US Botantic Garden's Summer Exhibit is Full of Awesome

You may have wandered down last summer to the US Botanic Gardens near the Capitol and viewed their incredible terrace exhibit. This year, it's going to be better. Highlights include a focus on edible landscaping, living walls, and townhouse gardens. So, one & all mark your calendars to visit the Mall to check it out, get ideas for your own space (no matter how small!) and enjoy free entertainment. Below is the press release. If you want more info (including how to get there, etc.) visit www.usbg.gov.

April 13, 2010 — Washington, D.C. — Join the United States Botanic Garden (USBG) in exploring the many ways plants improve the quality of our lives. Thrive! From the Ground Up, our summer Terrace exhibit, opens May 29. The exhibit features seven outdoor gardens, each focusing on various aspects of our daily lives. Whether you live in a studio apartment or in suburbia, there’s something here for everyone.

The Thrive! Gardens will span the Terrace across our Maryland Avenue façade:

• Medicinal Garden – Learn how the natural substances produced by plants provide medicine as well as nutrition. Check out the plants currently being researched to combat cancer, heart disease and other diseases.
• World Flavors – Discover the plants that make our favorite spice mixtures, such as curry and za’atar, as well as other Mediterranean and world flavors.
• Cutting Garden – Brighten your day and see the best flowers for the Washington region in a garden that features the best flower picks for bouquets.
• Kitchen Garden – Find out which heirloom herbs and vegetables, and which new varieties grow best in our region to enliven our palates.
• Beverage Garden – See the plants that provide our favorite beverages with their unique flavors, from hops for beer to sarsaparilla for root beer. Also featured are tea, fruit and vegetable juices, and healthful herbal drinks.
• Townhouse Garden – Anyone can have a garden! This townhouse garden will show how to make the most of a small space, whether you’re interested in aesthetics or edibles.
• Living Walls – Living walls are a spectacular way to use small spaces and we’re making a statement with ours!

All summer long a number of programs celebrating wellness will take place in our gardens. T’ai chi and yoga classes will be held in our NationalGarden, and cooking demonstrations and beverage tastings will take place on the Terrace. Various children’s programs are planned on Saturdays; gardening experts will conduct container-gardening workshops, as well as much, much more.

The U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory is open to the public, free of charge, every day of the year from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Conservatory is located at 100 Maryland Avenue, SW, on the west side of the U.S. Capitol. Visitors are encouraged to take Metrobus and Metrorail. Further information is available by calling (202) 225-8333 or visiting www.usbg.gov.