Orto botanico degli Stati Uniti
واشنطن
The United States Botanic Garden is a living museum of plants at the foot of the Capitol. It is the oldest public garden in the country that has been open without a break.
The dream of a national garden
George Washington wanted a garden of useful plants for the new capital. In 1816 a society of scholars proposed creating one. In 1820 Congress gave the society a plot of land near the Capitol.
The expedition's plants
In 1842 an exploring expedition returned from the South Seas with living plants from all over the world. At first they were kept in a temporary greenhouse, then in 1850 the first public greenhouse opened. Since then the garden has never closed.
The conservatory you see
The garden moved here in 1933. In front stands a limestone building with large arches. Behind it is a greenhouse of glass and aluminum, like the famous nineteenth-century ones in London. Inside there are rooms with different climates, from jungle to desert. It is one of the most visited gardens in the city.
The fountain park
Across Independence Avenue there is a small park with a large fountain by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, nine meters tall. It has turtles, fish, shells and three sea nymphs that seem to hold up the basin.
