PUBLICATIONS & MEDIA
ANNUAL REPORTS
Learn how FONA’s work has grown over the years through our Annual Reports.
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ARBOR FRIENDS MAGAZINE
FONA members receive our Arbor Friends magazine. Each issue contains information about the gardens and our programs and events. Feel free to browse our back issues, below.
Winter 2023
Winter 2022
Summer 2022
Fall 2022
Winter 2021
Spring 2021
Summer 2021
Fall 2021
Winter 2020
Summer 2020
Fall 2020
Winter 2019
Spring 2019
Summer 2019
Fall 2019
FONA FIELD NOTES NEWSLETTER
Our weekly FONA Field Notes newsletter provides timely updates on the National Arboretum, FONA, and the Washington Youth Garden. See our past issues below.
Enjoy summer at the National Arboretum! We’re collaborating with lots of local partners to host…
Infrastructure Projects at the Arboretum
If you’ve been to the National Arboretum in the last few months, you may have…
Last week, the National Arboretum and U.S. Department of Agriculture welcomed special guests from Ukraine…
Fighting Pests Through Genetics
The National Arboretum recently released two new hemlock hybrids into the American nursery industry. Tsuga ‘Traveler’ and Tsuga ‘Crossroad’ are both resistant…
Garden Fair & Plant Sale this Saturday!
FONA’s annual Garden Fair & Plant Sale is this Saturday, April 29th from 9 AM…
Plant lists are here for next weekend’s Garden Fair & Plant Sale! Check out the…
We’re gearing up for our annual Garden Fair & Plant Sale on Saturday, April 29th! This…
FONA recently received a generous estate gift from the late Ms. Frances M. Duttkin. Frances…
Frogs & Forest Bathing Under the Full Moon
FONA is hosting two Full Moon Events during the evening of Thursday, April 6th. Join…
Spring Traffic Plan & Native Plants
The National Arboretum is implementing a temporary traffic plan that impacts traffic flow and parking throughout the…
Guide to Volunteering with FONA
There are many ways to volunteer with FONA throughout the year and support our work…
The National Arboretum’s cherry blossoms and magnolia flowers are putting on a beautiful spring show…
Enjoy spring at the National Arboretum! We’re collaborating with lots of local partners to host…
Earlier this month, we highlighted the role Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Company 1360 had in building…
We are thrilled to announce that FONA’s Washington Youth Garden 50th Anniversary short film just received…
New Eagle Nest at the Arboretum
FONA’s 2022 Annual Report is here! 2022 brought back many of FONA’s fan-favorite events and programs,…
Black Legacies at the Arboretum
The National Arboretum would likely not look as it does today without the work of…
Witch-hazel is a small tree or shrub that blooms from October through March, depending on…
Scott Aker, who served as the Head of Horticulture and Education at the National Arboretum…
In 2023, we are committed to connecting people to the National Arboretum’s mission, research, and…
Happy holidays and happy new year from everyone at Friends of the National Arboretum! We are…
2022 was big year for FONA! The Garden Fair returned, garden-based education was in-person at schools…
The National Arboretum is a hotspot and haven for both plant and animal biodiversity. Arboretum…
We’re excited to see you this Saturday, December 10th for our annual Winter Festival. A portion of…
Christmas Tree Sale this Saturday
Join us this Saturday, December 3rd from 10 AM to 4 PM for our Christmas…
What Are You Doing This Thanksgiving?
We are extremely grateful to all our FONA members! Their stalwart support allows us to…
To show our appreciation for our colleagues at the Arboretum, FONA hosted a BBQ this…
Christmas trees, wreaths, and garlands are now available for pre-order! You can pick up your reserved…
Members of the Arboretum’s Germplasm and Gardens Units recently planted an orchard of Magnolia ashei in the…
Dr. Richard T. Olsen, the U.S. National Arboretum’s Director, recently sat down with WUSA9 TV to discuss…
Buy Christmas trees, wreaths, and garlands at our Christmas Tree Sale. This event will only…
The National Arboretum sits on land in the Chesapeake Bay watershed along the Anacostia River…
Helia Bravo-Hollis was a prominent botanist from Mexico in the first half of the 20th…
Leaves will soon begin to change color as shorter days and cooler weather herald autumn. SmokyMountains.com,…
FONA was recently awarded a Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program grant in excess of…
Celebrate fall with us at the National Arboretum! We’re collaborating with lots of local partners…
Betty Brown Casey, a DC philanthropist who was the visionary and benefactor behind Casey Trees, passed…
Tickets and tables are selling quickly for our 26th Annual Dinner Under the Stars! Join us…
Our garden team has harvested 2,760 pounds of produce from Washington Youth Garden so far this year! That’s…
Take a walk through plant evolution with Dr. Richard Olsen, Director of the National Arboretum,…
J.C. Raulston not only founded the arboretum at North Carolina State University that now bears…
Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating Washington Youth Garden’s 50th anniversary last…
FONA is thrilled to congratulate Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young on her confirmation as Under Secretary of Agriculture…
Celebrate summer with us at the National Arboretum! We’re collaborating with lots of local partners…
DC9 was officially named over Memorial Day weekend! The American Eagle Foundation held a poll with various…
Washington Youth Garden has been in full swing this spring. Our one-acre demonstration garden on…
Just under a month to go until we celebrate Washington Youth Garden’s 50th anniversary with…
Our annual Garden Fair & Plant Sale is finally here! Here are a few important…
Azalea peak bloom is almost here! We’re expecting the National Arboretum’s Azalea Collections to reach peak…
The National Arboretum has updated its spring traffic plan to make the grounds more accessible…
Dr. Richard T. Olsen, the National Arboretum’s Director, recently spoke with Fox 5 DC about…
Garden Fair & Plant Sale Guide
FONA’s annual Garden Fair & Plant Sale returns Saturday, April 30th! We’ll keep sharing important…
Garden field trips are back! We’re excited to welcome students and teachers back into Washington…
The National Arboretum is implementing a temporary traffic plan to keep the grounds safe for…
Friends of the National Arboretum turns 40 this week! For 4 decades, we have supported…
Celebrate spring with us at the National Arboretum! We’re partnering with lots of local partners…
Mr. President and LOTUS celebrated President’s Day weekend by laying two eggs! While the pair…
“Heirloom seeds survive because of their flavor, [because] of their unique characteristics agronomically. But their…
Edna Lewis was considered the Grande Dame of Southern cooking. Her work as a chef…
The U.S. National Arboretum was recently named a “2022 Best of Weddings” award winner by The…
A pair of beavers have built a lodge and two dams in Springhouse Run. Although…
The R Street entrance will be closed from Tuesday, Jan. 18th through Thursday, Jan. 20th…
Three long-serving staff members retired from the National Arboretum in 2021. We’d like to thank…
Visit the Procrastinator’s Holiday Market on Saturday, December 11th at the National Arboretum. This is held alongside…
Before wreaths adorned doors and walls during the holidays, wreaths were originally hung as ornaments…
This Native American Heritage Month, explore DC’s Indigenous history. The Anacostia River that borders the…
Washington Youth Garden has grown and donated 5,700 pounds of fresh food this year to…
Christmas Trees & Holiday Market
Let us help you have a hassle-free holiday this year. Join us December 11 and…
Our Garden team has grown and donated 5,265 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables this year! This…
Thank you to all who attended our FONA Fall Fest events! We greatly enjoyed sharing…
Bulbs are planted in fall after the weather cools and before the ground freezes. Once…
Apply by October 4th to become FONA’s Director of Foundations and Government Relations. This person will…
The Arboretum is building a new rain garden this fall just inside the R Street…
Only 30% of the streams that flowed through Washington, DC at the beginning of the…
We’ve harvested 3,650 pounds of fresh food from Washington Youth Garden so far this year —…
The Grass Roots Exhibit is getting a new look! There will be construction near the…
Ashley Rattanawan joins FONA’s School Garden Support Program as a School Garden Education Coach. She got…
Richard Evans Schultes was a 20th century biologist who studied medicinal and toxic plants used…
Dig into the principles of forest gardening with Lincoln Smith, founder of Forested. Forest gardens are a…
Our education program team was busy connecting with students virtually this spring. Already in 2021,…
Elke Mackenzie was a botanist and polar explorer who scoured arctic landscapes for lichen during…
Juneteenth Reflection & Celebration
In this week’s FONA Field Notes, we are sharing resources to reflect on Junteenth’s history,…
Starting June 1, 2021, the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum is officially open to the…
The frost-tolerant Valencia oranges we know today were created in the early 20th century by…
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Capitol Columns was 35 years ago, on May 13, 1986.…
Washington Youth Garden is turning 50! Since 1971, our garden has served thousands of students…
Join the garden party! From Friday, May 7th to Sunday, May 16th, the American Public Gardens…
Get to the roots of organic lawn care with Mary Travaglini of the Montgomery County Department…
Dr. Harlan Svoboda, curator of the National Arboretum’s Herbarium, reports the team’s progress on a major…
Our Virtual Farm Field Trips make it easy to bring garden science into classrooms. We created 13…
Beginning Friday, April 9, the number of visitors and vehicles allowed on the National Arboretum…
Exciting changes are coming to Washington Youth Garden! As WYG embarks on its 50th anniversary…
Washington Youth Garden is honored to receive the American Horticultural Society’s Jane L. Taylor Award this year…
Thank you to members of the Acorn Garden Club for helping construct nearly 1,000 Grow@Home kits this…
We’re celebrating Women’s History Month! This week we honor the women who have paved the…
Roland M. Jefferson was the first Black botanist and plant explorer at the U.S. Department…
Dr. Marie Clark Taylor was a botanist and teacher whose innovative teaching methods continue to…
Henry Kirklin was a former enslaved person who made waves with his gardening, horticulture, and…
George Washington Carver was a renowned Black agricultural scientist from the first half of the…
Did you know that, despite the pandemic, FONA hosted 12 weddings last year? We have already…
In 2020, FONA shifted its focus to grow and donate fresh produce, coordinate safe outdoor activities, and…
The U.S. National Arboretum has one of the largest and oldest assemblages of cultivars of…
The Gotelli Conifer Collection in the Arboretum’s northeast corner is one of the world’s largest collections of dwarf conifers.Before you…
We’re extremely honored Washington Youth Garden was recognized as one of Washingtonian Magazine’s “20 Worthy Local Charities That Would…
This Giving Tuesday, we are raising money to build new raised beds in our Demonstration…
Happy Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Day! We acknowledge the Nacotchtank tribe …
Last week, the U.S. Commission on Fine Arts approved a new design for the National Bonsai & Penjing…
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SCHOOL GARDEN GATEWAY NEWSLETTER
Your seasonal garden resources are here! Please enjoy our quarterly resources picked just for you and your school garden by our School Garden Support program team. Learn more about this program and the other resources we offer DC schools and educators beyond our newsletter.
How are you celebrating Black History Month this year? Maybe you will share about remarkable…
November is Native American Heritage (or Indigenous Peoples) Month and I encourage you to learn…
Get Growing with Your Students
Free seedlings, compost, straw available for pickup for priority Title 1 schools in D.C. Learn…
Celebrate Your Students Blooming
Our summer professional development is the foundation for our school-year Educator Coaching Program. Preference will…
On-site SPROUT field trips are returning in 2022! We are so excited to once again invite educators and…
Our 12 Educator Coaching Program schools are making steady progress on their goals. One of…
Join Washington Youth Garden this Saturday, September 18th from 9 AM to 12 PM for our…
Join Washington Youth Garden next week for our Summer Intensive. This two-day training at our garden…
We are excited to provide Grow@Home kits again this year. This kit offers hands-on gardening experiences while…
Sign up to receive School Garden Gateway
PRESS & MEDIA
Please direct all press and media inquiries regarding Friends of the National Arboretum and the Washington Youth Garden to Anne McGarvey at amcgarvey@fona.org.
Please visit the National Arboretum’s website for information regarding commercial and wedding photography permits.
