Set on twenty-five acres adjacent to Rock Creek Park, Hillwood’s gardens feature a diverse and fascinating array of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants, offering something to see in every season. 

Plants to note in the gardens:

• This year’s summer seasonal display is comprised of more than ten thousand warm season annuals and tropical plants throughout the property. The vinca (Catharanthus roseus 'Valiant Punch' and 'Valiant White') along Friendship Walk are looking exceptionally nice. Vinca tend to like it hot and dry and are plagued by disease during rainy weather. The 'Valiant' series is quite disease resistant and made it through our wet June and July unscathed.
• Now is the time for the yellow coneflowers (Rudbeckia spp.) to shine in the cutting garden. The walkway across from the greenhouse is full of Rudbeckia hirta that just seed in. This beautiful summer bloomer is native to a large part of the U.S. and Canada and along with other yellow coneflowers, can bring high ecological value to a garden. Beyond the flowers providing nectar to pollinators, the plant itself is host to butterfly larvae and a source of seeds for birds.
• On the back side of the Lunar Lawn beds, near the Dacha, the great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) is in bloom. This beautiful perennial sports striking blue flowers on an upright leafy stem, sometimes reaching up to four-feet tall. The flowers can add late summer color to a perennial border or woodland garden and can be very effective near ponds or streams. Native to eastern North America, the great blue lobelia grows best in light shade and moist soil.  

Highlights in the greenhouse:

• There are a number of interesting orchids in bloom and one with a fascinating form is the spider orchid (Brassidium Gilded Urchin 'Halo'). The long petals and sepals look like spider legs with the flat lip and column serving as the body. The form is believed to be a pollination adaptation. The flower lures in spider-hunting wasps that then come in contact and spread its pollen. Gilded Urchin ‘Halo’ was developed by crossing two different genera from the western hemisphere.
• Towering overhead, you may get a glimpse of an upside-down orchid (Stanhopea Ronsard). These interesting plants produce pendulous yellow flowers with maroon spots that push out of the bottom of their pots! Special growing baskets allow space for the flower stem development. These fragrant flowers only last a few days, but multiple flower spikes can form over the summer. This is a hybrid of two species found from Mexico down to South America. See if you can catch one in bloom.
• Many of the residents of our tropical house are out on display in the gardens. Those on their staycation are more than making up for it with their vibrant flowers and interesting foliage. One tropical plant showing off right now is the pink quill plant (Wallisia cyanea). Large pink bracts will push out violet blue flowers. The long thin leaves and rosette habit are also attractive features. The pink quill plant is an epiphyte, living in harmony on trees in the Ecuadorian rainforests.