Year-round, DC has fantastic gardens everywhere - from the general neighborhood front yards of Capitol Hill and Georgetown en-masse, to professionally designed and tended "official" parks and gardens both public and private. Major efforts aside, you would be hard pressed to find any street in NE or NW DC without a few impressive plantings. Some favorites are:
Grounds of Georgetown's Lutheran Church, with the lovely rockwork church as a backdrop, the lawn is packed full of flowers.
The Russian and French decorative work focused museum at Hillwood Estate is absolutely fantastic but so are the gardens, so leave plenty of time for each. The greenhouses are especially impressive and there are always beautifully complex flower arrangements everywhere.
Dumbarton Oaks has extensive gardens and park lands; the pebble pavement is stunning and everywhere you go you find new garden rooms. They have a several sound installations which are interesting and the roses are so robust that you can smell them in the air far away. The museum galleries attached to the house are worth looking at but the garden is the top-liner in my opinion.
Over in Arlington, the elevated Freedom Park arcs up over streets and past buildings. It gives great views while providing a very architecturally structured park. In SE DC near the waterfront, Yards Park also is a more modern, urban park with fun fountains and water features.
Close enough to be done within an easy day's drive are LaDew Topiary Gardens, beautifully designed formal gardens including some very intricate topiary. Take the time to go on a guided tour of the house as well, housing a fabulous collection of all things hunt related and some very lovely architecture.
The National Arboretum is a must visit. I strongly recommend visiting often enough to watch the magnificent bonsai collection change between foliage, flowers and fruit. There are also extensive holly, magnolia, cherry and other blooming shrub collections besides the various show planting areas. The reflecting pond with the original US Capitol columns stands on a small hill in the middle of wild meadowland. There are extensive trails and some of the best birding in the city.
The beauty and profusion of DC's famous cherry blossoms can't be overstated and is truly breathtaking…however, so are the crowds. Be prepared. Even well before sunrise you will have substantial company.
Kennilworth Aquatic Gardens are now run by the National Park Service and still host impressive water lilly and lotus collections as well as beautiful marsh land board walks and trails. Spring photography and birding is spectacular. Plan to drive or be dropped off rather than walk from Metro.
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