Washington, DC

I meant to continue the theme of baseball with a book on Nationals Baseball, but I did not get around to reading it as planned. Probably a good thing because instead I finally get around to writing about City of Gardens, which is another good book for this time of year. So, here is my review of a book about gardens in D.C. for those of you who are tired of my baseball posts. For those who like the baseball posts, hopefully next week I will write about the Washington Nationals book I am currently reading.

A City of Gardens: Glorious Public Gardens In and Around the Nations Capital is a guidebook to 23 gardens in D.C. and within a reasonable drive from D.C. This book is a little bulky for carrying around as you visit the gardens, but it is a really good resource for those that like visiting gardens. It gives great in depth descriptions of the gardens including highlights of the gardens, off the beaten path for each garden, and visitor information. The Off the Beaten path sections were my favorite parts, as it even pointed out some places I had missed when I visited some of the garden described. The visitor information section is also very in depth with websites for the gardens when applicable and directions to get to the gardens including how to get there via public transportation when possible.

My favorite garden described in the book is the Enid A. Haupt Garden, which is located behind the Smithsonian Castle. I cannot believe that before I read this book last Fall that I had never even heard of the garden. Just goes to show I never really even thought there was anything on the non-Mall side of the Castle. I actually saw the garden back in January and it was cool to visit then. I am sure it is even more interesting to see when they get the fountains going.

Other gardens included in this book are Dumbarton Oaks, Gunston Hall, Hillwood Estates, McCullis Gardens, Mount Vernon, Oatlands, River Farm, Tudor Place, Brookside Gardens, Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, United States Botanic Gardens, United States National Arboretum, The Bishop’s Garden, Federal Reserve Board Garden, Folger Shakespeare Library’s Elizabethan Garden, Franciscan Monastery Gardens, Old Stone House, Jefferson Memorial and Tidal Basin, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Lafayette Park, Meridian Hill Park, and Pershing Park.

Basic Information About the Book:

ISBN #: 1-9318-6840-9
Publisher: Capital Books
Year of Publication: 2004
Number of Pages: 256

If you have a suggestion of a D.C. related book that you would like to see featured in a future Book of the Week post, then please either comment on this post or e-mail me at kjersti.wasiak@451press.net

Weekly Themes

Listen to books on your Apple iPod