Rowley is the gardener supervisor of the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Northeast Washington. There are National Park wetlands in D.C.?
Yes, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is the only National Park Service unit dedicated to cultivating water-loving plants. This 12-acre sanctuary on the east bank of the Anacostia River with surrounding wetlands features over 45 man-made ponds filled with a variety of tropical and hardy water lilies, lotus, and other aquatic species.
How was the park created?
Walter B. Shaw bought 30 acres from his mother-in-law in the 1880s. He planted a dozen wild water lilies from his home state of Maine in an unused ice pond. Over time, this hobby became a thriving business. Shaw built more ponds, collected exotic water lilies and developed new varieties. With the help of his daughter, Helen Fowler, Shaw created a unique garden of sparkling water and colorful blooms of water lilies.
How did it became part of the National Park Service?
In the 1930s the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, on orders to dredge the Anacostia, moved to take the gardens by condemnation. Instead, Congress purchased the eight acres of gardens in 1938 for $15,000 to preserve them for the American people. The National Park Service received the property, renaming the gardens Kenilworth for the community that grew up at the turn of the century.
What can visitors see there?
A quiet oasis that offers a scenic break from the busy pace of Washington, D.C. Hardy water lilies begin blooming in late May with waxy, cup-shaped flowers. Tropical water lilies are more open flowers in intense pink, blue, purple, yellow and white, with rippled and often spotted leaves. The lotus usually bloom midsummer and have large leaves growing several feet above the water. Their flowers drop petals to reveal seed pods that look like shower heads.
– Scott McCabe
