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N° 157 — July 12, 2023

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

Poetry Slam in the Garden

Join us Saturday, August 5th from 6:30 PM to 9 PM for Poetry Slam in the Garden! Youth will compete in this poetry competition for cash prizes, and are encouraged to perform poems that follow the theme Nature & Environmental/Food Justice.


This event is free for the public to attend, and will take place in the Washington Youth Garden. Come cheer on contestants, tour the Youth Garden, and enjoy an evening at the National Arboretum. Light snacks will be served. Registration is required to enter the Arboretum for this special evening event.


Event Details & Audience Member Registration >

Want to compete in the poetry slam? This competition is open to all youth between the ages of 13 and 18. Up to 20 participants will compete in this single-round competition, and will be evaluated by three judges, all of whom are local professional spoken word artists. Interested competitors must complete this application form. They will be notified by late July if they are selected to compete.


Competitor Application Form >

Plant Spotlight

Kamala Codrington-White, an ORISE fellow at the National Arboretum, shares plants of note at the Arboretum in this new recurring segment. Find these plants on your next trip to the Arboretum this summer.

The USNA introduction oakleaf hydrangea ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’) and its sister ‘Queen of Hearts’ were hybridized from native oakleaf hydrangea cultivars ‘Snow Queen’ and ‘Pee Wee’ in 1998. They both sport white panicles of flowers that change color over a few weeks from white to rosy pink. In addition, ‘Ruby Slippers’ has leaves that turn a vibrant red in fall, providing a long period of garden interest. Some gardeners choose to keep the dried flower panicles on the plant over the winter or use them as decorations. ‘Ruby Slippers’ is rather low-growing at around 3.5 feet, and can be used in a border or hedge. (Photo credit: U.S. National Arboretum)

Gardening Tips

Arboretum horticulturists Christine Moore and Bradley Evans recently shared their expert gardening tips and answered gardening questions in a video with the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Watch the video to learn best practices for growing and maintaining plants.


Watch the Video >

Green Ambassador Update

This summer's Green Ambassador Farm Crew members are about halfway through the six-week-long paid internship program. The eleven Crew members have been busy learning how to grow and harvest food in the Washington Youth Garden, develop carpentry skills, and work together as a team.


During the program, Farm Crew members also explore potential career paths in the agriculture and environmental industries. Last week, they visited the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens to learn about careers in the National Park Service and opportunities in AmeriCorps. Farm Crew members challenged each other during their visit with a photo contest, some of which are shown here.

From our Friends: Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

Attend the 2023 Lotus and Water Lily Festival and experience the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens for yourself. This festival will run from Saturday, July 15th through Saturday, July 22nd, and features a jam-packed schedule of free cultural performances, classes, ranger programming, kids activities, and more. Plus, see the lotus and water lilies in peak bloom!


Learn More About the Festival >

Upcoming Events

Poetry Slam in the Garden

August 5, 6:30 PM - 9 PM

Youth poetry competition

Details & Registration >


Dinner Under the Stars

September 19, 5:30 PM - 9 PM

Cocktails & tented dinner in the Meadow

Purchase a Ticket or Table >


Fall Festival

September 30

Bulb sale, local vendors, family activities

Details Coming Soon!


Forest Bathing Walks

Various dates and times

Meditation and mindfulness

Upcoming Dates & Registration >


Yoga in the Grove

Saturdays at 10 AM

Find your flow with Bluebird Sky Yoga

Registration >

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

Check Our Website for Full Details >

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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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