Lotus Blossoms at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

In addition to the sunflowers at McKee Beshers Wildlife Management Area – my other favorite place to photograph flowers in the summer is Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens in Washington, DC. This park is one of the undiscovered gems of the National Park System. It always amazes me how many people in the greater Washington DC area have never heard of Kenilworth Gardens  – much less have ever visited.

There are always lots of photographic subjects at Kenilworth to choose from – at this time – the lotus blossoms are the stars of the park. There are literally sunken pond after sunken pond full of lotus blossoms in all stages of blooming. They will likely be blooming for at least another month.

When in bloom, the lotus blossoms are beautiful shades of pink with a yellow center. The large green leaves provide an amazing counterpoint to the beautiful pink blossoms.

Here are some of my favorite lotus photos from this year at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

I hope you’ve enjoyed my lotus photos as much as I enjoyed taking them. If you decide to head into Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens to see the lotuses for yourself – I recommend going early in the day and using lots of bug spray and sunscreen. Also don’t forget to bring some bottled water with you.

Capturing the Beauty of Nature Workshop – Bring a Friend for Free

There are still a few spaces left in my Capturing the Beauty of Nature workshop scheduled for July 8 & 9 at Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens in Washington DC. If you’ve been thinking about joining me for the workshop – now is the time to sign up.

If you register this week at the regular price of $ 149 – you can bring a friend to the workshop for free! I don’t know about you – but I love attending workshops with a friend – because then I know I’ll have someone to talk over all the new ideas with when I get home.

For more information about the workshop and to register – visit the Capturing the Beauty of Nature page on my website.

If you have any questions about the workshop – please drop me an email or give me a call at 301 828 8075.

 

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

Season’s Greenings at the U.S. Botanic Garden

One of the wonderful holiday displays in the Washington DC area is the annual display at the U.S. Botanic Gardens. This year’s exhibit, Season’s Greenings, ran from November 25 through January 2. It highlights how plants are used in holiday celebrations. It features unique models of DC landmarks made out of plant materials, lots of poinsettias and a garden railway. I finally got to see Season’s Greenings this week.

The models of the DC landmarks were wonderful as usual. Here are photos of a few of them.

The White House

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

The Lincoln Memorial

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

The National Museum of the American Indian

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

The US Capitol Building

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

And the U.S. Supreme Court Building

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

I don’t know about you – but I kind of like seeing the local landmarks surrounded by flowers!

There was also a large Christmas tree in the Garden Court – with all sorts of whimsical ornaments decorating it. Here are a few photos of the ornaments

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

(c) 2010 Patty  Hankins

The U.S. Botanic Garden is a wonderful place to visit when you’re in the Washington DC area. The Conservatory is open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM – 365 days a year. It’s one of the few places in town that is even open on Christmas Day. Admission is free. So if you’re in DC and love flowers and plants – be sure to include the Botanic Garden on the your list of places to see.

Yoshino Cherry Blossoms

It’s that time of year again in Washington DC – Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom. If you’ve never seen DC with all the cherry trees in bloom, you’ve missed the city at it’s absolute most beautiful. I spent a few hours at the Tidal Basin earlier this week. The Yoshino cherry blossoms were as beautiful as ever.

There is construction in front of the Jefferson Memorial this year – so I didn’t bother to take any photos with the monument in it. Instead, I just focused on the incredible delicate beauty of the blossoms. Here are some of my favorite photos of the Yoshino Cherry Blossoms.

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

I really like this next photo of a set of white blossoms – with just one pink bud giving a hint of more beauty to come.

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

One of the amazing features of the Yoshino Cherry Trees is how resilient they are. Some of the older trees have lost major branches over the years. What’s really neat is how even the older trees sprout new bunches of flowers, often right on the trunk where a branch used to be. There can be a wonderful contrast between the texture of the bark and old saw marks and the soft white of the blossoms.

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

And finally a wider angle view of a branch full of blossoms.

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

This year’s Yoshino Cherry Blossoms were absolutely spectacular. I can’t wait for next year so I can head into the city to see them again.

DC Holiday Photowalk – December 19 – All the Details!

I’ve finally gotten all the details and the route planned for the December 19 Washington DC Holiday Photowalk. The route includes some wonderful holiday decorations, buildings with great architectural details, and a few statues and monuments.

We’ll start in Lafayette Park and end at Union Station. The route is just over 3 miles long. There are several Metro stops along the way if you get tired or cold and don’t want to finish the entire route.

We’ll meet at the Andrew Jackson Statue in Lafayette Park at 9:30 AM and take a group photo then.

Here’s a map showing the general route – it’s not quite accurate. For some reason, Google maps doesn’t cope well with starting in the middle of a park or cutting across the grass to get to the next site.

View Larger Map

Directions for the route are

1. Start at the Andrew Jackson statue in Lafayette Park
2. Walk to the North side of the White House
3. Turn right – walk down Pennsylvania Ave to 17^th Street. The Renwick Gallery is on the corner.
4. Turn left on 17^th Street to E st. The Eisenhower Executive Office Building and the First Division Monument will be on your left.
5. Turn left on E st – to South Lawn of White House and National Christmas Tree
6. Head across the grass to the SE – to the Boy Scout Memorial (yes this is the statue of the boy with the nearly naked parents)
7. Head toward to E St – cross E St to E. Executive Ave – Past the William Tecumseh Sherman Statue to Alexander Hamilton Place
8. Turn Right on Alexander Hamilton Place – past the back of the Treasury Building
9. From Alexander Hamilton Place – cross 15^th St to Pennsylvania Ave. Walk down Pennsylvania Ave to 14^th St. Willard Hotel is on the left
10. Turn left on 14^th St – walk to  F St
11. Turn left on F St  walk to 15^th St – past the back of the Willard Hotel
12. Turn Right on 15^th St – walk to New York Avenue. Suntrust Bank Building is on the corner of 15^th St and New York Ave
13. Turn right on New York Avenue – walk to H St. The New York Avenue Presbyterian Church is on the left between 12^th and 11^th Streets.
14. Turn right on H st – walk to 5^th St.  Calvary Baptist Church is on the left between 9^th and 8^th Streets. Pass though Chinatown – the Friendship Arch is on H st just past 7^th st
15. Turn right on 5^th St – walk to F St National Building Museum is on the corner. St Mary Mother of God Church is on the left as you walk down 5^th Street.
16. Turn left on F St – in the middle of the block – cross the street to the National Law Enforcement Memorial
17. Go through the National Law Enforcement Memorial to E St. Turn left on E St. to 4^th St.
18. Turn right on 4^th Street – walk to D St.
19. Turn left on D St – walk to New Jersey Avenue
20. Turn right on New Jersey Avenue – walk to Louisiana Avenue.
21. Turn Left on Louisiana Avenue. The National Japanese-American Memorial to Patriotism is on the corner of New Jersey and Louisiana Avenues.
22. Follow Louisiana Avenue to Union Station.

Union Station has some wonderful holiday decorations, both outdoors and inside – including a great model train layout.

Once we’re all finished photographing, we’ll head downstairs to the Union Station Food Court for lunch and checking out our photos.

I’ve set up a Facebook Event and a Flickr Group for the DC Holiday Photowalk.

The photowalk is open to anyone who wants to join us. Bring whatever type of camera you like to use. Bill will probably be bringing one of his Graflex SLRs. You may want to leave your tripod at home – we’ll be photographing around the White House and sometimes they don’t like groups of people with lots of tripods. Digital Photography School has some Tips on What to Bring on A Photowalk if you’ve never been on one before.

Please spread the word about the Dec 19 DC Holiday Photowalk. Looking foward to seeing you on the 19th

DC Holiday Photowalk – December 19 – Save the Date

 

Bill and I have had so much fun on all the photowalks we’ve attended that we decided it was time that we organized a photowalk. Since I love seeing all the holiday decorations in DC, I decided that they would make a great subject for a photowalk. The DC Holiday Photowalk will be on December 19 – the holiday decorations should be up all around the city by then. It will be a daytime photowalk. That way – Bill can use one of his Graflex SLRs on the photowalk – and we won’t have to worry about dealing with tripods and DC secuirty.

We’ll meet at Lafayette Park near the White House. Spend some time photographing the holiday decorations at the White House. Then head towards Union Station – ending up at the Union Station Food Court for lunch. I”ll post the exact route for the photowalk when the date gets closer – and I get a chance to see where the great decorations are in the city this year.

 

The date – Saturday December 19

Starting time – 9:30 AM at Lafayette Park

Ending time – around noon at Union Station.

Lafayette Park is not far from the Red, Orange and Blue Metro Lines, and Union Station is on the Red Line – so you can take Metro rather than driving into the city.

 

Just so I have an idea of how many people to expect – I’d appreciate it if you’d let me know if you’re thinking of attending. If you’re on Facebook – I’ve created a Facebook Event for the DC Holiday Photowalk. Please RSVP there if you’re thinking of attending.If you’re not on Facebook – just leave a note in the comments below.

Please share info about the photowalk with others who you think might like to attend.

Hope to see everyone on December 19

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cherry Blossoms at the National Arboretum

Best described as – Blossoms as wonderful as the Tidal Basin – without all the people!

Earlier this week, I spent a few hours at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington DC. I was amazed at the variety of Cherry Blossoms I found there. The National Arboretum has over 20 varieties of cherry trees that bloom from mid-March to late April. To help visitors find the trees and learn about them, the Arboretum has developed a self-guided tour – Beyond the Tidal Basin: Introducing Other Great Flowering Cherry Trees. The tour brochure is available at the Arobretum and runs through April 12.

Here are a few of the varieties of Cherry Blossoms I photographed this week.

Fudanzakura – an early flowering tree. It can bloom sporadically through the winter and early spring before blooming fully.

Fudanzakura Cherry Blossoms (c) 2009 Patty Hankins

Autumnalis – a double blossoming early blooming cherry blossom.

Autumnalis Cherry Blossoms (c) 2009 Patty Hankins

Autumnalis Cherry Blossoms (c) 2009 Patty Hankins

Yedoensis – the blossoms on this tree were almost pure white.

Yedoensis Cherry Blossoms (c) 2009 Patty Hankins

Yedoensis Cherry Blossoms (c) 2009 Patty Hankins

And finally – an Okitsu Akabana Apricot blossom. I originally had this identified as a type of cherry blossom – but it is an apricot blossom.  It was so pretty, I figured no one could object to it being in a post about cherry blossoms.

Okitsu Akabana Apricot Blossom (c) 2009 Patty Hankins

Perhaps the most amazing aspect of my visit to the flowering trees at the Arboretum was how few people I saw during my several hour visit.  It wasn’t uncommon for me to spend 30 minutes photographing a tree – with no one else in sight for the entire time. Can you imagine 30 minutes by yourself at any of the Cherry Trees at the Tidal Basin?

If  you’re looking for a different place to view some cherry blossoms, I’d really reccomend paying a visit to the National Arboretum.

Nightime DC Photwalk

Last night, Bill and I had a great time at the photowalk organized by Shawn Duffy. It was our first night photowalk – a very different experience than other photowalks we’ve been on.

We met at the Lincoln Memorial, headed across the Memorial Bridge, did some shooting from the Virginia side of the river, then headed back across the bridge, around the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial.

Here are a few of my photos from last night’s photowalk.

I took this first photo from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Last night was the first time I’d been on the Mall when the Reflecting Pool was drained. I liked the way the flags around the Washington Monument were reflected in the small pool of water still in the Reflecting Pool.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

This is one of the statues on the DC end of the Memorial Bridge. Mark Anderson used his flashlight to paint light and highlight parts of the statue for me. Thanks Mark.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

One of the great things about photowalks is they give you a chance to try some different styles of photography. I’ve seen lots of photos of tailights of moving traffic, but really had never tried taking any photos like that. Last night, I had the perfect opportunity to photograph traffic on the Memorial Bridge heading into DC. This was a 6 second exposure.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

Usually on photowalks, I end up with a bunch of photos of my fellow photowalkers. Since we were shooting at night, I didn’t take many people photos. However, I couldn’t resist taking this photo of  the line of photographers silhouetted as they photographed the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and the Memorial Bridge.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

My version of the Lincoln Memorial and Memorial Bridge photo that all of us were taking last night.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

My last photo is one of the statues at the end of the Whitehurst Freeway. The streaks of light on the right are from one of the streetlights. I liked the way the light was hitting the statue.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

As always we had a great time on the photowalk. Not only did we spend a few hours photographing, we got to catch up with all the other area photographers who participate in the photowalks. It’s always a great chance to catch up on news, meet more photographers, and check out everyone’s new gear.

I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone has shot last night. If you’d like to see what we all photographed, be sure to visit the Flickr Group for the Night Photowalk DC group.

Lotus Blossoms at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Washington DC

Lotus Pond (c) 2008 Patty Hankins

In addition to the sunflowers at McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area, another favorite summer flower photography opportunity in the Washington DC area is the Lotus Blossoms at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. I headed into DC yesterday morning to see if they were blooming yet – and much to my delight they are.

(c) 2008 Patty Hankins

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens are part of the Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens National Park in Washington, DC. Currently the gardens cover 12 acres of open ponds full of water lilies and lotuses, surrounded by the Kenilworth Marsh. The gardens were established in the late 1800′s when Walter Shaw added a few water lilies to a pond on land he had recently purchased. Eventually Shaw and later his daughter ran the gardens as a commercial enterprise. In 1938, Congress authorized money to purchase 8 acres of ponds rather than having the Corps of Engineers destroy them as part of the dredging of the Anacostia River.

Lotus Blossom II (c) 2007 Patty Hankins

Yesterday’s visit was my third trip to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. Bill and I discovered the park last summer, visiting in both July and August. We were hoping to photograph the Victoria Water Lilies. We still haven’t seen them – they bloom in late summer/early fall. Instead we had a wonderful time photographing the lotus blossoms.

(c) 2008 Patty Hankins

The entrance to the gardens is located on 1550 Anascostia Ave NE in Washington DC. The park is open from 7 AM to 4 PM daily, except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. There is no admission fee charged to visit the gardens.

(c) 2008 Patty Hankins

If you are considering a trip to visit Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens – we have a few suggestions that might help you have a more pleasant visit.

• Bring a long lens with you. Last year I used my 70-300 lens and struggles to isolate the flowers the way I wanted to. This year, I used my 100-400 lens and was much happier. The photo just above this section was taken at about 400mm, with an aperture of f16.
• If possible, go on a weekday. Last year, we visited the park on the weekend. Both times it was very crowded and we were two in a forest of photographers with tripods to say nothing of others visiting the park. Yesterday, there were only two other photographers there when I was visited. The three of us had the place to ourselves.
• Go early in the morning. The later in the day you are there – the more likely the flowers are to have closed up.
• Depending on how tall you are, you may want to visit in July rather than in August. I’m 5′ 5″ tall and while I had no problem photographing the lotuses in July, in August they were a challenge. Many of the blossoms were well over 6 feet high by mid-August. In July, they were much shorter.
• Use lots of bug spray. There are 12 acres of ponds surrounded by a marsh. Trust me when I say there are lots of bugs. You’ll be much happier if you apply bug spray before heading into the gardens.

Lotus Blossom I (c) 2007 Patty Hankins

The lotus blossoms at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens are worth a visit. The National Park Service staff is wonderful, always friendly and willing to provide information. Even when the gardens are crowded, we’ve never had any problems using a tripod in the park. I’ll definitely make a few more trips to photograph the lotus blossoms this month, in addition to trips later in the year for the water lilies.