The Garden at Dumbarton Oaks
So back in April Judy and I visited the garden at Dumbarton Oaks in the Georgetown section of DC. We were visiting our friends who live outside Baltimore and wanted to see this garden in part because it would be closed for almost a year starting in July.
Dumbarton Oaks as it exists today was created by Mildred and Robert Bliss. Robert was an American diplomat, but it was Mildred who took the lead in the garden. They bought the property in 1920, and over the next decade Mildred worked with the garden designer Beatrix Farrand.
The property was handed over to Harvard University in 1940. We entered through the South Lawn, which was unremarkable.
Things started to get interesting just outside the house in the Beech Terrace. This is an American Beech (Fagus grandiflora) that was planted in 1948 after the original tree died.
The property around the house is mostly sloping, and so the garden is organized into a series of terraces.
The Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) was coming into full bloom at the time of our visit. We were always going up and sticking our noses into the fragrant pea-like flowers.
There were lots of Tulips blooming in the Fountain Terrace.
I liked this arched iron gate.
The Arbor Terrace is all about places to sit, surrounded by fragrant herbs. The arbor is supposed to be covered with more Wisteria, but I guess it needed to be replaced. I liked the little orange tree in a pot.
Here’s a spot for enjoying the sunshine and perhaps some conversation.
What a great herb planter. Too bad you can’t really sit on it.
This is called the Lovers’ Lane Pool, though I don’t know why.
There’s a brick amphitheater at one end.
Curves gave the old brick an appealing softness.
An orchard and small meadow lie beyond the pool. The meadow is planted in Daffodils and various small spring bulbs, but most of the blooms had gone over already.
Beyond the orchard we found the kitchen gardens, with spring vegetables newly planted.
We admired some large Flowering Dogwoods (Cornus florida) as we strolled the grounds.
The Pebble Garden has an extensive mosaic of small stones surrounded by Wisteria-covered walls.
Here’s a view from the terrace above. The brown thing is a sheaf of wheat.
And finally, a couple more pictures of the Wisteria in bloom.
Dumbarton Oaks is a mere two miles from the White House. I’d like to think that a daily stroll here would calm the disordered minds currently in charge of our country. On second thought, Trump would probably try to turn it into a golf course.
gardeninacity 
What a wonderful garden! I do wish it was still on the Fling itinerary but at least you had a chance to see it while it’s still open. 🙂
That was one reason why we chose to go.
There were a lot of people there, and I had to work very hard to get some of these photos without people. That’s the first thing I see, looking at these photos. Plus, the scent of the wisteria was wonderful, I never knew it had such an aroma. Third, we had our friends with us, one of whom was just humoring us, because he is bored to death by flowers. But he loved the asparagus in the vegetable garden – he had never seen asparagus growing.
Enjoyed your post until your disparaging comments on our President. Unsubscribe me Little do you know his appreciation of gardens
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I think you did a beautiful job Judy.It appears that you were in an English garden to me. This place looks so English. It is quite lovely. I wonder if they had performances in their amphitheater or if it was just for looks.
That’s a good question about the amphitheater. I’d be interested to find out.
Wow.
Nice photos, especially like that one of the Flowering Dogwoods. The pebble garden is a great feature.
Great job, Judy! I could almost smell the wisteria. The amphitheater looks like a great place for one of Shakespeare’s plays.
Such a lovely place – the lovers lane looks fairly private with those tall shrubs/trees behind the benches…perhaps the reason behind the name 🙂
Since we won’t be able to visit here during the Fling I enjoyed your visit. Love that brick amphitheater!
What a lovely grand garden! If I admit it this is my favorite style of garden…more formal with pools, benches and symmetry. It sound like it isn’t open during the Fling…darn! Your pictures and stunning!
Yes, it’s really too bad that it will be closed for the spring. But there will be more than enough to occupy us
That wisteria alone would be worth the trip.
Yes. I was so pleased to be there at the height of the wisteria.
Thanks for the tour of such a lovely garden (I bet the inside of the house would be interesting too) I haven’t seen many formal gardens in the US and this is a beauty. The wisteria and the flowering Dogwoods are gorgeous. Judy you did well with your photos, not another person in sight!
It took a lot of patience to get photos without people, but I just hate having strangers in this kind of photos. The angles and cropping by the pool and amphitheater – all due to a group of people I was determined not to catch in my photos.
I know exactly what you mean!
Looks like a “must see” in the DC area. The Wisteria is dreamy!
What a beautiful place. That beech tree is glorious. I’m impressed with your ability to de-person the photos, Judy!
She’s very talented, she is.
And probably turn the mall into a large putting green. As for Dumbarton Oaks, it is on my to do list if I ever visit DC when it is open. Though I have made many trips to DC in the past, they were always in the winter. Thanks for sharing your pictures.
Just seeing the wisteria makes me want some. I’ll take the American version though. Great photos!
Don’t forget it’s role in the formation of the United nations. perhaps the gardens put the participants in a peaceful state of mind.
Could be – thanks for pointing that out.
Jason, your photos revealed elements of this garden that I’ve not seen before in a garden I’ve wanted to visit for a while. The structures are very reminiscent of British gardens – the pebble mosaic is a masterpiece, thank you for the view from above. Now this is on my bucket list for a future visit.
We did like the pebble mosaic especially.
The Chinese Wisteria is breathtaking. Classical gardens are so beautiful. Such a beautiful place for the world to come together and dream up the UN.