Smithsonian Gardens: A Soil Management Plan for the Future

The planting soils surrounding the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C uniquely reflect the planting soil trends at the time of each museum’s completion (or most recent renovation) over 175 years. Encompassing 59 acres, this has created a diverse patchwork of soil types and maintenance approaches in a relatively isolated footprint with varying levels of success facing the high use and current climate crisis.

By looking at each of these landscapes in comparison to one another, the 2021 Smithsonian Gardens Planting Soils Management Plan conveys the current condition of various soil designs and creates an approach for remediation and planning for the future. This presentation will provide insights into successful and failing soil trends over time, and what can be done to plan for the future.