The People's Gardens

The Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) Capitol Grounds and Arboretum jurisdiction maintains and preserves the historic landscape of the Capitol campus. The grounds encompass 286 acres including Union Square, the 13-acre site situated between the U.S. Capitol's West Front and the National Mall. Nestled among historic buildings are meticulously maintained garden beds, showcasing vibrant flowers, lush greenery and carefully selected plant species that provide a serene escape for visitors and staff and a picturesque backdrop for the country's most important legislative buildings.

Take a stroll through our pictorial tour to experience the beauty of these unique garden beds and meet a few members of the jurisdiction's Gardening team that work hard year-round to keep the Capitol campus looking beautiful.

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Chris Oliver, Gardener, weeds, waters and fertilizes annual plants to ensure they put on an exceptional display throughout the season.

• An ethnobotanical garden was designed and installed in 2024 at the Russell Senate Office Building, hosting a diverse selection of native plants. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and beebalm (Monarda didyma) bloom in the summer.
• Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) stands tall, intermingled with other pollinator-attracting plants at the Capitol South Metro Station.
• Sunflower seeds are collected and saved by Capitol Grounds and Arboretum gardeners to provide a display of sunflower varieties at the Capitol South Metro Station.

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Thomas O'Brien, Gardener, plants foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) as part of the renovation of the Summerhouse.

• Beeblossom (Gaura lindheimeri 'Siskiyou Pink') in full bloom at the Senate Fountain.
• The Senate Parks, located across from the Russell Building, provide shade and respite for all to enjoy in the summer heat.

Five Tips for Successful Gardening

1. 🪴 Plant selection. Set yourself up for success by selecting the right plant for your environment. Be sure to check if your plants need full sun or partial shade to avoid scorched leaves or leggy stems. If you are looking for blooms throughout the year, plan for what color, texture and size you’re looking for in your garden. It's wonderful to have a bed that can transition through the year to provide color for you and food for wildlife. Some of our favorite perennial bloomers that put on a colorful show and provide beneficial wildlife food sources are coneflower (Echinacea), beebalm (Monarda), and beeblossom (Guara). Hydrangeas are always a great showstopper and fill large spaces well.
2. ↔️ Plant spacing. It's nice to have a full-looking garden bed but try to give the proper spacing plants need to provide more air circulation and limit the risk of disease spread. Nurseries normally provide proper plant spacing on the plant tags.
3. 🚿 Watering practices. Water deeply instead of frequently. Deep watering encourages roots to grow deeper instead of close to the surface. This helps plants become more resilient to drought. Water in early morning or late in the evening to reduce evaporation.
4. 🪵 Use mulch. Spread a 2-inch-thick layer of mulch over your soil. This helps the soil retain moisture. Here at the U.S. Capitol Grounds we use double-shredded hardwood, pine straw, pine nuggets and compost/mulch mix in garden beds.
5. 🪲 Attract beneficial insects. Plants in these families tend to attract beneficial insects to your garden: carrot family (Apiaceae), aster family (Asteraceae), legumes (Fabaceae), mustard family (Brassicaeae) and verbena family (Verbenaceae). Some of the beneficials they attract are lady beetles, small parasitic wasps and flies. Take a close look at your garden to see the diversity of insects and wildlife that you can help thrive in your yard.

This article was originally published in Volume 29 of our Tholos magazine.