N° 74 — November 3, 2021
Stay in touch as we celebrate Washington Youth Garden's 50th Anniversary. Enjoy our updates and insights from FONA, the U.S. National Arboretum, and WYG.
When you become a FONA member, your gift supports all of FONA and helps us support and promote the National Arboretum! We ensure the Arboretum's research and gardens are a resource for all and connect people with nature through our programs and events. Become a member or renew today!
Save the Date! Christmas Tree Sale & Holiday Market
Buy your Christmas tree this year at our Christmas Tree Sale & Holiday Market at the New York Avenue parking lot.

Saturday, December 11th, 10 AM - 4 PM: Christmas Tree Sale and Holiday Market

Sunday, December 12th, 10 AM - 4 PM: Christmas Tree Sale

Our tree sale is hassle-free! You'll be able to pre-order to guarantee a quality tree, or you can purchase it during the sale on December 11-12. You can also purchase gifts and goodies from local vendors during our Procrastinator's Holiday Market on December 11th.

Mark your calendars — more details to come next week!
Our Garlic Planting Party this past weekend celebrated Washington Youth Garden's growing season. Thank you to all the garden volunteers, DC educators, Green Ambassadors, families, and Arboretum visitors who joined us!

Partygoers planted garlic and flower bulbs for next spring, harvested sweet potatoes, and took home seeds to plant in their own gardens. The event also featured fall crafts, herbal tarot card readings, and garlic-based food tastings.
As part of celebrating Washington Youth Garden's 50th anniversary, we're redesigning our one-acre garden at the Arboretum. Garlic Planting Party visitors saw design plans from our partners Groundsmith Collective and gave feedback on new garden signage.
Fall Foliage
The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum is one of the most unique places at the National Arboretum to see fall foliage. Last year, Stephen Voss, professional photographer and National Bonsai Foundation board member, shared advice on how best to photograph bonsai fall foliage.

The museum is open 10 AM to 4 PM every day. Try Stephen's tips and tricks for yourself and capture these magnificent fall colors.
Photo from USNA
Herbarium Updates
Join the National Arboretum on Wednesday, November 17th at 2 PM for the fourth and final installment of Pressing Matters. This free, virtual event series explores the National Arboretum's herbarium collection.

During this event, Herbarium Curator Dr. Harlan Svoboda will share a specimen's journey from living plant to a preserved collection filed in an herbarium. He'll demonstrate how to collect, press, dry, and mount specimens, and even give advice for creating your own botanical art from pressed plants.
Arboretum Additions
The National Arboretum welcomes Dr. Jinyoung Barnaby to the Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit. Dr. Barnaby's research with the Turf Project will focus on plant-environment interactions to understand and enhance how turf defends against stresses in the environment. She brings multidisciplinary experience to her work ranging from the plant cell level to the population level. Welcome to the team, Dr. Barnaby!
The Arboretum is open every day from 8 AM to 5 PM except December 25th. Some buildings and collections remain closed to ensure visitor and staff safety.
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.
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