Rosa Loves… A morning at the U.S. Botanic Gardens. Sunday...

Rosa Loves… A morning at the U.S. Botanic Gardens.

Sunday morning started a bit slow. I wasn’t able to sleep well the night before, so I was having a hard time staying awake. However, after my second cup of coffee, I grabbed my camera and walked to the metro station determined to have a productive day. While waiting for the train, I remembered that E of District of Chic (one of my favorite DC bloggers) had mentioned something recently about her visit to the U.S. Botanic Gardens last year on Instragram, so I decided to head over there. It was an impromptu decision, but one that turned out to be a fabulous one. The Botanic Gardens exhibit for the holiday season is truly unique; throughout the Garden Court, you will find replicas of monuments and buildings found in the National Mall. Each building is made out of dried plant materials such as pine cones, willows, acorn caps, and grapevine tendrils. The attention to detail in each one of the replicas in the exhibit is remarkable. Of course, the pretty pink poinsettias surrounding the buildings make the exhibit even more special.

After my visit to the Botanic Gardens, I made another impromptu decision and met Arlita of Rock and Sole Style for coffee and a late breakfast at one of our favorite new spots, Rare Sweets. A morning full of last minute activities was just what I needed to wrap up my weekend before the holidays.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday with your family and friends.

National Mall monuments and building replicas currently at the U.S. Botanic Gardens and featured in this post:

• U.S. Capitol (photo 1)
• Washington Monument (photo 3)
• Smithsonian Institution: The Castle (photo 5)
• Lincoln Memorial (photos 6 and 9)
• U.S. Botanical Gardens (photo 7)

The Season’s Greetings Exhibit at the U.S. Botanic Gardens will end on January 4th, 2015.

{Photos by RosaLovesDC}