Garden Week: A Floating National Park episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 22, 2026 · 16 MIN

Garden Week: A Floating National Park

from The Atlas Obscura Podcast · host SiriusXM Podcasts & Atlas Obscura

Today we visit a hidden gem of Washington, D.C.: the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, an oasis of ponds filled with lotuses and waterlilies. This unusual National Park – the only aquatic gardens that are a National Park – were first dug in the 1800s by a Civil War veteran.  This week, we’re celebrating the arrival of spring with new and classic stories about unusual gardens around the world.  This episode is brought to you in partnership with washington.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today we visit a hidden gem of Washington, D.C.: the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, an oasis of ponds filled with lotuses and waterlilies. This unusual National Park – the only aquatic gardens that are a National Park – were first dug in the 1800s by a Civil War veteran. This week, we’re celebrating the arrival of spring with new and classic stories about unusual gardens around the world. This episode is brought to you in partnership with washington.org.

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Garden Week: A Floating National Park

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This episode was published on April 22, 2026.

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Today we visit a hidden gem of Washington, D.C.: the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, an oasis of ponds filled with lotuses and waterlilies. This unusual National Park – the only aquatic gardens that are a National Park – were first dug in the 1800s by a...

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