There's a Lot More Than Peter Rabbit in the Garden

Where: American History Museum

When: closing August 2018

This is a display in the Museum's Library; the day I visited, the whole Museum was pretty quiet, so the Library was empty except for me.  It can be fun to see shows with others, but I really like having lots of space to myself, so this was ideal.

Americans have always been gardeners, whether out of necessity or social status signaling or fun or research.  People have gardened to raise food for themselves, or to show off their beautiful lawns or because they like the feel of the earth between their fingers or because they want to study plants and create new flowers.

I'm happy to say I learned the difference between a botanic garden (a space to practice botany) and an arboretum (a collection of trees).  I was never entirely sure if those were synonyms, but now I know they are not.

I also learned that Michelle Obama was not the first First Lady to face criticism for her White House garden; Eleanor Roosevelt planted a victory garden during WWII, over the objections of the Secretary of Agriculture.  The more gardens, the better, in my view.

Verdict: Informative small show - if you like gardening, this is worth a look.