Hill Rag | August 2007 | The Literary Hill

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The Literary Hill

A Compendium of Readers, Writers, Books, & Events

by: Karen Lyon

A BOTANIC BEAUTY

How fair is a garden amid the trials and passions of existence.
-Benjamin Disraeli

Imagine yourself transported: “The rhythmic croaking of tree frogs filters through the steamy stillness. Whistles of exotic birds pierce the air. A formal balustrade and an eroded staircase emerge from the creeping vegetation, suggesting that a great plantation once dominated these lush surroundings.” You could be in Peru… or Brazil or Costa Rica. But as you inhale the moist, earthy air, you glance off to the east. And there, through the glass surrounding the canopy walkway, you see – huh? – the familiar dome of the US Capitol.

For more than 150 years, the United States Botanic Garden has been an uplifting and educational presence on Capitol Hill. It provides a cool and soothing antidote to heated political debate, and a warm, natural contrast to stone and marble monuments. Now a brand new book invites you to experience the many faces of this national treasure. “A Botanic Garden for the Nation” by Anne-Catherine Fallen features not only evocative prose (quoted above), but more than a hundred equally verdant photographs. “Almost every visitor to the USBG asks about a book,” says Fallen, who was eager to share her long-time interest in the plant collections and to “spread the word about the Botanic Garden.” A writer and photographer living in Arlington, Va., Fallen’s previous work includes “Gargoyles” and “Jewels of Light,” both about the Washington National Cathedral.

In a clear and engaging style, Fallen begins by describing the origins and evolution of the US Botanic Garden. First proposed by George Washington in 1796, the national garden was granted land on the Mall in 1820, but it wasn’t until 1850 that Congress appropriated the funding that formally established the US Botanic Garden. The lawmakers were inspired in large part by the need to find a home for the thousands of pounds of specimens brought back by botanists on the US Exploring Expedition of 1838-1842. It took the interest stimulated by these exotic seeds and plants – including a vessel fern from New Zealand and a red gloxinia from Brazil – to finally fulfill George Washington’s wish for a national garden on the Mall.

Fallen presents extensive information about conservation, cultivation and uses of the collection, and leads a virtual tour through the various areas within the conservatory and the courtyard. She continues out to the new National Garden, with its First Ladies Rose Garden, and across the street to Bartholdi Park for a look at its splendid fountain. Along the way, photo captions provide rewarding detours. Did you know, for example, that the rosy periwinkle produces a substance used in the treatment of leukemia? Or that rare and endangered plant species confiscated at US borders are often sent to the USBG for study and propagation? There’s even an appendix that provides a useful primer on how to read a plant label.

William C. Allen, historic preservation officer for the Architect of the Capitol, capably fills in the back story. His chapter on the architectural history of the USBG features scores of archival documents and photographs that trace its development from a small greenhouse tacked onto the Patent Office, to the current building, which reopened in 2001 following a four-year renovation and reconstruction.

In the early to mid-1860s, we see it as a tiny gothic outpost on the Mall; a few years later, it has morphed into a charming Victorian Conservatory with a visitor’s staircase circling a large central chimney. The neoclassical revival building and an aluminum-and-glass conservatory were completed in 1933. In addition to the architectural details, Allen describes the ongoing struggles to secure funding and assuage conflicting interests without which any DC story would be incomplete. A former Hill Writer, Allen was profiled here in September 2002 for his “History of the United States Capitol.”

Whether you’re a regular devotee who knows every orchid by name or simply a casual visitor, “A Botanic Garden for the Nation” will make for appealing reading. Leafing through its sleek pages is like taking an enjoyable stroll through the garden’s paths and walkways with learned and lively guides. The book is published by and available through the Government Printing Office (202-512-1800 or bookstore.gpo.gov); it may also be purchased at the Senate Gift Shop (202-224-7308) or through amazon.com. The US Botanic Garden is on First Street SW, between Maryland Avenue and C Street, and is open every day, including holidays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov).

SHOW OFFS
Two literary-themed exhibitions on the Hill close this month. “Shakespeare in American Life,” at the Folger Shakespeare Library, presents a unique slice of Americana through a colorful display of Shakespeare-influenced political cartoons, advertisements, theatrical memorabilia, artwork and movie stills. “A Century of Creativity: The MacDowell Colony, 1907-2007,” in the Southwest Gallery of the Great Hall at the Library of Congress, commemorates the centennial of the oldest colony for visual artists, writers, and composers in the United States. Distinguished alumni include writers James Baldwin, Willa Cather and Thornton Wilder. Both exhibitions close Aug. 18.

BOOK DATES

DC PUBLIC LIBRARIES
www.dclibrary.org

Northeast Neighborhood Library
330 Seventh St. NE, 202-698-3320
Capitol Hill Mystery Book Club: First Monday, 6:30 PM (August’s book is “Invisible Prey” by John Sandford)
Toddler Time: Tuesdays, 10:15 and 11:15 AM; Thursdays, 10:15 AM
Summer Quest (children’s summer reading program) Celebration, Aug. 18, 3 PM
Traveling Jeans (donation/exchange program), Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3 PM
Reel Teens (film series), Wednesdays, 4 PM
Teens Get Green (recycled crafts), Wednesdays, 1:30 PM (call Ms. Jackson at 202-698-3298 to reserve space)

Southeast Neighborhood Library
403 Seventh St. SE, 202-698-3377
Infant/Toddler Story time (infant-2): Mondays, 11 AM
Preschool Story time (ages 2-5): Wednesdays, 10:15 AM
Story time in Spanish: Thursdays, 3:30 PM
Capitol Hill Book Club (nonfiction): Third Tues., 6:30 PM

FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY
201 East Capitol St. SE
www.folger.edu, 202-544-4600
Box Office: 202-544-7077
Exhibition
“Shakespeare in American Life” (through Aug. 18)
Mon.-Sat., 10 AM-4 PM

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
www.loc.gov, 202-707-0911
Book Talk
“Fit to Live: 5 Steps to a Lean, Strong, Fearless You” by Dr. Pamela Peeke
Aug. 2, 11:30 AM
Exhibition
“A Century of Creativity: The MacDowell Colony, 1907-2007” (through Aug. 18)
Mon.-Sat., 10 AM-5 PM

CAPITOL HILL BOOKS
657 C St. SE
www.capitolhillbooks-dc.com, 202-544-1621
Second Saturday: discounts on books; wine & cheese 4-7 PM
August’s Dead Author Program features Leo Tolstoy (extra 20 percent off)

RIVERBY BOOKS
417 East Capitol St. SE
www.riverby.com, 202-543-4342
‘A Space Inside’ Reading Series
Last Wed., 7 PM


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The Literary Hill
A Compendium of Readers, Writers, Books, & Events
by: Karen Lyon
A BOTANIC BEAUTY How fair is a garden amid the trials and passions of existence. -Benjamin Disraeli Imagine yourself transported: “The rhythmic croaking of tree frogs filters through the steamy stillness. Whistles of exotic birds pierce the air. A formal balustrade and an eroded staircase emerge from the creeping vegetation, suggesting that a great plantation once dominated these lush surroundings.” You could be in Peru… or Brazil or Costa Rica. But as you inhale the moist, earthy air, you glance off to the east. And there, through the glass surrounding the canopy walkway, you see – huh? – the familiar dome of the US Capitol. For more than 150 years, the United States Botanic Garden has been an uplifting and educational presence on Capitol Hill. It provides a cool and soothing antidote to heated political debate, and a warm, natural contrast to stone and marble monuments. Now a brand new book invites you to experience the many faces of this national treasure. “A Botanic Garden for the Nation” by Anne-Catherine Fallen features not only evocative prose (quoted above), but more than a hundred equally verdant photographs. “Almost every visitor to the USBG asks about a book,” says Fallen, who was eager to share her long-time interest in the plant collections and to “spread the word about the Botanic Garden.” A writer and photographer living in Arlington, Va., Fallen’s previous work includes “Gargoyles” and “Jewels of Light,” both about the Washington National Cathedral. In a clear and engaging style, Fallen begins by describing the origins and evolution of the US Botanic Garden. First proposed by George Washington in 1796, the national garden was granted land on the Mall in 1820, but it wasn’t until 1850 that Congress appropriated the funding that formally established the US Botanic Garden. The lawmakers were inspired in large part by the need to find a home for the thousands of pounds of specimens brought back by botanists on the US Exploring Expedition of 1838-1842. It took the interest stimulated by these exotic seeds and plants – including a vessel fern from New Zealand and a red gloxinia from Brazil – to finally fulfill George Washington’s wish for a national garden on the Mall. Fallen presents extensive information about conservation, cultivation and uses of the collection, and leads a virtual tour through the various areas within the conservatory and the courtyard. She continues out to the new National Garden, with its First Ladies Rose Garden, and across the street to Bartholdi Park for a look at its splendid fountain. Along the way, photo captions provide rewarding detours. Did you know, for example, that the rosy periwinkle produces a substance used in the treatment of leukemia? Or that rare and endangered plant species confiscated at US borders are often sent to the USBG for study and propagation? There’s even an appendix that provides a useful primer on how to read a plant label. William C. Allen, historic preservation officer for the Architect of the Capitol, capably fills in the back story. His chapter on the architectural history of the USBG features scores of archival documents and photographs that trace its development from a small greenhouse tacked onto the Patent Office, to the current building, which reopened in 2001 following a four-year renovation and reconstruction. In the early to mid-1860s, we see it as a tiny gothic outpost on the Mall; a few years later, it has morphed into a charming Victorian Conservatory with a visitor’s staircase circling a large central chimney. The neoclassical revival building and an aluminum-and-glass conservatory were completed in 1933. In addition to the architectural details, Allen describes the ongoing struggles to secure funding and assuage conflicting interests without which any DC story would be incomplete. A former Hill Writer, Allen was profiled here in September 2002 for his “History of the United States Capitol.” Whether you’re a regular devotee who knows every orchid by name or simply a casual visitor, “A Botanic Garden for the Nation” will make for appealing reading. Leafing through its sleek pages is like taking an enjoyable stroll through the garden’s paths and walkways with learned and lively guides. The book is published by and available through the Government Printing Office (202-512-1800 or bookstore.gpo.gov); it may also be purchased at the Senate Gift Shop (202-224-7308) or through amazon.com. The US Botanic Garden is on First Street SW, between Maryland Avenue and C Street, and is open every day, including holidays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov). SHOW OFFS Two literary-themed exhibitions on the Hill close this month. “Shakespeare in American Life,” at the Folger Shakespeare Library, presents a unique slice of Americana through a colorful display of Shakespeare-influenced political cartoons, advertisements, theatrical memorabilia, artwork and movie stills. “A Century of Creativity: The MacDowell Colony, 1907-2007,” in the Southwest Gallery of the Great Hall at the Library of Congress, commemorates the centennial of the oldest colony for visual artists, writers, and composers in the United States. Distinguished alumni include writers James Baldwin, Willa Cather and Thornton Wilder. Both exhibitions close Aug. 18. BOOK DATES DC PUBLIC LIBRARIES www.dclibrary.org Northeast Neighborhood Library 330 Seventh St. NE, 202-698-3320 Capitol Hill Mystery Book Club: First Monday, 6:30 PM (August’s book is “Invisible Prey” by John Sandford) Toddler Time: Tuesdays, 10:15 and 11:15 AM; Thursdays, 10:15 AM Summer Quest (children’s summer reading program) Celebration, Aug. 18, 3 PM Traveling Jeans (donation/exchange program), Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3 PM Reel Teens (film series), Wednesdays, 4 PM Teens Get Green (recycled crafts), Wednesdays, 1:30 PM (call Ms. Jackson at 202-698-3298 to reserve space) Southeast Neighborhood Library 403 Seventh St. SE, 202-698-3377 Infant/Toddler Story time (infant-2): Mondays, 11 AM Preschool Story time (ages 2-5): Wednesdays, 10:15 AM Story time in Spanish: Thursdays, 3:30 PM Capitol Hill Book Club (nonfiction): Third Tues., 6:30 PM FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY 201 East Capitol St. SE www.folger.edu, 202-544-4600 Box Office: 202-544-7077 Exhibition “Shakespeare in American Life” (through Aug. 18) Mon.-Sat., 10 AM-4 PM LIBRARY OF CONGRESS www.loc.gov, 202-707-0911 Book Talk “Fit to Live: 5 Steps to a Lean, Strong, Fearless You” by Dr. Pamela Peeke Aug. 2, 11:30 AM Exhibition “A Century of Creativity: The MacDowell Colony, 1907-2007” (through Aug. 18) Mon.-Sat., 10 AM-5 PM CAPITOL HILL BOOKS 657 C St. SE www.capitolhillbooks-dc.com, 202-544-1621 Second Saturday: discounts on books; wine & cheese 4-7 PM August’s Dead Author Program features Leo Tolstoy (extra 20 percent off) RIVERBY BOOKS 417 East Capitol St. SE www.riverby.com, 202-543-4342 ‘A Space Inside’ Reading Series Last Wed., 7 PM