National Mall
Various: Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.; Lawrence Halprin; Hideo Sasaki; Garret Eckbo; Oehme, van Sweden
Affectionately referred to "America's Front Yard," the National Mall is a lawn that covers 146 acres of land, from the United States Capitol in the east to the Lincoln Memorial in the west. The space was originally envisioned as a 400-foot-wide avenue in the 1791 city plan by Pierre L'Enfant, a French American engineer, architect, and urban planner. In the 1800s, the project was taken up by landscape designer Andrew Jackson Downing, whose romantic design was slowly implemented over the span of 30+ years until Landscape Architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. created new plans in 1901 involving a large greenspace surrounded by public buildings. This last design gave birth to the current space, which features 12 monuments and memorials, including the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial (designed by Landscape Architect Lawrence Halprin), the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (designed realized by Landscape Architects Hideo Sasaki and Garret Eckbo), and the National World War II Memorial (designed by Landscape Architect Oehme, van Sweden). The iconic, historic design Olmsted Jr. specified for the site amenities in the National Mall are still in use today.

Arlington National Cemetery
Design Influenced By Frederick Law Olmsted Sr.
To the west of Washington, D.C. and across the Potomac River sits Arlington National Cemetery, the former home of Robert E. Lee that was confiscated during the Civil War and whose original 200 acres was repurposed as a military cemetery. In 1866, Landscape Architect Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. advised a simple design for the somber location that already had 15,000 burials, but this was ignored by Brigadier General Montgomery Meigs, who created an ornate Victorian aesthetic seen on the left of the above photo. Forty years later, the McMillan Commission - which included Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. - pushed for a more cohesive design, resulting in the simple, white tombstones in straight rows the cemetery is known for. Today, the cemetery's 600+ acres hold approximately 400,000 graves, including the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. For almost 30 years, the National Association of Landscape Professionals has held an event called "Renewal & Remembrance," where members volunteer their time and resources to various irrigation, hardscape, and landscape projects on Arlington grounds. This year, despite the 100-degree July heat, over 400 volunteers participated to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

National Cathedral
Designed By Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and Michael Vergason Landscape Architects, Ltd.
In the northwest corner of Washington, D.C., the National Cathedral comprises 57 acres of gothic architecture and intentionally designed landscape. While the building itself is impressive as the sixth-largest cathedral in the world, the grounds are just as awe-inspiring with Bishop's Garden, All Hallows Amphitheater, and Pilgrim Way through Olmsted Woods. Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. was asked to look at the property in 1907, and he drafted the plans that have guided the development of the cathedral close for over 100 years. Pilgrim Way leads visitors to the cathedral through the dense Olmsted Woods, passing a contemplative circle and myriad native plants along the way as visitors leave the bustling city and enter the peaceful space. Bishop's Garden, which sits directly below the cathedral, was initially designed by Olmsted as a private garden and later transformed into a more public garden by landscape designer Florence Bratenahl. The garden contains sculptures dating back to the ninth century as well as plants with biblical and historical importance. All Hallows Amphitheater was part of Olmsted's original plan, but wasn't fully integrated into the design until 2005, when landscape architecture firm Michael Vergason Landscape Architects, Ltd. designed a terraced amphitheater with curved stone walls and grass walkways. The firm currently serves as the Landscape Architect for the cathedral grounds.

 
The Wharf
Designed By MKSK
Washington, D.C.'s Southwest Waterfront has always been a vital commercial area, most notably as the home of The Municipal Fish Market - the oldest continually operating, open-air fish market in the U.S. dating back to 1805. The Wharf area served the Anacostan peoples and then the U.S. Military during the Civil War. President George Washington commissioned Pierre L'Enfant to create a design fit for the political center of the new country, but the location did not realize its full potential until 2018, when a $2 billion redevelopment project completed by landscape architecture firm MKSK and architecture firm Perkins Eastman transformed the area into a center for residential, commercial, and social activity. The project included the Riverfront Esplanade, a piazza, several piers, floating docks, and alleys that connect the area to the surrounding neighborhood. As the area experiences seasonal flooding, much attention was paid to a seawall-promenade complex complete with permeable pavement, a soil vault for trees along the esplanade, and facilities for retaining and treating stormwater. With multiple music venues, a wide assortment of restaurants and retail spaces, and numerous water recreational activities available, The Wharf has become the playground of the Potomac River.

National Arboretum
Various: Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.; Perry Wheeler; Masao Kinoshita; Sasaki Associates, Inc.; Oehme, van Sweden; EDAW, Inc.; Reed Hilderbrand; Rhodeside & Harwell
On the western Washington, D.C.-Maryland border sits 451 acres of gardens and trails that make up the National Arboretum. In 1927, Congress established the site as a federally funded research facility and arboretum, and it was developed over the next 30 years until finally opening to the public in 1959. As it enters its 65th year, the arboretum has been influenced by many Landscape Architects, from Frederick, Law Olmsted Jr.'s initial plans in the 30s to Perry Wheeler's design for the Asian Collection in the 60s to the influence of Masao Kinoshita of Sasaki Associates, Inc. on the Japanese Stroll Garden and Bonsai Pavilion in the 70s to thework of Oehme, van Sweden in the Friendship Garden in the 80s and, finally, to the current work of Reed Hilderbrand and Rhodeside & Harwell in expanding the visitor educational experience. Beyond the nine miles of trails and roads, the arboretum boasts more than 12 themed gardens, like the National Herb Garden and the Flowering Tree Walk, as well as more than eight single-genus groupings.

Theodore Roosevelt Island
Designed By Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.
The Potomac River hosts many surprises over its 405 miles, including an island between Washington, D.C. and Arlington, Virginia. Before European settlers arrived, the island served as a fishing village for local Native Americans and was later repurposed into a fully functioning plantation and then a camp for Union troops during the Civil War. In the 1930s, the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Association contracted Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. to return the somewhat developed island to a natural woodland in honor of the former president's legacy as a conservationist. Olmsted worked with the Civilian Conservation Corps to deconstruct the abandoned remains of General John Mason's 19th-century home and then reforest the area. Architect Eric Gugler and sculptor Paul Manship created a formal memorial complete with a 17-foot statue of President Roosevelt, but the 91-acre island has become its own monument to the conservation work Roosevelt himself was most proud of. The island features walking trails and places to view wildlife or launch kayaks for a tour of the island from the water.

The White House
Designed By Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and Perry Wheeler; Updated by Oehme, van Sweden
The home of the First Family of the United States, the White House has been influenced by the tastes of many individuals, starting with Pierre L'Enfant and his 1791 plans for the city. Almost 150 years later, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. was retained by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to create a comprehensive design and management plan for the property. Olmsted's design is characterized by the sprawling lawns, stately trees, and direct views that the estate is known for today. Other changes included a rule that all new trees must be at least fifty years old as well as sinking the road across the South Lawn so the landscape appears uninterrupted from the State Floor of the White House. Under the Kennedy Administration, gardener Rachel Lambert Mellon worked with Landscape Architect Perry Wheeler to design an elegant, functional rose garden at the request of the President himself. Mellon and Wheeler transformed the private space that was once a stable yard into a public garden that would become the backdrop of numerous press conferences, receptions, bill signing ceremonies, award presentations, formal dinners, and even weddings. A main feature of the White House Rose Garden is the four salvaged Saucer Magnolias (Magnolia soulangeana) whose pale pink flowers bring color in early spring and whose leaves provide shade in the late spring and summer months. In 2022, Oehme, van Sweden worked with various White House offices and the National Park Service to create The White House Rose Garden Landscape Report, a document that leans on Rachel Mellon's original design to outline necessary infrastructure and accessibility updates as well as alternative Landscape Master Plans.

Dumbarton Oaks
Designed By Beatrix Jones Farrand
Nestled in a quiet neighborhood in Georgetown, Dumbarton Oaks is one of the great gardens of America, known for the beauty of its grounds and for the academic institute that fosters the field of landscape history. In 1920, Mildred and Robert Bliss purchased the estate and contacted Landscape Architect Beatrix Jones Farrand to transform the dramatically sloping property into a series of pleasant gardens and outdoor rooms. Farrand's design involved terraced gardens placed between existing trees, starting with formal design right next to the main house and gradually moving towards more rustic elements further down, all of which adds a sense of enchantment that prevents visitors from realizing how far they have descended. Each section of the garden contains elements of Italian, French, and English gardens as well as numerous historical and literary allusions. Throughout her career, Farrand designed more than 200 gardens and was the only female among the founders of the ASLA. One hundred years later, Dumbarton Oaks is considered her finest work, with 16 acres containing the main house and formal gardens adjacent to a 27-acre park open to the public.

United States Botanic Garden & Bartholdi Park
Resident Landscape Architect: Nick Nelson, PLA; Park Redesigned By: Andropogon Associates
Two hundred years ago, the U.S. Congress established the Botanic Garden as an independent federal agency that would promote and preserve botanical knowledge through the collection and cultivation of a wide variety of plants. Since 1934, the institution has been directed by the Architect of the Capitol and recently instated Nick Nelson, PLA as its first Landscape Architect in 2008. As the overseer of a living garden, Nelson has spent the last 15 years constantly redesigning the conservatory to bring fresh experiences to the oldest operating public garden in the U.S. Just across the way sits Bartholdi Park, which features a tiered fountain designed by French sculptor Augustine Bartholdi, who also designed the Statue of Liberty. The two-acre park was recently redesigned by landscape architecture firm Andropogon Associates into ten mini rain gardens that showcase accessible, sustainable gardening strategies and capture 100 percent of park rainfall.

Smithsonian Institution
Various: Frederick Law Olmsted Sr.; Sasaki Associates, Inc.; Lester Collins, FASLA; Kathryn Gustafson, PLA; Paul Lindell, PLA; EDAW, Inc.; Marisa N. Scalera, PLA
With its 21 museums and the National Zoo all within the Washington, D.C. area, the Smithsonian Institution is the largest complex of museums in the world. Across its many locations, Landscape Architects have been intimately involved in fostering educational environments. Some notable projects include Frederick Law Olmsted Sr.'s design of the National Zoo in the late 1800s. Almost a century later, Lester Collins, FASLA was commissioned in the 1970s to redesign the modern gardens at the Hirshhorn Museum to be more accessible, particularly the sunken Sclupture Gardens. Within the next 10 years, Collins also worked with Sasaki Associates, Inc. on the Haupt Garden consisting of the Victorian-style Parterre garden, the Chinese-inspired Moongate Garden, and the Fountain Garden based on 13th-century Spanish-Islamic influences. During the 90s, Paul Lindell, PLA worked on the twin gardens at the National Air and Space Museum, whose separation by the massive museum created two different microclimates and many challenges for designing a cohesive landscape plan. At the turn of the century, landscape architecture firm EDAW, Inc. collaborated with Native American artists on the American Indian Museum to create four distinct areas reminiscent of the four regions of the United States. More recently, Kathryn Gustafson, PLA of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol oversaw the landscape architecture at the Smithsonian's newest museum: The National Museum of African American History & Culture. Today, Marisa N. Scalera, PLA serves as the Smithsonian Institution's own resident Landscape Architect who oversees the gardens at all the museums. Admission is free of charge at all Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C., with some reservations required at select locations.

As seen in LASN magazine, September 2024.