Daylilies at Brookside Gardens

Last week I spent a wonderful morning at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland. I hadn’t been there in a while – between being on the road and the weather – I haven’t spent much time at the local gardens. So when I had a little time one morning – and it wasn’t supposed to rain for a few hours – I headed over.

What caught my eye immediately was all the wonderful daylilies in bloom in various locations in the gardens. All sorts of different colors, sizes and varieties were blooming.

Daylilies (members of the Hemerocallis genus) actually aren’t members of the Lily family. They are members of the Xanthorrhoeaceae family. They get their botanical name from the Greek for day (hemera) and beautiful (kalos). On most daylilies, a flower opens in the morning and withers at the end of the day. Often another flower on the same stalk will bloom the following day. Originally native to Asia – there are now over 60,000 registered cultivators of dayliles. Most blossoms have three petals and three sepals. The center of the flower – known as the throat – is often a different color than the petals and sepals.

Here are some of my favorite photos of the daylilies from Brookside Gardens.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Some of My Favorite DC Area Botanical Gardens

When I’m home in the Washington, DC area, some of my favorite places to photograph flowers are at some of the local botanical gardens. Most have professional staffs of gardeners who maintain the plants in spectacular condition, and are often available to answer questions about the flowers. They’re are often happy to let you know about plants that are at their peak bloom. Another great feature of photographing at professionally maintained gardens is they often have identification signs by the flowers – letting you know what you’ve been photographing. These signs are how I’ve learned to identify and classify many of the flowers I photograph.

Brookside Gardens

Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland is the local garden where I spend the most time. In the spring, their daffodil and tulip displays are unmatched in the Washington DC area. Throughout the summer, there is an ever changing display of flowers in bloom. One summer highlight at Brookside Gardens is the Wings of Fancy Butterfly Exhibit in the Conservatory. This year’s Wings of Fancy Exhibit will run from April 30 – September 18.

Brookside Gardens is located in Wheaton Reginal Park. The gardens are open daily from sunrise to sunset.

McCrillis Gardens

McCrillis Gardens in Bethesda, Maryland is a little-known part of Montgomery County’s Parks Department. Primarily a shade garden, McCrillis has an incredible variety of shade loving plants in natural settings. The gazebo and pavillion provide wonderful seating areas to enjoy these beautiful gardens. McCrillis Gardens are the smallest of the local public gardens and the least crowded. I’ve rarely seen more than one or two other people at the gardens when I’ve been there. So if you’re looking for a quiet peaceful garden to explore, McCrillis may be a great choice for you to visit.

McCrillis Gardens is located in Bethesda on Greentree Road. The gardens are open daily from 10 AM until sunset.

Green Spring Gardens

Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, Virginia is another garden on my frequently visited lists. With a variety of gardens from demonstration gardens to incredible perennials there is always something wonderful to photograph at Green Spring Gardens. One of my favorite areas of these gardens is the native plant garden and wooded path to a stream. There are literally hundreds of native plants growing in the woods, many have identification signs. This is one of the best places in the area to discover plants that are native to the region.

Green Spring Gardens is located on Green Spring Road in Alexandria, Virginia. The gardens are open daily.

U.S. National Arboretum

The U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, DC is one of the largest if not the largest public garden in the area. With over 440 acres of land and 9.5 miles of roads, there is always something to see at the National Arboretum. Some of my favorite areas of the garden are Fern Valley (full of native plants), the Pepper Garden, and all the wonderful flowering trees, including magnolias, azaleas and cherry trees. If you want to see cherry trees in bloom in the spring, the National Arboretum is one of the best places in DC to see them – they have more varieties than the Tidal Basin – and many fewer people.

The National Arboretum is located on New York Avenue in Washington, DC. The garden is open daily (except December 25) from 8 AM to 5 PM.

When I’m traveling, I try to visit local botanical gardens. On my spring wildflower trip last month, I visited the North Carolina Arboretum and the Asheville Botanical Garden in Asheville, North Carolina and the Reflection Riding Arboretum in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Do you have a favorite botanical garden I should put on my list to visit when I’m in your area? If so – please let me know.

The flowers accompanying this article are

Yulan Magnolia – U.S. National Arboretum
Glory of the Snow – Brookside Gardens
Royal Star Magnolia – McCrillis Gardens
Zowie Zinnia – Green Spring Gardens
Yoshino Cherry Blossoms – U.S. National Arboretum
Grecian Windflower – Brookside Gardens

Brookside Gardens in July

I realized the other day that I hadn’t been to Brookside Gardens in several weeks. Brookside Gardens is a public garden in Wheaton, Maryland – located in Wheaton Regional Park. It’s only a few miles from home and one of my favorite gardens to photograph in. No matter what time of the year I visit – I always find something to photograph. Here are some fruit and flowers I photographed yesterday morning.

Black Eyed Susans

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

Peppa Purple Tangering Peppers – capsicum annuum

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

Explosive Ember Peppers – capsicum annuum – I just love the rich colors in these peppers

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

A Pink Hibiscus

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

And finally a spectacular Fiesta del Sol Mexican Sunflower – tithonia rotundifolia

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

Even a brief visit to Brookside Gardens in the summer gets my day off to a fantastic start. If you’re in the DC area – be sure to check out what’s blooming at Brookside – there’s always something wonderful.

Rose of Sharon – Hibiscus Syriacus

Last summer I photographed several Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus Syriacus) flowers. Rose of Sharon are members of the Hibiscus genus and the Malvaceae family. Originally native to Asia, the Rose of Sharon are grown throughout much of the US. They are hardy from Zones 5B through 9A. In the summer, it produces large showy flowers on a shrub that grows to 8 to 10 feet tall. The US Forest Service has a wonderful PDF with information about growing Rose of Sharon plants.

One of the Rose of Sharon plants I photographed last summer was in the Cataloochee section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Adjacent to the Palmer House, this Rose of Sharon had flowers in multiple colors growing on the same plant.

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

I photographed a lovely purple Rose of Sharon at the North Carolina Arboreatum in Asheville. The flowers of the Marina Rose of Sharon were used in dye making.

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

And finally a wonderful white and red Helene Rose of Sharon photographed at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland.

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

Freesia

On my recent trip to Brookside Gardens, I photographed a couple of gorgeous varieties of Freesia. Freesia are a member of the Iridaceae family and are native to Africa

The first variety I photographed was Blue Bayou – with wonderful purple flowers.

Blue Bayou Freesia (c) 2009 Patty Hankins

Blue Bayou Freesia (c) 2009 Patty Hankins

The second type of Freesia I photographed was Yvonne – with flowers in lovely shades of yellow.

Yvonne Freesia (c) 2009 Patty Hankins

The freesia were part of the Garden Elements display currently on exhibit in the Conservatory at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland.

Garden Elements at Brookside Gardens

I spent a couple of wonderful hours at Brookside Gardens yesterday. I’d planned on just a quick trip to see what was blooming in the Conservatory. What I found was a riot of spring colors and flowers that make up the Garden Elements display in the North and South Conservatories.

I think this is the best show I’ve ever seen in the conservatories at Brookside. I spent about 90 minutes in the conservatories and then headed out to the gardens. In the gardens, the early daffodils, crocuses and snowdrops are starting to bloom.

Here are a few photos to give you an idea what the indoor display looks like in the South Conservatory (where Wings of Fancy will be starting in May).

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

I’ll post photos of some of the individual flowers from the indoor display and the gardens later in the week. But in case anyone in the DC area is ready for a dose of spring, I wanted to let you know what you’ll find over at Brookside Gardens this weekend!

The Garden Elements exhibit will be on display at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland through Sunday April 12. The conservatories are open from 10 AM to  5 PM. Admission and parking are free.

Reflection Terrace at Brookside Gardens

One of the quieter spots at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland is the Reflection Terrace. Dedicated in 2004, it commemorates the lives of the victims of the DC area sniper attacks in the fall of 2002.

The memorial is located at the edge of the pond in the Japanese Style Gude Garden. In the spring, a flowering haigan cherry tree and daffodils surround the memorial.

(c) 2008 Patty Hankins

In the summer, it is surrounded by greenery.

(c) 2008 Patty Hankins

The terrace has three large granite blocks with information for visitors to the memorial. The first provides a bit of history about the attacks.

(c) 2008 Patty Hankins

The second encourages visitors to reflect on what happened and hope for a more peaceful less violent world.

(c) 2008 Patty Hankins

And the third lists those who lost their lives to the snipers.

(c) 2008 Patty Hankins

Next time you’re at Brookside Gardens, be sure to stop by the Reflection Terrace. It’s well worth taking the time to visit.

Poinsettia at Brookside Gardens

I spent a couple of hours visiting Brookside Gardens’ Colors of the Season display  in the conservatories recently. One aspect of the dispaly that really caught my eye was the variety of poinsettia (euphorbia pucherimma) on display this year. Here are a few of my favorites that I photographed.

Snowcap Poinsettia (c) 2008 Patty Hankins

Cinnamon Star Poinsettia (c) 2008 Patty Hankins

Spotlight Marble Poinsettia (c) 2008 Patty Hankins

Monet Twilight Poinsettia (c) 2008 Patty Hankins

Prestige Red Poinsettia (c) 2008 Patty Hankins

Cortez Burgandy Poinsettia (c) 2008 Patty Hankins

The Colors of the Season display will be on exhibit at Brookside Gardens until January 4. If you get a chance, stop by and see all the wonderful poinsettias.

Wild Columbine – Aquilegia canadensis

On my trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park last April one of the wildflowers I photographed was Wild Columbine – Aquilegia canadensis. Columbine is a member of the Ranunculaceae family. It is easily identified – the flowers look like little lanterns.

I spotted the columbine growing along the side of the road. It was growing in and among several other wildflowers. Here’s a close up of just the flowers of the Columbine.

(c) 2008 Patty Hankins

Here is one of the columbine blossoms with some Meadow Parsnip (Thaspium).

(c) 2008 Patty Hankins

Here’s the grouping of wildflowers that was so striking. It’s a mix of the Columbine, Meadow Parsnip and Purple Phacelia (Phacelia binpinnatifida).

(c) 2008 Patty Hankins

A few weeks after I got back from the Smokies, I was at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland and spotted some columbine in one of the beds. It was interesting seeing how the columbine plant looks when it’s not mixed in with other wildflowers.

(c) 2008 Patty Hankins

Winter Gold Winterberry – Ilex Verticillata

On a recent trip to Brookside Gardens, I spotted several large bushes with clusters of orange berries on them. What was interesting was that there wasn’t just one or two clumps of berries on a branch – there were distinct groups of berries all the way down the branch. The little sign named them as the Winter Gold variety of Winterberry – Ilex Verticillata.

It turns out that Winterberry is a deciduos holly. Later in the year – it will lose all of it’s leaves, just leaving behind the berries. There are a several varieties of winterberry. I’ll keep an eye out for some of the other varieties in the local gardens and try to photograph them later in the winter.

In the meantime, here are a few photos of the Winter Gold Winterberry bush.

(c) 2008 Patty Hankins

(c) 2008 Patty Hankins

(c) 2008 Patty Hankins