Arboretum in Peril
Egads, The U.S. National Arboretum is in peril and has lost most of its federal funding for 2009! I love this place. It’s where I find a lot of inspiration for drawing nature and gardening ideas. I’ve been taking my boys here since they were wee tots. It would be a shame if this gem of a 446-acre botanical park was to quietly close its gates. Presently, a lot of people don’t know about this natural wonder. It only receives 480,000 visitors a year while other arboretums and the more popular U.S. Botanical Gardens (on the Mall) attract upwards of 750,000 visitors. However, it is pristine and the largest track…
Cherry Blossoms
If you’ve lived in the DC area for more than 21 years, why would ya be crazy enough to brave the crowds and visit the Cherry Blossoms at their peak blooming season around the Tidal Basin — we all know what they look like? Good question. I try my best to avoid crowds and we have beautiful cherry blossoms on my street but I was inspired by this time last year, when my father passed away on April 2nd. I wanted to enjoy nature in its glorious abundance and take some lovely photos to document the moment. I noticed, however, I concentrated on the colors and the blossoms themselves, while…
Spring Break
While on spring break, my boys and I took an outing to one of my favorite spots to view nature and get inspiration for drawing, River Farm Park, which is also the headquarters to the American Horticultural Society. I drew an invitation to one of their galas, which can be seen here on my website. Anyway, we had been coming here for years so I thought it would be a good break from being indoors. It was a beautiful day, and although the weather was generally still cold, this was an exceptional summer-like, warm day in March. As we all branched out to do our thing, my 15 year old…
