A Visit to the National Botanic Garden

 

"Duck" fountain?

Last week I finally had a chance to visit the new National Botanic Garden in Chantilly, VA. I read about this new botanic garden from my Cooperative Living magazine, published by the Rappahannock Electric Cooperative which serves our area. The magazine did a three-page article with wonderful photos about the garden and its owners. Peter Knop and his Polish-born wife Beata have spent over thirty years creating this garden on the large farm he inherited from his family in Loudon County.

Built entirely from recycled construction materials, the gardens feature a large lake with many small islands which have one particular variety of bamboo growing in each. The bamboo is grown to feed the pandas at the National Zoo. The owners admit to being nuts about bamboo.

 

One of the many islands on the lake and the boathouse.

Bridge to another island on the lake.

View of the Lakeside pavilion and stone steps.

 

The main attractions of the garden are Beata's sculptures and the sculptural stone and earth constructions like Hobbittown, the Stone Barn, several other pavilions, and the still-under-construction Castle, which will not be completed for some years.

 

Entrance drive into the garden.

Looking the other way from the entrance.

Stonework by the main entry.

 

Being geographically near me in northern Virginia, I had purchased a ticket to visit--at this time the garden is only open to the public for a few days each month. My ticket was for June, but on the designated day they emailed me to say that the garden would be closed, due to severe thunderstorms expected that afternoon. They offered to reissue my ticket for another day.

I couldn't make it on the other open days in June, but I was able to get an alternate date in July. And so it was, on the hottest day to date, I took a bag lunch and my plein air painting kit to explore the gardens. Fortunately most of the garden is nicely shaded by woods.

 

The parking area.

From the parking area I walked down toward the picnic area near the big lake. I was hungry, so I sat down to eat my sandwich and take in the scene. I carried along a tote bag with my painting equipment.

 

The picnic area from the Lake Pavilion.

After lunch I was ready to explore the garden, but not burdened with my painting gear. There were only a few people there besides myself, quiet and contemplative--it was probably safe to leave my bag at the pavilion by the lake shore, where I would likely paint later on.

 

Bridge leading to the Stone Barn

I started out towards the other pavilions: the large gazebo and the Stone Barn were reached by crossing a small wooden bridge painted red, reminiscent of Monet's Japanese bridge at Giverny. A number of sculptures, some of them steles, adorned the paths along the way.

 

Path toward the Stone Barn.

Stone Stele.

 

At another covered pavilion a set of steps led to Hobbittown, a whimsical stone construction rising up a hill. Everywhere one looked there were fascinating details: sculptural rocks, round boulders and balls, light posts, fountains, planters. The plants themselves seemed to be the least of it, although clearly chosen with care and an eye for form and color. I happen to be a big fan of Hakonechloa grass--apparently the owners are too!

Another large pavilion.

The steps to Hobbittown.

 

I managed to climb through parts of Hobbittown, though it was quite risky for someone my age. I'm sure it's intended more for children and young people to climb through.

 

Hobbittown.

A doorway in Hobbittown.

My next stop was at the hottest spot--the arid or cactus garden. There wasn't much in bloom there, except for a lovely specimen of Texas Yucca (not a yucca at all--it's Hesperaloe parviflora). I have the same Mexican grass (Nasella tenuissima) in my garden but I wish I had space for some of that gorgeous Yucca rostrata!

The path to the cactus garden.

The cactus garden.

Texas Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora).

 

From here I thought the path would lead to the area they call Kyoto, but I was mistaken-- a fancy gate enclosed an area off limits to the public. I walked back in the merciless sun to take in more sculptures in the shadier part of the garden. The first one resembled some giant insect, so I called it the Big Bug.

 

The Big Bug sculpture.

I generally don't care much for modern-day abstract sculpture of this scale, finding most of them much too obtrusive and clashing with the nature it's supposed to enhance, but these were very clever and seemed to fit in nicely with the surroundings. All are made from recycled and discarded materials. None of the sculptures had labels that I could see, though I'm sure they have titles, so I gave them my own nicknames.

 

Atlas Shrugged?

Bird-shaped sculpture.

Two metallic sculptures.

Exhausted, I walked back to the lake pavilion to cool off and start painting. My gear was undisturbed where I'd left it, but my watercolor of the view of the lake didn't turn out to be very satisfying after all--a bit washed out and pedestrian. I'm afraid I haven't painted much plein air this year and am a bit rusty.

 

View of the National Botanic Garden Lake, watercolor, 11"h x 14"w.

The actual view.

After getting the painting this far, I left it and wandering about, ran into the owners--taking a break from their labors, they were talking to some other visitors, so I stopped to listen and eventually joined the conversation. They asked me if I'd visited Kyoto, and I said no, I'd been stopped by the closed gate. It turned out I'd been in the wrong area--the place they call Kyoto was along a completely different path! 

 

The Castle exterior.

A peek inside the castle under construction.

 

Once they gave me the directions, walking past the Castle, I  was able to find it. Good thing I found out, or I would have left  the garden without seeing this lovely and unique creation, inspired by Japanese gardens.

 

The entrance to the Kyoto garden.

Stonework in Kyoto garden.

 

The waterfall was quite a complex construction, I've never seen anything like it! There were so many unusual elements: the curving waterway, the steps, the ever-shifting perspectives were fascinating.

 

The Kyoto waterfall.

Stonework at the waterfall.

Water reflections with bamboo.

Another sculpture here seemed to echo the stonework of the waterfall, and the Japanese teahouse completed the tableaux.

 

Sculpture in Kyoto garden.

Another view of the sculpture.

Japanese Teahouse in Kyoto garden.

The garden closed at five, and by now I had just enough time to get my gear from the lakeside pavilion and get back to my car before driving out into the rush hour traffic to get home. I craved the lovely Victorian garden cart by the lakeside pavilion for my own garden--wonder where they found it?

Bald cypress with knees.

Victorian garden cart.

I'd love to come back for a peek another time, perhaps when it's cooler. There's still a lot of the garden I didn't get a chance to see. And being a work in progress, I'm sure there will be some new things to admire, and maybe more plants too!