Unearthing Connections to Plants, Gardens and the Natural World Around Us

Why does it feel so good to be in a garden? The latest collaboration with USA Today shares the plants, people and stories of Smithsonian Gardens to explore humans’ innate need to connect with living things

If you have visited a Smithsonian museum, you have also visited a Smithsonian garden. You may have admired the magnolias in the Enid A. Haupt Garden on your way to the National Museum of African Art or the National Museum of Asian Art. Perhaps you sought a bit of shade on a hot summer day near the National Museum of the American Indian under one of the 1,800 trees in our tree collection. Maybe you stopped to smell the roses in the Kathrine Dulin Folger Rose Garden on your way to the Castle, admired the crop of fish peppers outside the National Museum of African American History and Culture, or sought a moment of calm among the interior plants in the Kogod Courtyard. Each of these examples is a small part of how Smithsonian Gardens extends the Smithsonian museum experience to a public garden setting with 15 public exhibition gardens across over 180 acres in Washington, DC. In fact, Smithsonian Gardens was accredited by the American Alliance of Museums in 2013, highlighting its role as an integral part of the Smithsonian’s research, display, and educational programs. This special garden guide with USA Today provided an opportunity to share some of the amazing plants, people, and stories behind Smithsonian Gardens and explore the many ways people seek connection to the natural world.

Gardens are for everyone 

Whether it’s an orchid on a windowsill, a pot of herbs on the balcony, a burst of pink coneflowers near the mailbox, or a sprawling pumpkin patch, people find joy in caring for plants. Not to mention the many other benefits plants provide, like food, reduced stress, and the air we breathe (thanks photosynthesis!) However, gardening can also be intimidating. It often involves some trial and error, and one failed plant can be enough to convince someone they lack a green thumb. Smithsonian Gardens believes there is a plant for everyone, and this guide includes helpful tips for sharing and propagating plants, orchid care, gardening for pollinators, and making your own compost. You can always check out the Let's Talk Gardens series to grow even more garden skills.  

Gardens are ephemeral 

Gardens are always changing, from season to season and throughout history. Just think about how the landscapes in your community have changed over time. Even the iconic  Enid A. Haupt Garden was established only 38 years ago. Now a four-acre oasis with a formal parterre at its heart, the South Yard behind the Smithsonian Castle was once used for a taxidermy studio, bison pen, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and parking lots since the Smithsonian’s founding in 1846. 

The Archives of American Gardens captures fleeting moments in garden history by collecting, preserving, and providing access to resources that document the history of gardens in America. These records help tell the stories of people who dedicated their careers to plants, including horticulturists, landscape architects, garden photographers, and seed entrepreneurs. This guide shares highlights from the Archives, as well as the horticultural artifact collection cared for by Smithsonian Gardens.  

Smithsonian Gardens also encourages people to share their own garden memories through the Community of Gardens Story Collection website. This online collection includes stories of active community and school gardens, favorite botanical gardens, and memories of childhood gardens. You can even submit your own story! 

Gardens are inspiring 

A search of the Smithsonian collections unearths stories, artworks, inventions, scientific discoveries, and even postage inspired by plants. This guide features just a few examples of the countless ways artists have incorporated the natural world into their work. Plants show up on our walls, on our household objects, in our photographs, and more. Take a look around your own home, can you find any design elements that feature plants? The guide also includes ideas for creating your own “plant work” like these pumpkin pinch pots from the Hirshhorn.  

Gardens tell stories 

We hope this garden guide will inspire readers to explore the gardens in their communities and take a closer look at the gardens across the Smithsonian campus the next time they visit one of our museums. They each have a story to tell, like the Flight Garden at the newly revitalized National Air and Space Museum. The Flight Garden will invite visitors to explore the beauty and wonder of flight through the lens of plants. Plants like Asclepias and Anemone use wind for seed dispersal, with fluffy seedheads that evolved to catch the breeze. Aster and Salvia attract winged pollinators like birds and butterflies. Some plants even resemble objects in the sky, like Fothergilla, whose spiky flowers resemble an early satellite.  

Gardens are truly interdisciplinary spaces where the arts, humanities, and sciences intersect. And with spring just arriving, what better time to use this guide and go outside, renew your connection with the natural world, and get inspired! 

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Editor's Note: "Human/Nature: A Smithsonian guide for exploring our connections to plants, gardens, and the natural world around us" is now available for viewing and download, with additional resources available online via the Smithsonian Learning Lab.

Katie Munn | Read More

Katie Munn is an education specialist at Smithsonian Gardens. She loves designing programs and educational materials that celebrate gardens as interdisciplinary spaces for audiences of all ages. Katie has over ten years of experience as a museum educator. She holds a master’s degree in museum education from the George Washington University and bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Michigan.