Yes! This is the only place at the Arboretum where you would be allowed to dig.* The Youth Garden is a HUGE garden space for kids. It's run by fun people who work for the Friends of the National Arboretum. Every year they visit classrooms in public schools in the District of Columbia to teach kids about gardening and growing food. Then they invite the students and their families to help grow vegetables, herbs, and flowers in the Youth Garden. Even though they're working when they're digging, planting, weeding, and harvesting, they always look like they're having lots of fun.
*Because the Arboretum is an outdoor museum, all plants and objects on its grounds and in its buildings should be enjoyed, but not touched, unless there's a sign inviting you to touch.
Bonus fact:
It's easy to grow fresh vegetables like lettuce and tomatoes, even if you only
have a small piece of land (you can also grow a lot of things in containers
filled with soil). The key to growing healthy vegetables is to make sure the
soil is loose (you may need to mix in some compost—decayed stuff like
leaves and grass), your growing spot is in full sun (a minimum of 6 hours of
sun), and you keep the plants well watered (but not drowning!). For more information
about the Arboretum's Youth Garden, click
here.
How to find the Youth Garden at the Arboretum:
Follow the Flowering Tree Walk past the Capitol Columns to the road. Turn right,
and you'll see the Youth Garden at the edge of the woods. In the summertime,
you can see all of the plants kids are growing. You can also walk through the
butterfly garden, which always has at least one beautiful butterfly sipping
nectar from the flowers.
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Last Updated July 10, 2009 9:37 AM
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