Washington D.C. is famous for its cherry blossoms around the tidal basin, but did you know mystical swaths of vining purple wisteria grow in a garden you can visit in Georgetown? The Wisteria at Dumbarton Oaks Gardens is a must-see in spring when wisteria takes over this famous garden established in 1920. And if wisteria isn’t your thing (but seriously, how can you resist the enchanting fragrant purple vine!?) you can find tulips, roses, cherry blossoms and magnolias blooming at different stages throughout the springtime.
Dumbarton Oaks Gardens History
The garden at Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown was established by its original owners, Mildred and Robert Woods Bliss who found a 53 acre property in the Georgetown neighbourhood of DC in 1920. The gardens were completely neglected, so they hired Beatrix Farrand to design the garden. Both Mildred and Beatrix worked on the garden for over 30 years to plan each area of the garden.
I also learned that the upper 16 acres of the gardens were transferred to Harvard University in 1940 in order to establish a research institute for Byzantine Studies, Pre-Columbian Studies, and Garden and Landscape Studies. 27 acres were later transferred to National Parks to establish the Dumbarton Oaks Park.
If you follow Ashley of @historyinhighheels on Instagram, you can also get an insider view of Dumbarton Oaks, as she was a postdoctoral fellow in Plant Humanities at DO! I thank her for sharing this location, and was so happy I was able to see the wisteria at Dumbarton Oaks in bloom, especially since I was sad that the Tidal Basin cherry blossoms were already past bloom when we visited!
The garden is so enchanting that Igor Stravinsky even was commissioned to create a concerto – “Concerto in E-Flat Major – Dumbarton Oaks”. You can give it a listen and see if it evokes any sense of romanticism and springtime… Stravinsky himself conducted the piece twice at Dumbarton Oaks, once in the music room (pictured above), and another time in the garden for the Bliss’ wedding anniversary.
When you visit Dumbarton Oaks Gardens, you will understand that every inch was meticulously planned. I felt like each vista, bench, border and tree was meant to evoke a feeling of going further and further into nature. It truly is an enchanting place to visit in DC. I would love to come back here with a picnic basket to take in the grounds again! As a gardener, it is a must-see when you visit DC.
When to see Wisteria at Dumbarton Oaks Gardens
I had the insane luck to be in Washington DC during Easter long weekend 2023, which fell on APril 7-9th this year. It was a record-breaking warm winter that year, so both the cherry blossoms and wisteria reached peak bloom earlier than anticipated.
If you have your heart set on seeing the wisteria at Dumbarton Oaks Gardens, definitely aim for the first 2-3 weeks of April. Flowering Wisteria only blooms for about a week, but it is a very romantic sight. I also cannot get over the smell! It has a very delicate flower scent that is reminiscent of a lilac but not as overpowering and less of a white floral, leaning more aquatic. My bottle of Nest Wisteria Blue will definitely bring me back to visiting the Wisteria at Dumbarton Oaks.
Tips for Taking Photos of Wisteria
Dumbarton Oaks is a very popular place to visit, and due to our schedule, we had planned to visit the gardens on Easter Sunday. It was busy, but we did not have a problem waiting a few minutes to get a clear view of the wisteria. If you really wanted to avoid crowds, I would suggest going during the middle of the week. If you visit closer to closing time, you will also enjoy less harsh light, since the sun is closer to setting.
When taking photos of the wisteria, try using both a professional camera (if you own one) in addition to your cell phone. I found in areas where the wisteria was in full sun, my iPhone’s HDR settings handled the lighting situation better! Sometimes when you visit, you might not have the best lighting situation, so be ready to improvise and explore all over the Dumbarton Oaks Gardens to find different lighting situations that might be more favourable. And if you’re looking for photography inspiration, you can check out this photoshoot by Annie Liebovitz for Vogue that told the story of Dumbarton Oaks Gardens’ gardener, Beatrix Farrand.
If you can, it is also fun to either match or contrast with the wisteria. I packed two dresses knowing full well that I wanted to capture lots of images of the wisteria vines growing at Dumbarton Oaks and all over Georgetown. I loved this purple dress ℅ Talbots, which I paired with classic Castaner wedges and a Polene Numero Neuf Mini bag. My DC travel buddy Alexandra also went for a bright and contrasting yellow that worked perfectly juxtaposed with the soft wisteria purples. It’s totally up to you what you want to wear, but I definitely recommend dressing for the occasion because Dumbarton Oaks is a lovely place to take photos! I saw many people dressed in their Easter Sunday best to capture this stunning location.
Dumbarton Oaks Visitor Information
In order to see the wisteria and other plants at Dumbarton Oaks Gardens, you must purchase a ticket to the gardens here. It costs about $10 and the gardens at Dumbarton Oaks are open Tuesday to Sunday from 2-6 pm. You can also visit the Dumbarton Oaks Museum until 5pm as well – the music room was a highlight for me, along with the collection of byzantine art.
I hope you enjoyed this mini guide to the Dumbarton Oaks Gardens as well as letting me share my collection of wisteria photos I took there! It was truly magical, and I hope this visit will inspire my own gardening this season.
