Pink Lotus, Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, Washington DC

Where does one go to photograph nature during the dog days of summer in Washington DC?  One place that has flowers in bloom pretty much throughout summer, no matter how hot, is Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens.  This small National Park has some great photographic possibilities from mid-May until the first frost in October.  Make sure to check out the parks “What’s Blooming” page before you head out.  Look for the image on that page, it will show you what is in bloom.  When I talked to the Rangers today they said that they update this page whenever something new is blooming.  During the peak, they will update the page at least twice a week.

I highly recommend that you bring waterproof boots of some sort, just in case.  I went to the park today after two-three days of heavy rain this past week.  Many of the walking paths were under ankle deep water so my shoes and socks got soaked.  Wet feet were well worth the images.  As recommended on the parks web page, get there early in the morning during the summer.  The flowers tend to close up when the temperatures reach 90 degrees.  Also, after about 9 AM the winds start picking up so the blooms start moving introducing blur.