TikTok Tuesday: Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

@wdcgardener

A visit to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardrns in Washington, DC. It is a national park property and is free and open to the public. ##gardendc ##publicgarden

♬ original sound - Kathy Jentz

By Molly Cuddy

This past week, we visited Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, which is a national park located in northeast Washington, DC. It was a super quick and easy drive from my apartment in College Park, because it’s so close to the Maryland border. The garden spans several acres along the Anacostia River. It’s awesome that DC has that much public green space for gorgeous, spacious gardens.

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is filled with lotus and waterlilies as well as lots of wildlife. The best time for spotting birds is early in the morning. 

Entry is free to the gardens and it is open 8am-4pm daily (except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day). The U.S. National Arboretum is nearby (literally just across the river), so you could easily check out both in one day.

My TikTok video linked here shows a preview of what the garden looks like in mid-July. The video doesn’t even do all of it justice, so be sure to go to the aquatic gardens when you can; it’s a perfect summer day activity. 

About the Author

Molly Cuddy is a journalism major at the University of Maryland, College Park, and an intern this summer with Washington Gardener. She is also a campus tour guide and will be a teaching assistant for a professional writing class next semester.

Annual Lotus and WaterLily Festival at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens on July 21-22

Join the National Park Service for the annual Lotus and WaterLily Festival at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens on July 21-22, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

❖ Celebrate the internationally loved lotuses and waterlilies during peak bloom.

❖ See cultural performances from Latin, Asian and African origins.

❖ Play fun games, enjoy arts and crafts and dance to music from around the world.

Washington Gardener Magazine will be giving out free information on home water gardening (on Saturday only) at our table at the event. We hope to see you there!

This FREE festival celebrates nature, culture and community at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens,
a one-of-a- kind destination in Anacostia Park. Celebrate the centennial of Anacostia Park with us
at D.C.’s hidden oasis during the Year of the Anacostia.

Visit go.nps.gov/lotus for more event information.

BTW. the official hashtag for the festival is #LotusLilyFest

They are also celebrating the Year of the Anacostia and Anacostia Park centennial this year,
so you are also encouraged to use: #YearoftheAnacostia #AnacostiaPark100

Video Wednesday: Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

The annual Waterlily and Lotus Fest 2017 at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Washington, DC, included crafts, wildlife talks, traditional Asian & African dancing performances, and much more.