington Youth Garden, Capitol Columns, Flowering Tree Walk, horticultural and research internships, restoration of Springhouse Run, and much more.

Did a friend forward you this newsletter?