Down the garden path: A new show tracks America’s love affair with plants

8 free things to do in October in D.C., Maryland and Virginia

**Oct.3-24: ‘Flowers Stink’**   _U.S. Botanic Garden outdoor amphitheater; 100 Maryland Ave. SW; Sept. 26, 11 a.m. & 1 p.m.; Oct. 3, 10, 17 & 24, 11 a.m., free._   A plant-hating middle schooler gets help with her homework assignment from two wisecracking plants in this new musical co-commissioned by the Kennedy Center and the U.S. Botanic Garden. The three dance and sing their way from the desert to the rainforest, celebrating the biosphere with bluegrass, blues and gospel tunes.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico **Oct. 5: Wendell Pierce, ‘The Wind In the Reeds’**   _Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW; Mon., 7 p.m., free._   Wendell Pierce, one of the stars of David Simon’s HBO shows “The Wire” and “Treme,” has co-written a book about his life in New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina and the storm’s aftermath. Hear him discuss the memoir, and the never- ending rebuilding process.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico **Oct. 16–18: ‘The Art of John Lennon’**   _Tysons Corner Center, McLean, Va.; Oct. 16-18, free._   In addition to being one of the greatest songwriters of all time, John Lennon was an accomplished visual artist. Some of his works are on display (and available for acquisition) as part of a touring exhibit, which makes its way to Virginia this month. RSVP for free entry at Eventbrite.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico **Oct. 18: Seaton Smith**   _Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW; Oct. 18, 6 p.m., free (tickets available at 5:30 p.m. in the Family Theater lobby)_   In July, D.C.-bred comic Seaton Smith took to DC Improv’s stage to record his first comedy album. “Bologna Meat,” released last month, combines some of the energetic comic’s well-worn material with newer bits about race, love and why he’s considering becoming a Republican. .    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico **Oct. 22: Sarah Vowell, ‘Lafayette in the Somewhat United States’**   _Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW; Oct. 22, 7 p.m., free._   Sarah Vowell’s new book, her seventh, tells the story of the Marquis de Lafayette’s time in the Revolutionary War and his 1824 return to America.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico **Oct. 23: ‘Irving Penn: Beyond Beauty’**   _Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F streets NW; Oct. 23 through March 20, free._   For the first retrospective of Irving Penn’s photography in almost two decades, the Smithsonian dug through its collection to find 146 works that trace the artist’s fascination with the changing nature of style.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico **Oct. 24: Adams Morgan Porch Fest**   _Oct. 24, checkfacebook.com/adamsmorganporchfest for details, free._   At Porch Fest, all of Adams Morgan is a stage. The community-based music   festival turns people’s homes, public sidewalks and businesses’ patios into temporary stages, which will host performances from more than 40 local musicians.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico **Oct. 27: 17th Street High Heel Race**   _17th Street NW; Oct. 27, 7-10 p.m., free._   This annual Dupont Circle tradition, in which men dressed as women race down 17th Street in high heels, returns this month. As always, you’re free to join in on the fun by watching and/or strapping on a pair of Manolos.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico **More free things to do in the D.C. area:**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico 10 disasters and embarrassments from the D.C. streetcar’s ‘golden era’    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico 4 free things to do during the week of Sept. 28 to Oct. 4    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico A new portrait exhibit shows local female chefs in a different light    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico

8 things to do in D.C., Maryland and Virginia from Feb. 18-24

**Feb. 18: ‘Flora of the National Parks’**   _United States Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW; Thu. through Oct. 2, free._   In honor of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, the U.S. Botanic Garden will display more than 75 paintings, photographs and illustrations that showcase some of the stunning flora you’ll find in national parks across the country. For example, this prickly pear cactus — rendered with watercolor and ink by Pamela Shelksohn — comes from Saguaro National Park in Arizona. As you walk through the show, you’ll also see live plants among the works of art.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico **Feb. 18: Eli Young Band**   _Fillmore, 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring; Thu., 8 p.m., $20._   Guitarists Mike Eli and James Young met at the University of North Texas and quickly joined forces for the Eli Young Band. Five albums later, the country quartet has notched a number of Billboard and radio hits, including “Crazy Girl,” “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” and “Drunk Last Night.”    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico **Feb. 18: Ralphie May**   _9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW; Thu., 6 p.m., $35._   Comedian Ralphie May became a national name when he finished second on the first season of “Last Comic Standing.” In the decade-plus since, he’s built up a steady stream of comedy albums and specials, including his latest for Netflix, the highly opinionated “Unruly.”    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico **Feb. 19: David Cross**   _Warner Theatre, 513 13th St. NW; Fri., 8 p.m., sold out, 10:30 p.m., $35._   In 2013, David Cross resurrected Tobias Funke for Netflix’s “Arrested Development” revival. Last year, he brought back his sketch comedy “Mr. Show” in a new form: “W/ Bob   & David.” Now Cross is returning to stand-up on his “Making America Great Again” tour. Knowing Cross, his sets should tackle such hot-button issues as religion, guns and Donald Trump.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico **Feb. 19: Anders Osborne**   _9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW; Fri., 8 p.m., $20._   Anders Osborne wasn’t born in New Orleans — the Swedish native moved there as a teenager — but the music of the bayou runs through his blood. Currently on the road as he prepares to release his next album, “Spacedust & Ocean Views,” the guitarist will hit the 9:30 Club with an opening set from Amy Helm and the Handsome Strangers.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico **Feb. 20: ‘Destroy & Create’**   _Blind Whino, 700 Delaware Ave. SW; Sat. through March 20, various times, free._   D.C.’s Art Whino is joining forces with Boundless Brooklyn to present “Destroy & Create,” a group art show that pays homage to skateboard culture and celebrates the release of Boundless’ new miniature DIY skateboard halfpipe models. For the show, Art Whino invited a collection of artists to trick out some mini halfpipes.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico **Feb 23: A People’s Choir DC**   _DC9, 1940 Ninth St. NW; Tue., 7:30 p.m., free._   The monthly bar singalong party is lamenting the loss of love with a night of breakup songs. Unlike karaoke nights, A People’s Choir DC features recordings of actual songs — words and all — so everyone can sing to their heart’s content. Submit your song suggestions to apcdc.weebly.com.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico **Feb. 24: Washington Jewish Film Festival**   _Various locations, Wed. through March 6, seewjff.org for details, showtimes and prices._   The Israeli film “Baba Joon,” which explores the immigrant experience, opens this annual   film festival, which holds screenings at Bethesda Row Cinema, the National Gallery of   Art and six other theaters.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico **More stories from Express:**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico ‘Suspended Animation’ may be the Hirshhorn’s trippiest exhibit yet    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico ‘Deadpool’ is not OK for kids, but it might be just what your teen needs    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico 12 bartenders share the worst dates they’ve ever witnessed    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico

A flower show offers some calm amid the storm

This may be a first: The venerable Philadelphia Flower Show, which seeks to anticipate spring through floral sleight of hand, is this week coinciding with the real thing. America’s largest and oldest flower show is a week or two later than normal this year while nature has declared the actual spring well underway, evidenced by the arrival of the Japanese cherry blossoms. But this March hasn’t been a gentle shift from winter into spring, more like a bloody tussle between the seasons, with high temperatures edging 80 degrees one day and plunging to the low 20s another. The prospect of a pesky snowstorm is the latest twist. The precocious blossoms are the collateral damage in this battle royal, along with our own notions of what constitutes spring, and when. The flower show offers shelter from this psychological storm as the hundreds of thousands of flowers unfurl gently until Sunday in designed gardens and floral displays in the artificial environment of the Pennsylvania Convention Center in downtown Philly. The calm spectacle is tempered even more by the 2017 show’s homage to the Netherlands, whose phlegmatic citizens have a singular ability to feel passionately about plants without showing it. They are also particularly skilled at raising and selling them. Ton Akkerman, the agricultural attache in Washington, points out that 77 percent of the global bulb trade comes from Holland. “For cut flowers, it’s 44 percent,” he said. “And we are 10 times smaller than California.” And so the expected 250,000 visitors to the show will wander through gardens of tulips coaxed into bloom. Some 30,000 alone feature in a central display that replicates one of those high-arched brick bridges over Amsterdam’s canals. And at a preshow gala Friday, Akkerman’s ministry presented the city with its own tulip variety, an alluring blood red, fringed bloom unveiled as “Philly Belle.” But since the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the show’s organizers, last themed the show around Holland a generation ago, the plant world in the Netherlands has moved way beyond just the iconic tulip and the bulb trade. The country is at the heart of a landscape design movement called the Dutch Wave, with landscapes of lots of grasses and perennials and, yes, bulbs, woven together in gardens of naturalism and sustainability. Bart Hoes, one of the marquee landscape designers at the show, offered his take on a small urban garden, incorporating flowering perennials with vegetables, and a pergola designed to capture rainwater for garden irrigation. Next to a little greenhouse, he positioned a black bike. The greenhouse speaks to cold Holland’s need for hothouse cultivation, the bicycle to its pedal- friendly flat terrain. “We have to save the Earth somehow. It all helps,” said Hoes, who is from a country with 17 million people and 23 million bicycles. (And almost 25,000 acres of commercial greenhouses.) The sustainability kick seems to extend to the Dutch themselves: Hoes is trim, rosy-cheeked and a youthful 59. At another exhibit nearby, his compatriot Nico Wissing is supine in a cradle that forms part of a broad ribbon of woven willow branches that wanders and spirals over much of his exhibit, “Reconnection.” Two arms of this sculpture emerge from a basketweave bench. The other arm of wicker floats across the display to a woven bird’s nest about six feet across. Its cushions invite one to stay a while and perhaps lay an egg. “Give yourself somewhere to be in your garden,” he said. “That’s my take-home message, come and learn how to divide up space.” Wissing is another trim 50-something Dutchman immersed in the contemporary zeitgeist of ecological landscape architecture. He works on large-scale projects back home, including office parks and hospitals, but in his Philly show garden he has created a playful woodland of moss and snowdrops, and of yellow lupines blooming in the shadow of Japanese snowbell trees. The wicker sculpture was made by a Dutch artisan named Piet-Hein Spieringhs and took almost two weeks to fabricate, Wissing said. It suggests a strand of DNA, he said, and then mentions that he started working in a nursery when he was 8 and that “people who know me say I have green DNA.” He also designed a giant structure called the Ecodome, a 30-foot-high geodesic sphere made of metal arches and fabric and set up nearby to showcase Holland’s green industry. All the flowering plants for the show were forced into bloom in greenhouses in the greater Philadelphia area. Many had to be stored in coolers to arrest growth as February turned unseasonably warm. The central exhibit incorporates traditional Dutch references — Deflt tile under the bridge arch, an inverted field of abstract tulips mirroring the real fields of tulips, and windmill sails reconfigured as illuminated sets. The horticultural society’s Sam Lemheney, who worked with Wissing for almost two years to create the display, said the Dutch have a long history of working with rather than against nature. This is the country, after all, where renewable wind power was used to drain and reclaim the land centuries ago. “When you think of the windmill, it was very ahead of its time,” he said. No one at the show has a better perspective on the contemporary Dutch embrace of ecological horticulture than Carrie Preston, 40, who grew up in the New Jersey coastal town of Fair Haven but has spent the past 18 years in Holland as a plant-driven landscape designer. “I went there because they’re renowned for horticulture. Holland, as far as the nursery industry is concerned, is second to none,” she said. Her exhibit, with 20,000 diminutive bulbs of anemones and species tulips, replicates the type of gardens around old brick manor houses in northern Holland, where bulbs have naturalized and spread through the years. The garden is framed on two sides by an arbor fashioned from chain-link fencing, as a synthesis of Dutch formality and American utility. She said the Dutch have a different take on naturalism than other Western garden makers because so much of the landscape is more cultural than purely wild. In creating a naturalistic garden “they’ll add a modern element to it, they’re comfortable with that,” she said. But enough of this serious stuff, because back in the Ecodome a winsome fellow named Jens Baan from a nursery called Koppert Cress is offering samples of novel greens developed for adventurous chefs in trendy restaurants. From an array of clamshell containers, he takes the leaf of one plant and folds it around the fleshy stalks of another, named “Salty Fingers.” “This is what we call the vegetarian oyster,” he said. The flavor is authentic. Baan, who is 34 and from Haarlem, is wearing orange pants and a white blazer decorated with embroidered plants. We move on to a magenta orchid flower that tastes like a sweet endive. He takes long tweezers and presents part of a yellow flower that he calls “Szechuan Button.” He waits until a visitor tries it before describing its effect: “It’s like putting a nine-volt battery next to your tongue, but it builds up so much saliva it cleanses your palate.” The recipient, shocked and salivating, is left speechless.

On the Spot: Anna Mische John

Bloody Butcher Corn. Rattlesnake Master. Voodoo Lily. These aren’t the names of zombie characters in some new video game — they’re plants. The U.S. Botanic Garden’s “Savage Garden” exhibit includes these threatening-sounding specimens along with some legitimately carnivorous plants. Horticulturist Anna Mische John carefully stepped away from her potentially man-eating leafy charges to describe the show. **What’s cool about carnivorous plants?**   These plants lure, trap, kill and digest their own prey, and what’s unique is they do all these things at the same time. **What’s the best way to check out the flesh-eating plants?**   On Thursdays at 1 p.m., we have a public program and you can watch the Venus flytrap plants eating bugs. **Have you seen “Little Shop of Horrors”? Is it like that?**   Yes. This exhibit is like the real “Little Shop of Horrors,” but without the singing. **Do carnivorous plants grow naturally in the U.S.? Should we be concerned?**   Venus flytraps grow in northern and southern coastal North Carolina. That’s the only place they grow in the world. **Which plant on display is the meanest?**   The tropical variety of the pitcher plant can eat small amphibians and mammals like frogs and mice. Once anything gets in there, it’s pretty much toast.

Chase away the winter blues at the Hirshhorn’s orchid show

For more than 20 years, the Smithsonian’s horticultural division and the United States Botanic Garden have pooled their impressive orchid collections to stage a show when we most need it: in the dead of winter. The 2017 exhibit has just opened, but with a twist. Instead of holding it at the usual venues of the botanic garden’s Conservatory or the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, the location has moved to the Mall’s most avant-garde art museum. “Orchids, A Moment” is staged at the Hirshhorn Museum. The raw geometry of the circular modernist museum may seem to make it an odd setting to showcase something as baroque as the exotic orchid, but the exhibition presents the orchid universe surprisingly well. Unlike previous shows, the flowers are displayed in a wall of custom-made cubicles, curving in alignment with the Hirshhorn’s own geometry. The wall — think of an open backed bookcase some 15 feet high — provides 86 niches for approximately 100 specimen orchids. Previous shows sought to display the orchids in approximations of their wild settings, but this year’s does something more powerful: With each plant framed, the orchids are seen as works of art, which surely they are. The niche wall is white, the screen behind it is white and the cachepots for the orchids are white too. The whiteness allows the flowers to take center stage, said Stefan Gibson, the exhibition designer. “We want people to see the beauty of each orchid,” said Barbara Faust, director of Smithsonian Gardens. “It’s all about how it affects you individually. That’s what we were trying to get over in the title, how it’s your moment with these orchids, whatever that may be.” The exhibition is not for just a moment, however. It runs until May 14 and is the longest annual show so far. The orchids are replaced regularly to keep the display fresh, and the show’s span will give visitors a chance to see species that bloom in different months. (Both the Smithsonian and the botanic garden raise most of their orchids out of public view, in their respective off-site greenhouses.) Apart from the obvious appeal of a taste of the tropical in winter, the show hopes to raise consciousness about the need for habitat conservation, Faust said. It offers something else. In an age when breeding techniques have made the phalaenopsis or moth orchid the ubiquitous houseplant gift, the exhibition demonstrates that the world of orchids is far more diverse and beguiling than just this one orchid. The orchid family is one of the richest in the plant kingdom, with flower and plants in vastly different sizes, forms and colors. Each developed to grow in certain environmental conditions. Some have bulbs to survive periods of dormancy, some grow in swamps, others in the limbs of trees. Consider the Bulbophyllum, whose swallowtail petals suggest a mysterious and sultry dancer, though she is more of a siren, drawing you close to a scent that is beyond foul. The slipper orchids, or paphiopedilums, are observed in old, happy clumps, each full of gothic blooms that seem half-animal. The cattleyas are in luscious velvet tones of crimson and blues. The blooms are not labeled but linked to a digital map of the wall, which identifies each occupant of the niches. I counted only eight phalaenopsis, and the ones on display are the type of rarer greenhouse grown specimens laden with multiple, long sprays. The wall contains video screens showing timelapse pictures of orchids exploding into flower. But it’s the live specimens that steal the show. **@adrian_higgins on Twitter ** **More fromLifestyle:** Three head-turning perennials Washington gardeners should try this year A 9-year-old cabbage master’s 30-pound cannonball wins big in Virginia As school gardens spread, so do the teaching moments

Why manicured lawns should become a thing of the past

Many folks, not to mention homeowners associations, cling to that model of the American yard as one of clipped foundation shrubs, groomed lawns and trees with mulch circles. Naked soil must be blanketed spring and fall with shredded mulch. Fallen leaves are treated as trash. The real gardening world left this fusty model years ago, embracing soft groupings of perennials, grasses and specimen trees and shrubs in a celebration of plants and a closer communion with nature. Thomas Rainer and Claudia West are two young plant designers — he’s 39, she’s 32 — who cut their teeth on this aesthetic and are among a new wave of influential practitioners who are pushing this naturalism to the next level. They reject the popular approach of using indigenous plants exclusively to redeem a wilderness because such a place no longer exists: We’ve spent four centuries on this continent erasing it. Instead, we can bring a natural idiom to all the green places that we live with. Because more than 80 percent of the U.S. population lives in urban areas, that means rooftops, city gardens, old suburban yards, parking lots, utility easements, highway medians and the rest. If we accept that nature as we imagined it resides in the past, they argue, we are free to turn all these immediate spaces, including our gardens, into naturalistic landscapes that will be more satisfying and less work than the lawn and manicured-shrubbery approach. This premise is not entirely new: A generation ago, top designers were espousing “the New American Garden” with many of the same principles, of replacing lawns and shrubbery with perennials and ornamental grasses. What has changed at the vanguard of garden design? Many more varieties of perennials are widely available now than in the 1990s and, moreover, the approach to planting design is changing fundamentally. Rainer, West and others are promoting a shift from clumping and grouping plant varieties to mixing them in a way that occurs in nature. Discrete clumps are replaced with interplanted varieties equipped by nature to live cheek by jowl. “The key is to pay attention to how plants fit together,” Rainer said. “To pay attention to their shape and behavior.” This involves not only their growth patterns aboveground, but their root types, which permit plants that are surface-rooted, such as many ground covers, to coexist with deep-rooted meadow flowers and grasses. Such landscapes can look unexpectedly decorative in fall and winter, as the grasses become burnished by the cold and the remnant stalks and seed heads of perennials capture frost and snow. Significantly, the designers reject the broadly held notion that naturalistic planting has to be of native plants, arguing that a plant’s performance and adaptability are more important than its lineage. “The question is not what grew there in the past but what will grow there in the future,” Rainer and West write in their new book, “Planting in a Post-Wild World.” Aimed at design professionals — though of appeal to anyone who loves the process of gardening — the book is both a design manual and a manifesto. They see the garden as no longer a collection of plants but rather a designed plant community. This is distilled into three layers. In a sunny, meadow-like garden, the uppermost layer takes the form of beefier structural perennials such as Joe-Pye weed, cup plant or Indian grass. The middle layer is the showiest and provides seasonal peaks with such things as daisies, daylilies, butterfly weeds or bee balms. The most important layer, the ground cover, is the least showy. Forget tired spreads of English ivy or pachysandra; Rainer and West are thinking of sedges, small grasses, rushes. In shade gardens, the floor layer would consist of such woodland beauties as foamflower, trilliums, gingers and Allegheny spurge. “The approach to ground cover is, for us, the single most important concept of creating a functioning plant community,” they write. “Think about seeing plants in the wild; there is almost never bare soil.” The ground cover not only knits together the whole plant community physically and emotionally, but also performs an important horticultural function. Soil left bare will invite weeds, so we smother it in mulch, which has its value, but we keep piling it on for aesthetic rather than horticultural reasons. This is inherently unsustainable and expensive, and keeps lonely plantings in a perpetual state of establishment. Rainer, who lives in Arlington, is a landscape architect at Rhodeside & Harwell in Alexandria. West is a horticulturist and designer with North Creek Nurseries in Landenberg, Pa. Both are popular speakers at symposiums and conventions across the country, where they reach leading landscape designers and horticulturists receptive to this ecological approach. “It’s going to be the future of landscape design,” said W. Gary Smith, a Toronto- and New York-based landscape architect and a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects’ education advisory committee. “What these guys are doing is showing how to plant landscapes from the soil up. It’s not just about plant combinations, textures, colors; it’s about looking at plant communities in the wild as an inspiration for design. It’s a hybrid of horticulture and ecology, and it’s been a long time coming.” “It’s a great concept to be presenting, and hopefully landscape architects and designers will move forward with this,” said Adam Woodruff, a garden designer from Clayton, Mo., who has embraced this approach with elan. “It’s not a style for everyone and it’s not something everyone can do; you have to have an understanding of the plants you’re working with for it to be effective.” This form of gardening is very exciting, promising to introduce many more underused plants into our gardens and, moreover, to create herbaceously dominant landscapes that are dynamic, ecologically kind and most of all, profoundly beautiful when executed with skill. The potential for it to go wrong is pretty great, though, especially if it is done on a half-baked basis. It takes fortitude and a large budget to plant perennials and ground covers by the hundreds, and I can envision stabs at this that are too timid. One hopes that retail nurseries will make affordable plug plants available to consumers who are willing to maintain a young garden and wait for it to fill in. The concept faces other obstacles. How do you get people who aren’t gardeners to understand that an assembly of hairy plants is not a weed patch? Rainer told me that it is incumbent on designers to create gardens that can be read as such — by adding more floriferous varieties to the mix, by selecting lower-growing varieties and by setting these plant communities in strong architectural frames with clear edges. “It puts the burden on designers to design in a way that it doesn’t look wild,” he said. “The best design interprets nature; it doesn’t imitate it.” What about landscape crews programmed to mow, blow, chop back dead top growth and apply pesticides and fertilizers on a schedule rather than nurture a naturalistic design through its establishment stages and through four seasons? “I feel strongly that these mixes can be much lower maintenance,” he said. In the book, he and West talk about a move away from landscape maintenance to a lower pitch of management. “This is a system based on knowledge rather than labor, and that’s self-limiting in its own way,” he said. “But we feel there is a paradigm shift in how plants are read, and as that knowledge catches up, there can be great benefits to landscape crews and home gardeners alike.” But perhaps I’m getting mired in the weeds. Not every car on the road today is a sleek, technologically advanced Tesla, but in 20 years it is likely that many more autos will look and work like one. Smith said such high-profile gardens as the High Line in New York and the Lurie Garden in Chicago are teaching millions about this approach, albeit passively. And designers such as Smith and Woodruff are finding enlightened clients who fully embrace this approach to landscape design. “I don’t think I would have found that type of client 10 years ago,” Smith said. “The time is right for this kind of approach,” he said. “People are really beginning to understand this aesthetic.” **What is a designed plant community?** _Designers Thomas Rainer and Claudia West see the future garden inspired by the way vegetation grows in nature — with niche plants filling every layer and covering the ground. Here are their five principles of designed plant communities:_ **1\. Related populations** Traditional garden design has relied on the idea of plants as objects. Instead, Rainer and West favor more densely assembled groupings of plant species chosen for their compatibility. **2\. Stress as an asset** The standard approach to preparing a planting site is to improve the soil, add irrigation and put in a range of plants. A better way, they argue, is to assemble plant species based on the existing light conditions, soil type and amount of rainfall. This will lead to more sustainable plantings. **3\. Cover the ground densely** Designed plant communities rely on underlying ground covers instead of beds that are left bare or smothered in mulch. These ground covers are low-growing and spreading and endure the lower light levels of the bottom plant layer. Taller and showier plants grow through them for visual structure and seasonal effect. **4\. Attractive and legible** Because the concept relies heavily on intermingled herbaceous plants — particularly grasses and perennials — the designer has to work harder than normal to create plant designs that don’t look formless or weedy. A design should emphasize essential plant layers and patterns, and the vegetation should be clearly framed with such elements as clipped hedges, paths or fences. **5\. Management over maintenance** Correctly designed plant communities don’t need the standard landscape maintenance regime of watering, mulching, spraying and leaf blowing, but rather seasonal measures such as an annual mowing, the selective removal of plants that have spread and selective replacement of others that have died. “The emphasis shifts toward preserving the integrity of the plant community,” they write in their book, “Planting in a Post-Wild World.” **@adrian_higgins on Twitter** **More fromLifestyle:** Fall-blooming camellias bring down the curtain on the growing season In a monastery garden, Pope Francis’s environmental message is taken to heart At the Mount Cuba Center, native plants flourish in their natural setting What you can learn from a walk through the woods

Free and Easy: ‘A Place in the Sun,’ the other cherry blossoms and highbrow bluegrass

_If you’re looking for something to do in the week ahead that’s both free and hassle-free, you’ve come to the right place._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **MONDAY**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **‘A Place in the Sun’**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University To kick off its Monday night spring film series, The National Theatre is screening “A Place in the Sun,” starring Montgomery Clift, the 1950s Hollywood heartthrob appearing in all of the spring films. This flick features Clift as a man on an unexpected rise to success but threatened by secrets from a dark, mysterious past. _6:30 p.m. The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-783-3372.www.nationaltheatre.org._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **TUESDAY**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **The other cherry blossoms**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University While the gorgeous flowers at the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park are a D.C. tradition, the National Arboretum offers a compelling supplement with their exhibition “Beyond the Tidal Basin: Introducing Other Great Flowering Cherries.” There are nearly 40 alternatives to the traditional Yoshino cherry trees, and it’s well worth the trip. _8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 14. U.S. National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave. NE. 202-245-2726.www.usna.usda.gov._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **WEDNESDAY**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **‘The Beautiful Music All Around Us’**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University Researcher and musician Stephen Wade spent decades tracking down surviving musicians and families connected to several iconic field recordings of the American South. He discusses the profound impact those creative unknowns have had in a lecture tied to his new book, “The Beautiful Music All Around Us: Field Recordings and the American Experience.”    *[WSU]: Wayne State University _Noon. Mary Pickford Theater, Third Floor, James Madison Building, Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave. SE. 202-707-5510.www.loc.gov._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **THURSDAY**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **‘The Gaza Kitchen’**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University Authors Laila El-Haddad and Maggie Schmitt traveled the Gaza Strip extensively for their book, “The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey.” Join them to learn about the food and conversations they found inside the embattled kitchens of a contested territory.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University _6:30 p.m. Busboys & Poets, 1025 Fifth St. NW. 202-789-2227. www.busboysandpoets.com_.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **FRIDAY**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **Highbrow Bluegrass**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University There are plenty of long-standing, acclaimed bluegrass groups in D.C. area, but Washington-based pickers in By & By have been together just three years, infancy in bluegrass time. Catch the fresh-faced ensemble at the Millennium Stage.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University _6 p.m. Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600.www.kennedy-center.org._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **SATURDAY**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **‘How Suite It Is’**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University Graduate students with a knack for woodwinds form the Siren ensemble. The quintet will perform suites by such 20th-century composers as Maurice Ravel and Henri Tomasi in the Ulrich Recital Hall at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. _3 p.m. Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, University of Maryland, College Park. 301-405-7794.www.claricesmithcenter.umd.edu_.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **SUNDAY**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **Sunrise service at Lincoln Memorial**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University For the 35th year, the Capital Church of Vienna will host a traditional Easter service at the Lincoln Memorial. It might be a bit chilly, but if you’re in the mood for a rousing rendition of “How Great Thou Art,” it shouldn’t be anything a blanket and a sweatshirt can’t handle.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University _6:30 a.m. Lincoln Memorial, 2 Lincoln Memorial Cir. SW. 202-426-6841.www.capitalchurch.net._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University

Beyond birds and butterflies, this garden welcomes all critters — even raccoons

Like any old garden, the 2 1/4 -acre plot around Nancy Lawson’s brick rambler is layered with a history chronicled by its plants. There are the field and woods sloping down to a creek, topography that speaks to a time before this was a rural subdivision outside Sykesville, Md. There are the trees and shrubs that previous owners planted, varieties that fell from grace years ago: the silver maple, the Siberian elm, the burning bush, the forsythia. Newer landscape features bear witness to how Lawson and her husband, Will Heinz, altered the property in their own time. A thicket of suckering sassafras broadens its way across the ghostly outlines of a former vegetable plot. But the biggest shift in this garden over time is not physical but philosophical. Lawson, who grew up in Bowie as the daughter of a plant pathologist, was always interested in growing things and loved nature. But over her 17 years here, she has come to see her garden as a place that is no longer territory to be defended against the deer, the squirrels, the moles and other invading critters, but a place to be extended to them. Lawson, a nature editor who worked for more than 15 years at the Humane Society of the United States, based in Gaithersburg, has written a book about gardening with wild animals, to be published April 18 — “The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife.” The book is something of a guide to dealing with nuisance species — how to humanely remove squirrels from your attic, for example — but it is, at its heart, a plea to rethink our mentality about other species on our patch. “The main goal for me is to try to break down this framework of fear we have, both toward plants and animals, the idea that plants are weedy, our animals are aggressive,” she said. Feeding songbirds has always been trendy, and this helping hand has morphed in recent years to the idea of wildlife habitat gardening with native plants. The aim has been to shelter and sustain, along with the birds, such creatures as frogs, turtles and dragonflies and, most of all, butterflies, bees and other pollinators. This isn’t just fashionable; it has become something of an expectation. This is all to the good, except Lawson points out that this biophilia generally extends to some animals and not others. Ironically, our fellow mammals seem least welcome. A praying mantis is adored while a rabbit is reviled. “There are lots of books on welcoming wildlife focused on birds and butterflies, which is important,” Lawson said. “But then you have the other half of it: Wildlife rehabilitation centers and biologists who are a lot of the time trying to get people not to kill mammal species.” She speaks of a friend who has a butterfly garden “but gets freaked out when she sees trees that have been chewed on by beavers.” The problem, as Lawson sees it, is that we see the garden as ours, to be shared with creatures of our choosing. This isn’t how nature works. At some point, Lawson decided to adapt her garden to the animal kingdom, rather than the other way around. Her husband has happily joined the program. On summer evening swims in the pool, he rests under the diving board to watch bats swoop down to drink. “He seems to be that person who spots animals in distress and helps them,” she said. Even in its winter mantle, one can see that this is not an overly decorous garden. The air is filled with birdsong. Titmice, bluebirds and chickadees flit among the trees. The sassafras grove marches on. Elsewhere, a stand of silky dogwoods ( _Cornus amomum_ ) does the same. The front yard is ridged by mole tunnels. The Siberian elm — a sickly tree most gardeners today would remove — is allowed to bleed, its sap drawing comma and mourning cloak butterflies. In the back, an old, tufty lawn has been allowed to revert to meadow, in part to protect turtles from the lawn mower. She said that when her husband, the mower, came to see how her plantings encouraged more animals, “he grew more and more enamored with the idea of filling the place up with vegetation, encouraging the natives already here, and planting more for us and for wildlife.” Large areas are given over to native perennials. They look bare now but in a few weeks will come alive with joe-pye weed, ironweed, monardas, mountain mints, penstemons and swamp milkweed (for the monarch butterflies). In the meadow, the broomsedge, now straw-colored, catches the afternoon light. There are flattened patches where the deer have nested. Where the meadow meets the woodland, Lawson has planted pawpaw trees, which feed the zebra swallowtail. Animals tend to excite people, and not in a good way. People get anxious about the presence of certain creatures, namely deer, squirrels, raccoons and, of course, vermin. This is not unfounded. I have seen gardens whose plantings have been under constant marauding by voles, deer, squirrels and raccoons. A heron can turn up one day and keep a koi fancier awake at night. I don’t like to see cats (bird-killers) or rats in my garden, but the presence of the former may chase off the latter. When I see squirrels nosing around a bed of newly planted tulips or crocus, my blood pressure climbs. I don’t share Lawson’s total laissez-faire approach, but I have relaxed my feelings about animals and the garden, even the nuisance ones. I like to see foxes in the garden, though I might feel differently if I kept hens. If I find a fly in the house, I catch it in a butterfly net and set it free. If a spider is in the bathtub, it gets rescued. I’ve been known to sprinkle a little bird feed for the mouse in the cellar. As you get older, all life seems a little more precious. I have learned to tolerate yellowjackets and endure squirrels. But mosquitoes can still take a running jump. **@adrian_higgins on Twitter ** **More fromLifestyle:** The food industry isn’t going to ditch pesticides any time soon, but you can in your own garden Lessons from the first ‘tiny house’ evangelist, Henry David Thoreau Porto: Wine, hills and sunsets in Portugal’s 2nd city

Going Out Guide for the District of Columbia, Aug. 8-14

******Art Soiree** London-born pianist Christopher Linman brings his jazz ensemble to the Sunset Rooftop Performance Series. 5 p.m. Beacon Bar & Grill, 1615 Rhode Island Ave. NW. 202-277-4358. www.theartsoiree.com. Free, registration required. **Food in the Garden** The series featuring tastes, tours and talks continues in the new Victory Garden on the east side of the museum with “Pay Dirt,” a panel discussion on compost, fertilizer and worms, with composting and mushroom farming demonstrations and giveaways including seeds, soil amendments and reusable bags. 6 p.m. National Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-1000. www.americanhistory.si.edu. $20. **The Films of Nam June Paik** John G. Hanhardt, senior curator, and Michael Mansfield, associate curator, introduce a series of film and video works by media artist Nam June Paik and his contemporaries. 6:30 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. americanart.si.edu. Free. ******Bad Rabbits** The Boston funk-punk band performs. With Air Dubai, Sahtyre and Me & This Army. 8:30 p.m. Rock & Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE. 202-388-7625. www.rockandrollhoteldc.   com. $13. **Josh Bayer** Jazz in the Garden continues with the jazz guitarist. 5 p.m. National Gallery of Art, Sculpture Garden, 600 Constitution Ave. NW. 202-737-4215. www.nga.gov. Free. **Nationals** The baseball team plays the Philadelphia Phillies (Friday- Saturday at 7:05 p.m., Sunday at 5:05 p.m.) and the San Francisco Giants (Tuesday-Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.) Nationals Park, 1500 South Capitol St. SE. 202-675-6287. www.nationals.com. From $10. **Angie Stone** The neo-soul singer has won two Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards and recently released a new album, “Rich Girl.” 8 and 10:30 p.m. The Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. 202-803-2899. www.thehowardtheatre.com. $39.50 in advance, $45 day of show. **Sonny Landreth** The Louisiana slide guitarist’s 11th studio album is all instrumental. With the Joe Taylor Group. 8:30 p.m. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. 202-787-1000. www.thehamiltondc.com. $27.50 in advance, $30.50 day of show. **“The Burning of Visibility: From Reality to Dream”** An exhibition of three photographic series by the French photographer Anne-Lise Large closes Friday. Art Museum of the Americas F Street Gallery, Organization of American States, 1889 F St. NW. www.museum.oas.org. Free. **Nationals Baseball Family Day** The home team is celebrated with a day of meet-and-greets, crafts and activities. 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. www.americanart.si.edu. Free. **Arts for Families: Indonesian Shadow Puppets** Kids can learn about the art form and then try their hand at making puppets and writing a story. 2-4 p.m. Textile Museum, 2320 S St. NW. 202-667-0441. www.textilemuseum.org. Free. **“The Pirates of Penzance”** Capitol Hill Arts Workshop stages Gilbert and Sullivan’s musical about a band of jolly pirates and their apprentice. Continues Thursday-Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 3 and 7 p.m. Closes Saturday. Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. 202-547-6839. www.chaw.org. $10-$20. **“The Rocky Horror Show”** A couple stumbles upon a castle ruled by a mad scientist and full of singing, cross-dressing residents. Saturday at 7 and 10 p.m., Sunday at 2 and 7 p.m. Closes Sunday. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. 202-332-3300. www.studiotheatre.org. $40-$45. **“A Few Good Men”** Keegan Theatre presents Aaron Sorkin’s military courtroom drama in which a murder trial uncovers a larger conspiracy. Opens Saturday at 8 p.m., continues Sunday at 3 p.m., Tuesday at 8 p.m. Through Sept. 7. Andrew Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. 703-892-0202. www.keegantheatre.com. $35, seniors and students $30. **Chris Eldridge (of Punch Brothers) & Julian Lage** The acoustic guitar duo merges bluegrass and jazz sensibilities. 8 p.m. Sixth and I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW. 202-408-3100. www.sixthandi.org. $25 in advance, $28 day of show. **“Man and His Passion”** Stanley Agbontaen creates impressionistic portraits and cityscapes using a palette knife to apply oil paint on canvas. Closes Saturday. International Visions, 2629 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-234-5112. www.inter-visions.com. Free. **Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company** The troupe gives a performance inspired by the exhibition “Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes, 1909-1929: When Art Danced with Music.” 1 and 3:30 p.m. National Gallery of Art, East Building, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215. www.nga.gov. Free. **“One Night With Janis Joplin”** Playwright-director Randy Johnson’s musical biography about the late rock-and-roll singer returns to Arena Stage after a run last year. Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., Thursday-Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Closes Sunday. Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. 202-488-3300. www.arenastage.org. From $40. **Carlos CésarRodriguez** The pianist performs a program that includes European masterworks as well as North and South American pieces. Part of the Steinway Series. 3 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. americanart.si.edu. Free tickets will be distributed at 2:30 p.m. **Mystics** The women’s basketball team plays the Connecticut Sun. 4 p.m. Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW. www.washingtonmystics.com. From $12. **Closing at the Katzen Center** Exhibits of trash-themed oil paintings by Chester Arnold (“Accumulations and Dispersals”), mixed-media paintings by Kitty Klaidman (“Beneath the Surface”), minimalist paintings by Nan Montgomery (“Opposite and Alternate”), new video installations by Tim Tate (“Sleepwalker”), sculptures of animals and people by Raya Bodnarchuk (“Form”) and art from the ’40s-’80s by 80 D.C. artists (“Washington Art Matters: 1940s-1980s”) close Sunday. American University, Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-885-1300. www.american.edu/cas/katzen. Free. **“Nam June Paik: Global Visionary”** The exhibition features “Zen for TV” (1963/1976), “Megatron/Matrix” (1995) and objects from the Nam June Paik Archive, a collection of correspondence and Paik ephemera. Closes Sunday. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. www.americanart.si.edu. Free. **Tidal Basin Paddle Boat Rides** Two- and four-person boats can be rented for an hour between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., with the last boat out at 5 daily through Sept. 3. Groups may reserve boats between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tidal Basin Boathouse, 1501 Maine Ave. SW. 202-479-2426. www.tidalbasinpaddleboats.com. $12-$19 per hour. **“Tootsie”** Screen on the Green concludes with the American Film Institute’s No. 2 pick for Funniest Movie of All Time, starring Dustin Hoffman as an actor who impersonates a woman. 8 p.m. The Mall, between the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial.  www.hbo.com/screenonthegreen. Free. **Adam Ant** **and the Good, the Mad and the Lovely Posse** The English new wave star performs with his new act. 7 p.m. 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. 202-265-0930. www.930.com. $35. **“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”** Matthew Broderick stars in the 1986 classic John Hughes movie about three teenagers skipping a day of school in Chicago. Food trucks, giveaways and picnicking at 7 p.m., film at dusk. NoMa Summer Screen, Second and L streets NE. www.nomasummerscreen.com. Free. **— Compiled by Carrie Donovan  from staff reports**

4 fixes for a dull outdoor space

Designer Charlotte Moss, who released her ninth book, “Garden Inspirations,” in April, knows how to take style outdoors. Here are some of her top tips for patios, lawns and gardens from a recent chat with Washington Post readers. **●For durable outdoor furniture,** try all-weather wicker, cast aluminum or teak. “All-weather wicker gives an atmosphere of bringing the inside out and is available in different colors.” For teak, she warned that it fades naturally. **●For special garden urns and ornaments,** try scouring antique shops and markets to create a mix of “the odd and unusual.” Moss also likes Haddonstone, Seibert & Rice, Accents of France and Authentic Provence. **●For a colorful container garden,** Moss prefers knock-out roses, white New Guinea impatiens, petunias and geraniums. For shady spots, she suggests Boston and tree ferns for some low-maintenance greenery. “If you have full sun, think of mixing some herbs with your flowers for added fragrance.” **●For patio flowers that will outlive the summer,** plant some dahlias, which are in abundance in September, both potted and cut. Moss also suggests small yellow-leafed shrubs, such as spirea. ** ^Chat Thursday at 11 a.m. **Design expert Nate Berkus, host of NBC’s “American Dream Builders” and author of “The Things That Matter,” joins staff writer Jura Koncius for our weekly online Q&A; on decorating and household advice. Submit questions now. **More fromHome & Garden:** The fragrant garden What to do with spent bulb foliage Our favorite pots for spring plantings What to do about weeds A gardener’s guide to saving the monarch

A seed farmer cultivates art

Nine years ago, Ken Greene was the children’s librarian in an archetypal small town in the Hudson Valley. He still lives in the vicinity of Accord, N.Y., but in recent years Greene’s life has taken twists and turns that even this onetime acrobat could not have imagined. His day job these days is as a farmer of heirloom vegetable and flower seed but along the way, and almost by accident, he has become a patron of modern American botanical art. So far, he has commissioned more than 80 artists to create paintings to illustrate his seed packets. More than 20 are on view in a show called Art of the Heirloom, through June 30 at the Corcoran Community Gallery at the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus in Southeast Washington. The tradition of picturing plump tomatoes, glowing sunflowers or mouth-watering sweet corn has a long history in American farming and home gardening, but Greene has brought a unique contemporary twist to the genre. His brief to his painters: reveal your assigned variety of flower, herb or vegetable in your own way. “Botanical illustration was the last thing I was looking for,” said Greene, whose enterprise is called Hudson Valley Seed Library. The resulting seed envelopes — “art packs” — are whimsical, surreal, unexpected, poignant and, taken together, a delightful survey of the rich diversity of contemporary art. For a packet of beet seeds, the artist Bill Rybak presents the lowly root vegetable as a series of Faberge eggs, floating against a moody purple background. For the Upstate Oxheart Tomato, David Gordon has painted a plucky bull in heroic pose, with a stout tomato heart. Jane Bloodgood-Abrams’s painting of Early Summer Crookneck Squash shows the summer squash before a landscape redolent of the Hudson River School. The squash looks like a swan rising from its nest to survey the distant idyll of river and mountain range. Each painting attaches to some sort of narrative, one of the most touching is Will Sweeney’s picture of a Soviet cosmonaut, Vladislav Volkov, one of three astronauts killed in the 1971Soyuz 11 accident. Space engineer Mikhailovich Maslov, also an avid gardener, named the tomato variety in his Russian garden in Volkov’s honor. Sweeney’s cartoonlike illustration, steeped in symbolic redness, shows a space-suited Volkov and the tomato weightless above his hand. Most of the painters so far are from the Hudson Valley but the work of local artist Nicole Bourgea features on a pack of Genovese basil. Bourgea painted Keith Cook Sr., who works in the community garden at THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. Greene’s commissions “are amazing,” said Bourgea, whose studio is in Chevy Chase. “You’re purchasing a little piece of artwork and in a way that interacts between a crop and the community,” she said. Heirloom seeds are distinguished from modern hybrids by replicating themselves faithfully. Thus, if you save the seeds of an heirloom tomato or melon (or a radish or lettuce left to seed) one year, you can grow it the next. No one owns the seed, so it can be passed freely among gardeners. Such open access to a crop is the antithesis of the agribusiness biotech profit model, and heirloom seed saving is tied in to the local food movement and all its attendant aspects: environmental sustainability, food security and social justice. The seeds themselves have their own stories to tell. Many represent stories of struggle and displacement — a single variety of bean, say, that has been passed down through the generations of one family. The genetic diversity it represents may hang by a thread. When Greene, 40, was still working at the library, he started a seed-saving exchange that attracted about 60 gardeners and growers who would trade seeds. At the time, he started collecting early 20th-century seed catalogues from New York state. “I was thinking about that in terms of research. What I didn’t expect was how beautiful the catalogues were,” he said. “It’s a completely different feeling going through catalogues of images created by artists. The catalogues with photographs felt very sterile to me.” And so when he left the bricks-and-mortar library to become a seed farmer, he saw art as a way to convey the story of the seeds, “but make it contemporary.” He likes to tell the story of Larry Fuscher in Stone Ridge, N.Y. who gave him the seed of a family heirloom, a luscious beefsteak tomato borne on a sprawling, vigorous vine. The fruit is round, lobed, red with yellow-green shoulders. Greene asked Josephine Bloodgood — sister of the squash artist — to tackle the Stone Ridge Tomato, and the result is a swirling, sensuous depiction in acrylics of the grower squeezing out the seeds from a mammoth tomato. “A lot of her work is from the perspective of looking down, like you’re looking at your own hand. That was a really good fit for this variety because it has been passed down hand to hand, generation to generation, and the reason it’s still alive is because of people saving seeds by hand,” he said. Sometimes, Greene has to supply the narrative. When the Faberge beets arrived, he tried to find a connection between beets and the master jeweler and found it in a major grower of sugar beets in pre-revolutionary Russia named Pavel Kharitonenko. “The Sugar King” used some of his riches to collect jewelry by Carl Faberge. Rybak, of Highland, N.Y., created the images digitally, and loved using the strong magenta hues as “a killer color.” “I like the juxtaposition of the humble beet growing in the dirt and the ornateness of Faberge,” he said. "I like that clash.” Greene commissions around 20 new art pack covers a year, from almost 300 submissions vetted by him and creative partner Michael Asbill, an artist and neighbor who furnished one of the art pack images (Speckled Trout Lettuce). Rybak’s beets picture has proven very popular, as has an image for baby onions, named Evergreen Scallions, by April Warren. The painting renders the scallions as trees in a pondside forest, a red rowboat adds a splash of color. “It’s a bit surreal, it’s a bit haunting,” said Asbill, as he was installing the exhibition at THEARC. At first, Greene would send tortuous e-mails to those who didn’t make the cut. Then he got e-mails back saying “it’s okay, we are used to it. Cut to the chase.” The idea of a guy being a seed farmer, seed merchant and art patron may seem unlikely, but Greene feels that the enterprise neatly ties together the strands of his life. “I love plants, I love art, I love education and I love thinking I’m making a difference,” he said. “So it’s kind of everything I’m passionate about wrapped up into one entity.” He added, though, that “I had no idea I would end up with such an amazing art collection when I decided I would be a seed farmer.” **through June 30 at Corcoran Community Gallery, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. Monday-Friday,   11 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.**

Two explorations of nature and centuries-old gender stereotypes

From a distance, Arkansas artist Dawn Holder’s installation “Monoculture” (2013), which the artist installs on gallery floors, resembles a rectangular patch of grass. Closer inspection reveals that each handmade blade of “grass” is actually porcelain. When curators at the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) selected the piece for the exhibition “Organic Matters — Women to Watch 2015,” they couldn’t have anticipated how relevant it would be. “It’s a commentary on America’s obsession with perfectly manicured lawns,” says Virginia Treanor, an associate NMWA curator and exhibition curator. “The delicacy of the material references the fragileness of the resource, which is water, that is pumped and pumped into the lawns.” With California plagued by drought and some homeowners in that state reportedly painting fading lawns green, the work is “so timely,” says Amy Mannarino, a museum spokeswoman. “Organic Matters,” the fourth iteration of the museum’s “Women to Watch” series, is culled from nominations from 13 of the museum’s 18 national and international outreach committees, which advise the museum. Each committee may nominate up to five artists from its region, and curators at the downtown Washington museum select one artist per committee to show. The committees were asked to select artists whose works focus on nature, which also is the subject of what Treanor calls a “sister exhibit,” also running at the museum, titled “Super Natural.” It’s easy to wander between “Super Natural” and “Organic Matters” without realizing it. The former provides historical context dating to the 17th century, while the latter presents works only by living artists. Both shows explore centuries-old gender stereotypes that barred female artists from the important genres of history and religious painting. Instead, they were expected to copy landscapes and fruit arrangements, perceived as lowlier subjects. “Throughout Western history at least, and maybe even more broadly, there’s always been this association of culture with what men are empowered to produce,” says Helen Langa, an associate art history professor at American University whose research and teaching address gender. “Women have always been seen as closer to nature, partly because they menstruate, they have children and they cook.” More recently, many female artists in the late-20th and early- 21st centuries have been fascinated by the “magic of nature” and its “non-human qualities” but, unlike some of their male counterparts, explore it without seeking to overpower nature, Langa says. Still, some stereotypes have endured. “When people say ‘Mother Nature,’ there’s still this sense of nature as other to civilization. In that cultural projection, civilization is usually seen as masculine and nature is seen as somehow feminized,” she says. The NMWA exhibition seeks to dispel the notion that women are closer to nature than men. When female artists mine nature as subject matter, they often address the gruesome rather than the pretty and the dainty. “They don’t shy away,” Treanor says. One such work in the exhibit is “Nympheas #12” (2007), a photograph of an arrangement the Italy-based duo Sara Goldschmied and Eleonora Chiari made by fishing plastic bags out of the Tiber River and rearranging the litter to evoke Monet’s water lilies. The bags look more like flowers than garbage. “Are we so used to seeing trash in rivers that it looks natural?” Treanor asks. Polly Morgan’s “Systemic Inflammation” (2010) comes from an artist whose work has been confused with trash. In April 2009, movers mistook a piece of Morgan’s — a taxidermied bird in a matchbox — in Courtney Love’s collection for garbage and tossed it. At the NMWA, Morgan’s installation contains about 20 taxidermied finches — the second recent appearance of that species at the museum — tied by steel cords to a cage. Although Morgan uses animals that have died naturally (“Now that she’s known for doing this, people send her things,” Treanor says), the yellow-orange painted finches are ominously secured. And the cage, modeled on a 19th-century drawing of a flying machine, is charred. The flame-colored birds also evoke the phoenix, the artist has said. In the adjacent galleries, the 23 artists included in “Super Natural” address broader aspects of nature. “They’ve been concerned with science and the forces of nature, including decay and, frankly, the strangeness of nature,” says NMWA’s chief curator, Kathryn Wat. In her video “Still Life” (2001), Sam Taylor-Johnson, known for directing “Fifty Shades of Grey,” accelerates the camera’s capture of a bowl of fruit decaying and growing moldy over time. Elsewhere in the show, Patricia Piccinini’s “The Stags” (2008) resemble a cross between deer and motorcycles. The “stags,” painted with automotive paint and displaying wheels, have “antlers” made of motorcycle side mirrors. The work, in which the two bodies appear to clash, explores troubling machine-living hybrids. “Her question isn’t whether this is good or bad,” Wat says, “but are we ready for it?” In “Organic Matters,” another artist addresses dystopian futures. Jennifer Celio’s pencil drawing “NIMBY (national park)” (2012), which references the phrase “not in my back yard,” depicts a troubling imaginary park where an oil rig, a food truck selling Korean barbecue tacos and an abundance of surveillance equipment blend poorly with nature. To make the point more blatant, some tourists in the work ignore a real bear climbing a tree to instead photograph a person in a bear costume. And scrawled in enormous letters on a mountain is the phrase “We are the 99%.” In Celio’s work, and in many other pieces in the two NMWA exhibitions, there is a tension between beautiful and troubling depictions of nature. That reflects what Langa, the AU professor, says is a view in the art world today that important artists make complicated, abstract works, while those who paint beautiful landscapes are valued less. “We don’t see it in Artforum or ARTnews, particularly,” she says. “You really have a complexly tiered art system now in the United States.” Wecker is a freelance writer. **Organic Matters — Women to Watch 2015** and **Super Natural**. Through Sept. 13 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. 202-783-5000. www.nmwa.org.

Calling all design enthusiasts and green thumbs: 2016 spring home and garden tours

_It’s time to take advantage of the warm weather and start exploring some of the most beautiful and historic homes and gardens in the Washington area. Options include private home tours and embassy open houses, and we threw in some great plant sales, too. Almost all the tours offer free or discounted tickets in advance, so plan now._ The **Georgetown House Tour** will feature up to 10 of the neighborhood’s finest homes. This year, the event is being co-led by Jill and Scott “Scooter” Altman, a former NASA astronaut who appeared in the film “Top Gun.” April 23, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tickets include admission to a parish tea in Blake Hall at St. John’s Church, 3240 O St. NW. 202-338-2287. georgetown   housetour.com. In advance, $50; day of tour $55; groups of 10 or more $40 per person. This year’s **Mount Vernon Historic Plant and Garden Sale** features trees, shrubs, herbs and more, all grown at the estate’s greenhouse. Horticulture staff members will answer questions. April 23-May 22. Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy., Alexandria. 703-780-2000. mountvernon.org. $17, seniors $16, ages 6-11 $9, age 5 and younger free. The **Falls Church-Arlington Home and Garden Tour** display gardens include four 100-year-old holly trees, mature boxwoods, an herb garden and a garden of Victorian-era plants. Part of the Garden Club of Virginia’s Historic Garden Week, which includes more than 250 gardens, homes and landmarks across Virginia. April 26, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Historic Garden Week runs April 23-30. vagarden week.org. In advance, $30; day of tour $40; other Historic Garden Week tours, $15-$50. The **Garden Fair and Plant Sale,** hosted by Friends of the National Arboretum, will offer traditional favorites, plus heirloom vegetables and rare plants from nurseries across the country. April 29, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (members only) and 1 to 4 p.m. (general public) and April 30, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave. NE. 202-544-8733. _fona.org/gardenfair _. Free. The **Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage** will include tours in Baltimore and in Talbot, Harford, Queen Anne’s and Charles counties select days and times. April 30-May 28. 410-821-6933. mhgp.org. In advance, $30 per tour; day of, $35. The self-guided **Hollin Hills House and Garden Tour** features 12 mid-century modern homes designed by Charles M. Goodman. The Alexandria neighborhood was developed as one of the first post-World War II planned communities in the Washington area. April 30, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. 703-944-6390. hollinhills.net. In advance, $25; day of tour, $30. The **Moyaone Reserve Homes Tour** highlights several architectural styles in Accokeek, including an unusual mid-century modern community situated inside protected parkland. April 30, 1-5 p.m. moyaone.org/homestour. Tickets are $25 and include access to a post-tour wine reception and auction. The self-guided **Takoma Park House and Garden Tour** , themed “The American Craftsman,” will focus on Park, Willow and Spruce avenues, as well as Valley View and Crescent Place. May 1, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. 240-393-6060. historictakoma.org. In advance, $22; day of tour, $25. The Washington National Cathedral’s **2016 Flower Mart** includes floral and horticultural displays, an international floral exhibit, tower climbs to the bell-ringing chamber, shopping at more than 80 artisanal booths, and children’s rides and games. May 6, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and May 7, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-537-2937. allhallowsguild.org. Free. The **Around the World Embassy Tour** allows you to step inside more than 30 embassies and get a taste of international foods, fashion, art and dance. May 7, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Various locations in Northwest Washington. culturaltourism   dc.org. Free; photo ID may be required. The Silver Spring Garden Club’s **Garden Mart** will feature sales of herbs, heirloom tomatoes, houseplants, hanging baskets and more. May 7, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. South terrace of the Visitor Center at Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton. 301-962-1400. montgomeryparks   .org/brookside. Free. The **Del Ray House & Garden Tour**, sponsored by the Del Ray Citizens Association as a fundraiser for neighborhood projects and the Alexandria Scholarship Fund, typically features 10 homes and highlights work by local architects and builders. May 7, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. delraycitizens.org. Before May 1, $20; after, $25. The **Georgetown Garden Tour , sponsored by the Georgetown Garden Club, ** will be centered on eight private gardens. May 7, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 202-965-1950. georgetown gardentour.com. Before May 1, $35; after May 1, $40. The **Capitol Hill House and Garden Tour,** titled “Return to Barracks Row,” will be centered on Eighth Street and cover Fifth Street to 11th Street as well as Virginia Avenue to South Carolina Avenue, in Southeast. May 7, 4 p.m.-7 p.m., and May 8, noon-5 p.m. 202-543-0425. chrs.org. In advance, $35; tour weekend, $40. **** The day-long **Shortcut to Europe: European Union Embassies’ Open House** allows visitors the rare opportunity to look inside the embassies and experience the cultural heritage and national traditions of the 28 European Union countries. May 14, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. euopenhouse.org. Various Northwest Washington locations. Free; photo ID may be required. The **Chevy Chase Garden tour , sponsored by **the Garden Club of Chevy Chase, will feature seven gardens in historic Chevy Chase Village. Proceeds from the tour support the restoration of Chevy Chase Circle and the development of Western Grove Park. May 14, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 301-657-1278. In advance, $20; day of tour, $25. The **Tuckahoe Elementary Home & Garden Tour **supports the award-winning Discovery Schoolyard program at Tuckahoe Elementary School in Arlington. This year, the tour will highlight eight newly renovated homes. May 14, noon-5 p.m. tuckahoetour.org. In advance, $25; day of tour, $30. The  **Historic Hyattsville House Tour** will feature eight homes of various styles and periods, including a “Quartet of Victorians.” Tour starts at Hyattsville’s Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin St. May 15,   1 p.m.-5 p.m. 301-699-5440. preservehyattsville.org. In advance, $10; day of tour, $15. The **CCWC Homes Tour, Silent Auction & Book Signing**, hosted by the Clifton Community Woman’s Club, features guided tours of four homes in Clifton and Fairfax, including the official residence of the president of George Mason University. May 19, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Silent auction at the Clifton Presbyterian Church 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. 703-609-3479. cliftoncwc.org. In advance $25, day of tour $30; one home tour $10; silent auction and book signing with local authors free. The **Beyond the Garden Gates Tour** spotlights 12 private and public gardens in historic ****Frederick, Md. May 21, 1-5 p.m., and May 22, 1-5 p.m. 301-600-2844. celebratefrederick.com. In advance, $25; day of tour, $30. The  **Shepherd Park Garden Tour** will cover the Shepherd Park, Colonial Village and North Portal Estates neighborhoods of Northwest Washington, May 22, 2 p.m.-5 p.m. shepherdpark.org. $15, $7 for Shepherd Park Citizens Association members. This year’s **Secret Garden Tour** will take visitors through the Annapolis neighborhood of Murray Hill, between Spa Creek and Maryland Hall. June 4 and 5, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. hammondharwood   house.org. $30 in advance, $35 day of, available only after April 20. **— Compiled by Megan McDonough**

The Botanic Garden’s holiday show sizes down National Park Service landmarks

A small replica of Old Faithful is made of driftwood and fungus, steam rising from within. Next to it, a 40-inch-high scale model of Yellowstone National Park’s Old Faithful Inn incorporates cedar wood, grape and honeysuckle vines, oak and lemon leaves, acorn caps and eucalyptus pods. Yellowstone is just one of about 45 U.S. national parks and historic landmarks represented in “Season’s Greenings,” the U.S. Botanic Garden’s annual holiday show, which this year celebrates the centennial of the National Park Service. Constructed almost entirely from dried plant materials by Paul Busse’s famed garden design firm, Applied Imagination, the exhibit’s wonderfully intricate models are nestled among live plants and foliage that’s crisscrossed by choo-chooing model trains. They include re-creations of cherished natural wonders — such as the Grand Canyon, Devils Tower and Arches National Park — and well-known man-made monuments, including Mount Rushmore, the Statue of Liberty and the Alamo. Also represented are less obvious landmarks, such as Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth home in Atlanta and the circa 1959 neon “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign. “There are a whole new generation of National Park sites and national historic landmarks that speak to the diverse American experience,” says Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst. “Places like the Maggie L. Walker site [in Richmond], that tells the important story of the first African-American woman bank president in America, I think are very important” to the exhibit. “Season’s Greenings” also features more than 30 varieties of gorgeous poinsettias and an ornament-laden tree that is one of the largest indoor Christmas trees in Washington. But it’s the fairyland world of familiar places in miniature that is sure to inspire the most wonder. United States Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave.; through Jan. 2, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (open till 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, with holiday concerts most evenings), free.

Surprise Visits

Unless you’ve been living under a boulder (or have a severe seafood allergy), you’ve probably heard Baltimore’s a great day trip if you like crabcakes. Ditto a jaunt to Richmond if you’re obsessed with Civil War history. Still, summer trips don’t have to tread the beaten path. Here are three familiar cities, all within a few hours drive, with downright surprising reasons to go there and start exploring. _by Jennifer Barger and Holley Simmons_    *[WSU]: Wayne State University The City of Brotherly Love gets press for cheesesteaks, the Liberty Bell and its mammoth art museum. But beyond the beef and colonial sites, it’s also one of America’s greenest, prettiest cities with more than 10,000 acres of parkland and a slew of not-so-secret gardens both in town and in nearby suburbs. Summer is the best time to dip into these verdant attractions. **Morning: Longwood Gardens**   On your way to Philly by car, stop to immerse yourself in blooming flowers, wacky topiary trees and an Italian water garden with 600 spouting jets at this 1,077-acre compound once owned by the du Ponts. Don’t miss the massive 1919 greenhouse with its grand, glassed-in rooms of cacti, tall palms and orchids. _$18; reserve atLongwoodgardens.org, 1001 Longwood Rd., Kennett Square, Pa._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **Noon: Terrain Boutique and Styer’s Garden Cafe**   A 10-minute drive east of Longwood Gardens plants you at Terrain, a garden and outdoor decor store from the boho folks at Anthropologie. The vibe? Young Hipster had a Farm, with succulents and herbs mingling with weathered tin pots and vintage finds (a birdbath-turned-planter). Its restaurant, Styer’s Garden Cafe, dishes up locovore lunch/brunch in a greenhouse and dinner under the stars. Bread even comes out in mini flower pots! _914 Baltimore Pike, Glen Mills, Pa., 610-459-2400;Shopterrain.com_    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **Afternoon: Biking by the River**   Once you’ve arrived in Philly, ditch your car and rent a bike ( _$10-$15 an hour, Wheel Fun Rentals, One Boathouse Row; 215-232-7778_ ) to explore Fairmont Park, where you can zip down paths by the Schuylkill River or up into the massive greenspace to visit outdoor attractions like the Shofuso Japanese House and Garden ( _Horticultural and Lansdowne drives;Shofuso.com_) with its manicured trees and stone-flanked waterfall    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **Evening: Talula’s Garden**   Herbs grow in rustic wooden boxes on the wall and mismatched dining chairs crowd an ivy-walled outdoor garden at this Washington Square farm-to-fork restaurant. Specialties include veggie-loaded pastas, sweet pea Benedict (a veggie-pork-egg brunch melange) and scallop-okra bouillabaisse. _210 W. Washington Square, 215-592-7787;Talulasgarden.com_    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **Spending the night?** Near Philly’s tree-filled Rittenhouse Square, The Hotel Palomar offers cheeky decor (neon-hued busts of Ben Franklin) and a free wine happy hour nightly. 1 _17 S. 17th St., 215-563-5006,Hotelpalomar- philadelphia.com_    *[WSU]: Wayne State University Baltimore residents know there’s no such thing as dive bars: They’re just bars. But to assume the burg is all run-down watering holes, “Wire” sets and crushed Natty Boh cans would be to overlook Charm City’s classy side. Historic, glitzy ’hoods, a retail-heavy waterfront and a cool food scene make B-more an ideal jaunt for frill-seekers. **Morning: Garrett-Jacobs Mansion**   In 1872, railroad titan John Works Garrett gifted this 42-room brownstone to his daughter-in-law as a wedding present. Like a backdrop for an Edith Wharton novel, it once served as a playground for socialites. Tours (by appointment Tuesday-Saturday, 1-4 p.m.) let you peek at its grand, hand-carved oak staircase and Tiffany windows. _11 W. Mt. Vernon Pl., 410-539-6914;Garrettjacobsmansion.org_    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **Noon: Harbor East**   D.C. residents may recognize some retailers in this newish hub for upscale shopping — think Urban Chic and Sassanova (both founded in Georgetown) and South Moon Under (with roots in Ocean City), which mingle with homegrown spots like Amaryllis Jewelry (look for Barbara Heinrich’s black and lemon diamond pieces) and Loafers and Laces, a dapper men’s shoe shop. _Bound by Fleet St. and S. Central Ave.; Harboreast.com_    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **Afternoon: Baltimore Spa & Salon**   You’ve strained yourself with all this touring, haven’t you? Then tuck into this luxe space at the Ritz Carlton Residences ( _801 Key Hwy.; 410-625-2427;Baltimorespasalon.com_) where indulgences include Balinese massages ($230 for 90 minutes) and Vichy shower treatments ($175 for 50 minutes) — imagine a rinse with multi-headed water spouts followed by gentle exfoliation.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **Evening: Bolton Hill**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University F. Scott Fitzgerald and Woodrow Wilson once hung their hats in this neighborhood just north of downtown (Boltonhill.org) lined with impeccably preserved, late 19th-century rowhouses. You can’t get into their former homes, but you can dig into scallops with pork belly and roast duck breast with a sweet tea gastrique at B Bistro, an eclectic American spot in a converted townhouse. _1501 Bolton St., 410-383-8600; B-bistro.com_    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **Spending the night?** End a lavish day in digs worthy of Gilded Age swells. The newish Four Seasons in Harbor East boasts a heated infinity pool and big, water-view hotel rooms. Get a good night’s rest: You’ll want to do brunch at the hotel’s Wit and Wisdom restaurant (below), where executive chef Michael Mina’s elevated American classics include, of course, zesty crab cakes. _200 International Dr., 410-576-5800;Fourseasons.com/Baltimore_    *[WSU]: Wayne State University Any history buff worth his weight in textbooks knows Richmond played a major role in the American revolution and Civil War. And any longtime resident knows the city is also rich in contempo art, retro-cool fashion and good food. It all makes Virginia’s cap city a destination for those who love the past, but are interested in keeping up with the times. **Morning: Jackson Ward Art**   Start on foot in Jackson Ward, where galleries are gobbling up shuttered storefronts. Quirk ( _311 W. Broad St., 804-644-5450;Quirkgallery.com_) shows local paintings, photos and mixed-media works plus Little Fools Textiles’ scarves. If Gallery5’s ( _200 W. Marshall St., 804-644 0005;Gallery5arts.org_) whitewashed, circa-1849 brick walls could talk, they’d speak of bands, performance art and exhibits they’ve witnessed.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **Noon:Lamplighter Coffee**   Lamplighter’s new cafe ( _1719 Summit Ave., 804-447-2648;Lamplightercoffee.com_) in Scott’s Addition brings brews to a zone in the midst of a hipster renaissance. A Diedrich roaster toasts beans for tasty pour-over coffees or iced java. Grab a bite down the street at Lunch RVA ( _1213 Summit Ave., 804-353-0111;Eatlunchrva.com_) where chalkboards announce a rotation of fresh salads and inventive sandwiches.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **Afternoon: Carytown Shopping**   Hit Carytown’s indie shops like city-cool clothier Need Supply Co. (3100 W Cary St., 804-767-1825) and Ruth & Ollie, a hotbed of preppy furniture ( _3108 W. Cary St.; 804-288-3360_ ). For vintage clothes (a huge strength here), try Bygones Vintage ( _2916 W. Cary St.; 804-353-1919_ ) or, a few blocks northeast, Halcyon Vintage ( _117 N. Robinson St.; 804-358-1311_ ), known for party frocks and sparkly jewelry.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **Evening: The Roosevelt**   In gentrifying Church Hill, chef/James Beard Award nominee Lee Gregory serves Southern comfort food — catfish with black-eyed peas, poutine with sausage gravy — in a throwback-chic room with a tin ceiling and framed vintage photos. _623 N. 25th St., 804-658-1935;Rooseveltrva.com_    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **Spending the night?** End your day at the artsy Museum District Bed and Breakfast. _2811 Grove Ave., 804-359-2332;Museumdistrictbb.com_    *[WSU]: Wayne State University

Why New York’s High Line is the perfect source of gardening inspiration

In what may be one of the most successful adaptive-reuse projects in history, New York’s High Line is a compelling shrine to the postindustrial life of a great city. Some might say too successful: The former elevated rail line on Manhattan’s West Side draws close to 5 million visitors a year and is a catalyst in Chelsea’s long — and to those who remember the district’s bohemian flavor, not entirely welcome — gentrification. At its core, however, the High Line today is a linear park through its own narrow garden. The first of three sections opened in 2009, the last almost three years ago. Its southern point begins next to the new Whitney Museum of American Art, and it snakes its way north until it forms a loop that wraps around a rail yard close to the river. Above this cluster of parked rail cars, a 28-acre development named Hudson Yards is in the process of becoming a mini- city of skyscrapers. Most gardens grow shady by the growth of their trees. The High Line is losing some of its light to sprouting high-rises. If you have been, you’ll know that the experience is strangely bisected. The promenade is a perch to observe the surrounding cityscape and yet is an immersive urban experience. It is usually crowded by out-of-towners and a great place for people-watching. What is felt more subliminally is the High Line’s verdancy. It’s worth stopping to smell the prairie dropseed (an oddly fragrant native grass). Anyone remotely interested in plants will find beauty and inspiration at their feet. There are three featured stands of trees along the High Line’s 1½ -mile length, but most of the planting beds are defined by human-scale plantings of grasses, perennials, bulbs and ground covers. There are a couple of reasons for this plant palette. First, the High Line is essentially a rooftop garden, and the soil extends on average down to only 18 inches. That isn’t much of a universe for tree roots. Second, the plant designs draw inspiration from the wildflowers and weeds that overtook the High Line after its abandonment. The last train ran in 1980; afterward, 161 species were blown in by the wind or deposited by birds and found purchase in the stone ballast beneath the rails. But these wildlings are merely an inspiration; most of the plants today, while supremely natural in feel, are anything but accidental. They are the work of the plantsman and designer Piet Oudolf, a leader in the contemporary, perennial-rich style of gardening known as Dutch Wave. Oudolf has teamed up with the American landscape designer, author and photographer Rick Darke for a detailed look at the horticulture of the High Line in their book, “Gardens of the High Line.” If you can’t get to the High Line, the image-rich publication is the next best thing. In some ways, it’s better, because its pictures bring home the seasonality of the plants, which ebb and flow from month to month. Autumn and winter have their own sublime moments, even if the wind is whipping off the Hudson. Draped in snow, the High Line looks positively romantic, quite a feat for a structure built for noisy freight trains. Oudolf has expanded the palette to 400 plant species, massed and mingled in a way that provides abstractions of colors, textures and forms. The plant design may look haphazard, but it reflects a contemporary plant choreography that breaks down the edges of the old herbaceous border for a more naturalistic effect. What you lose in delineation you gain in layers of interest and a plant’s continual transformation in the company of its neighbors. Just in terms of plant ideas and combinations, the High Line is supremely inspirational. The last time I was there, I was struck by how pretty and garden-worthy the native grass called side-oats grama ( _Bouteloua curtipendula_ ) is and the way masses of another grass — Korean feather-reed grass (C _alamagrostis brachytricha_ ) — caught the declining sunlight in its flower heads. The latter, it should be noted, is a prolific seeder. Thumbing through the book, there are others I want. Lead plant ( _Amorpha canescens_ ) is a leguminous shrub with fine, gray-green leaves topped with clusters of purple blooms. The prairie smoke ( _Geum triflorum_ ) is a perennial whose blossoms turn into tufts of red filaments that last for weeks. All the spiky, long-blooming penstemons are champs in my book; the foxglove beardtongue ( _Penstemon digitalis_ ) is a white species that blooms from late spring into summer. Some are clump-forming, such as the dropseed, others spread by runners, and yet others seed aggressively. Darke and Oudolf note that gardening on the High Line “requires a non-standard amalgam of horticulture, ecology, soil science, entomology, ornithology and artistry.” This to me sounds like the right recipe for any gardener. Eight years after the first section opened, the gardeners have learned to monitor and adjust the spread and decline of plants but not to keep the original plan static. “Caring for these ever-changing gardens involves artful stewardship, not maintenance,” the authors write. “There is no status quo on the High Line.” The gardeners also avoid rigorous grooming so that dead top growth, seed heads and stalks provide visual interest to humans, shelter and food to birds and insects, and a measure of winter protection to the plants themselves. The whole assemblage of some 100,000 plants is cut back in March by an army of volunteers and staff, at the threshold of bulb season. The High Line is owned by the city but is run and maintained by the Friends of the High Line in partnership with the Department of Parks and Recreation. All the plants were selected to grow in a hostile environment. The elevation and lack of soil depth puts stresses on the plants year-round. Thus, the chosen ones are tough, and a good bet for gardeners in a wide swath of the country. You’d need to check the hardiness and heat tolerance of each species if you want to try it in your garden. I doubt the signature tree at the southern end of the High Line, the gray birches of the Gansevoort Woodland, would be happy south of Philadelphia. But most of the plantings, especially the grasses and perennials, will thrive throughout the Mid-Atlantic and in sites with poorer, drier soil. Take a camera phone and notepad if you visit, or pore through the book if you cannot, so that you can introduce some of these plants into your world. As the song about New York goes, “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere.” **@adrian_higgins on Twitter ** **More fromLifestyle:** Chihuly complements — and sometimes competes with — nature at New York Botanical Garden Get the most out of your small garden with these dual-role vegetables They restored a famous architect’s first house. What happens when he comes to visit?

Public gardens: A new model blossoms

How do you open a $15 million public garden, New York-style? You invite a tramload of benefactors, give them an elegant lunch in a historic stone barn, and when you cut the ribbon, you sing a couple of verses of “America the Beautiful” — with the help of an international opera star — in this case, Simon O’Neill, a tenor also tackling Wagner at the Met. Amid this cultivated scene one recent Friday, you might have noticed a petite woman in a black dress, a lime-green scarf and with piercing blue-gray eyes. She seemed both joyful and a little detached, as though she were an artist taking it all in, which, as it turns out, she was. “It was just a whirlwind, and really great,” said Sheila Brady, the designer of the New York Botanical Garden’s new native plant garden. Brady is a Washington-based landscape architect who has spent much of the past five years working on the garden with her colleagues at Oehme van Sweden Landscape Architects — OvS — alongside a team at the botanic garden. Together they have created an exemplary garden — important to the institution and significant to the cause of contemporary landscape design and horticulture. The garden rejects a conventional idea of presenting native flora as replicated eco-systems and instead gathers American plants with a gardener’s eye for color, texture, combinations, seasonal peaks and other aesthetic ambitions. The planting schemes are complex, and besides the mind-boggling number of plants involved — 90,000 perennials, grasses, bulbs, shrubs and trees in a 31 / 2-acre area — Brady and her collaborators have used varieties bred for improved garden performance. For Brady, the project is a huge professional milestone. In Washington, the firm’s high-profile public work has included the National World War II Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and the diplomatic campus in Van Ness known as the International Chancery Center. The new garden sits on the site of a wildflower garden that has origins in the 1930s. Over the years, various habitats in miniature lost definition and coherence. “The inspiring display went out the window,” said Todd Forrest, the botanical garden’s vice president of horticulture and living collections. The idea driving the new garden might be clear, for all its novelty, but its execution was anything but simple: Brady and Jody Payne, director of the native plant garden, pored over lists of as many as 3,000 species before whittling them to less than 500. Over two years, crews have installed such familiar fare as goldenrods and asters, and others known only to the cognoscenti. Brady points out a carpet of a wispy grasslike sedge that grows in dry shade and whose botanical name tells of its origins: _Carex appalachica_. “This is the finest textured of all the carexes,” she said. In the woodland in particular, where plants have to be aggressive to flourish, the key was to pair flora that would play nicely together. This might mean picking a fern that clumps rather than spreads by rhizomes, or replacing a common species of mountain mint with a more demure one. This is a nerdy universe, but one that Brady has learned to navigate in her career. She speaks in a sonorous voice — you wonder whether she might have made it big in radio, or at least in corners of that medium in which pensiveness and sensitivity are valued. The garden distills half a dozen habitats but also consciously interweaves time as well as space, with bursts of interests: the fleeting spring carpets of foamflowers, trilliums and Virginia bluebells; the impending flowering of the carnivorous pitcher plants and the blue star flower; the high-summer displays of gayfeathers and coneflowers; August days perfumed by a frothy grass called prairie dropseed; or the golden and ruddy tapestry of the autumn meadow. As innovative as the plant schemes are in this garden, it is its architectural framework that gives it a starkly contemporary character. The garden is framed by two ridges where Brady configured the paths to take the visitor past extraordinary rock outcroppings and provide framed views. The dominant element is a water feature in the valley between the high ground, a series of three stepped basins with dramatically curved edges. The water element is edged by a wooden promenade — don’t call it a boardwalk — made from kiln-dried American black locust. The body of water (“pond” seems so inadequate a word) is cleansed by a wetland, and the water is regulated by an underground cistern. Sophisticated aeration systems allow ice levels in winter to look good without doing damage. At this point in her career, Brady had little difficulty finding the scale of the water feature; finding the form was far less so, until she saw a winglike sculpture by Martin Puryear on show at the National Gallery of Art. “I went to see the show and bam, I got it,” she said. Art as a source of inspiration has been an abiding facet of her work. After she graduated from George Washington University (many of her classes were at the Corcoran), she moved to Boston, where her husband, architect John Lederer, was working. Brady, then a graphic designer, one day saw a set of plans in her husband’s office. Intrigued that lines on a page gave life to a physical world, she decided to follow her husband as an architect. But then she stumbled across the Harvard Graduate School of Design and chose instead to become a landscape architect. In the 1970s, it was a profession gripped with the ideals of modernism and the issues of postwar suburbanization. At best, plants were thought of more as architectural elements than organisms that could form ecosystems; landscape architects viewed themselves as design professionals, not gardeners. “The profession was almost ashamed of the word ‘landscape,’ ” said Eric Groft, who now owns OvS with Brady and a third landscape architect, Lisa Delplace. The firm is headquartered in a former bank building next to the Marine Corps Barracks, in Southeast Washington. “There were firms who didn’t let their staff touch a plant, whereas Wolfgang was out there half-naked installing gardens,” he said, referring to Wolfgang Oehme, a German designer and plantsman who settled in Baltimore and later formed the firm with James van Sweden. With aplomb, they called their style “the New American garden” and evoked images of a lost prairie. Their designs were not necessarily new or American, but they were using massings of grasses and perennials to create blocks of color and texture in a way that was novel and gained attention. About half the plants were of American origin, although some had been given legitimacy in Europe. Payne likens it to jazz, which had to go to Europe to be fully appreciated in its homeland. Oehme died in 2011. Van Sweden, in declining health, retired two years ago. In the 1980s, Brady was working for a major landscape architecture firm in Alexandria and came across an image of a seaside garden Oehme and van Sweden had designed on Long Island. “I really loved working with plants. I don’t know where that came from — maybe because I worked in the garden with my mother,” Brady said. One of seven children, she grew up in Westchester County, N.Y., but moved to Bethesda when she was 13. “So I had seen this incredible image that went right to my fine arts background. I wanted to use plants in a more painterly way. I called them up.” In her interview with van Sweden, she found someone who also looked to modern art as a way to think about plant groupings. They both were drawn in particular to the color field paintings of Helen Frankenthaler. As Brady, Groft and Delplace forged ahead, they found themselves well placed in a profession that has become far more ecologically driven, plant friendly and focused on designs that cool the city, trap and clean stormwater, and reduce energy use. Through the years, Brady and her colleagues have broadened the plant palette, brought in more native flora and put them together in more complex and layered schemes. This is especially found at the Chicago Botanical Garden, where Brady led the design of two major areas. Her work there helped convince the New York institution to award what was a plum contract to OvS amid stiff competition. The botanical garden occupies 250 acres in a green oasis in the Bronx. OvS was selected because of its long history of using plants boldly, Forrest said, but it was “Sheila’s recent work that sealed the deal,” he said. “It was only going to be successful if the plants read beautifully.” Purists talk of using “indigenous” plants found close to a given locale, but Brady and Payne freely used plants from Virginia to Maine. The interface of ecology and horticulture is often a fractious one. Native plant advocates argue that the widespread use of introduced plants — burning bush, privet and wisteria, for example — has led to the degradation of natural areas and the wildlife food web by invasive exotics. But the new garden is meant as a positive example, Forrest said, not as some sort of gardening imperative. “If it was a scolding idea, we would have impaired our ability to inspire people,” he said.“It’s our generation’s contribution to the institution’s 120-year history of engaging people with plants of the Northeastern United States,” Forrest said. Its contemporary design anchors it in its time. Brady said when future generations look back on the garden, she hopes people will see it as “the real integration of ecology and site and design and horticulture.”

The key to growing healthy plants: Stay off the soil

There are many ways to make a garden bed, but one thing is constant: The soil within it should have the lightness of a fluffed-up pillow and the loft of a down-filled duvet. Adding plenty of organic matter is key to building a plant-friendly soil like that. But the bed’s design has much to do with keeping it that way. When I was growing up, most vegetable gardens looked like small versions of a farm field, with plants in long rows. The gardener would walk between those rows to plant, cultivate and harvest. It wasn’t the most efficient use of space, and it involved a lot of stepping on plant roots that extended underneath the paths. Trodden soil is compacted soil, with poor aeration. That reduces the amount of oxygen available to plants and to the organisms that give the soil its life. Compacted soil drains poorly, so the spaces between soil particles become waterlogged and further deprived of air. It’s also hard for plant roots to penetrate, hard for earthworms to navigate and hard for a gardener to work. With loose, fluffy soil, you can make a hole for a transplant with a swift scoop of your hand and pull most weeds with a quick yank. If you’ve ever labored over weeds growing in a much-trodden path, you know what I mean. A bed system, as opposed to a single-row system, is kinder to your plants, and to you. Plants grow in close-together rows or grids in an area — usually a square or a rectangle — that belongs just to them. Gardeners’ hands and tools can reach into the bed, but never their feet. This sort of layout goes back to the Middle Ages, when small, enclosed gardens were tended within castle courtyards and monastic cloisters. They were often edged with small barriers such as low wattle fences made with pliant branches, or tiny living hedges of germander and trimmed boxwood. This style made its way into early America and can be seen at living-history museums such as Colonial Williamsburg and the more rustic Plimoth Plantation, where beds are edged with stones and wooden boards. Kitchen garden beds had a revival in the late ’60s and ’70s, largely by way of Alan Chadwick, a charismatic British actor and gardener who brought the “French-intensive” method of growing food to California and from there to back yards all over the country. Influences on Chadwick ranged from the closely planted market gardens on the outskirts of French cities to the cosmological horticulture of Rudolf Steiner in Germany. Chadwick favored beds that were very deeply dug, and raised as well, so that they were fertile and fluffy 18 inches down. Most people who tried the Chadwick way (myself included) found it too labor-intensive. But the simple idea of raised beds did take hold, and soon those little boxes were everywhere. Apart from the great soil aeration and drainage they afforded, they made gardening easier for people. For those with disabilities, a fairly tall box meant less bending and stooping. Close planting helped shade out weeds. Better yields from a small space meant less space to tend. Raised beds warmed up more quickly in spring. (Then again, they dried out more quickly in dry summer weather.) Ultimately, I think much of their appeal was psychological. Their graph-paper-like geometry made the garden seem under one’s control. I tried wood-edged gardens, too, but I preferred to pare the bed idea down to its ultimate simplicity: loose soil in beds surrounded by trodden paths. At our place, beds are defined with corner pegs and string. Paths are made with a long-handled pointed shovel, skimming off the soil surface just a bit and tossing it into the bed. Then the soil is amended with compost, which is incorporated shallowly with either a three-tine cultivator or a mechanical tilther. After that, the bed is raked and smoothed with a large, aluminum bed-forming rake, leaving it flat and level on top. I never make a bed more than four feet wide, the better to reach into it. Often the beds are permanent ones, in which the deeper soil is aerated from time to time with a large, heavy, gravity-driven tool called a broadfork. Our beds look slightly raised, but what you’re seeing is just the difference between trodden and untrodden ground. My sister Anne says that this distinction is so obvious and so easily learned that you can teach it to both dogs and very young children. You just tell them, “Bed fluffy, path hard.” And they stay on the path every time. Last call to hoe and pull annual winter weeds that are now going to flower and seed with a vengeance. Alternatively, the weeds can be dislodged while digging spring beds, but keep them out of the compost pile, where they may still flower and seed. **— Adrian Higgins** **More fromLifestyle:** Why I want my politicians to spend some time in a garden The crucial White House position Trump has neglected to fill A pioneer of humanely raised meat is betting the farm on Blue Apron

‘Green Acres’ art review

These days, the Arlington Arts Center is looking more like a 4-H camp than an art gallery. Alien-looking gourds have sprouted from a large bamboo structure — part trellis, part walk-in tent — on the front lawn. You can’t cross the central foyer without running into a tree in a planter. And throughout the building you’ll find composting worms under plexiglass; dried flower arrangements; a library of meticulously catalogued wild animal dung; an inactive mushroom farm; photographs of sheep; stacks of cleaned and carded wool; botanical illustrations featuring a year’s worth of produce from the Dupont Circle farmers market; agricultural videos; and a tank filled with algae from Potomac Overlook Regional Park. I’ve heard the Joyce Kilmer line, “I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as tree,” but this is ridiculous. Or maybe not. Maybe what it takes to get us to think about the natural environment is to throw a picture frame around it. (You’ll find an example of that here, too, quite literally.) Most of the work belongs to Green Acres, an ambitious exhibition that invites contemplation about our connection to — or, more likely, our separation from — nature. Originally organized by independent curator Sue Spaid for the Cincinnati Contemporary Art Center, the show, which opened in Arlington in late June, is so large that it has been divided in two. A second exhibition under the same title has just gone on view at the American University Museum, where it will be celebrated with an opening reception Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. after a 5 p.m. gallery talk. At Arlington, a pair of thematically related shows includes “Dupont Market,” artist Anita Walsh’s documentation of farmers market produce, and “Agri Interior,” a collaborative installation by Pam Rogers and the art-making duo known as Radio Sebastian (Yumiko Blackwell and Corwin Levi). Of everything on view, “Agri Interior” most closely resembles traditional art- making (i.e., the kind you need art supplies for, not seeds). Still, it fits n beautifully with all of the other work. In addition to a large, chandelier- like hanging sculpture fashioned from plants and other natural fiber, the show features Rogers’s plant-inspired mixed-media drawings, along with eye-popping sculptures by Radio Sebastian that show artificial flowers (made from colorful Sculpey modeling clay) appearing to burst forth out of books and wood paneling. Take a good, long look. It’s nice stuff. You can skip most of the videos, which are, quite frankly, tiresome. Mei-ling Hom’s “Mushroom Cap” — a mycorestoration module (or mushroom farm) made of a big ball of oat straw and something identified, evocatively enough, as “mushroom spawn” — would have ’shrooms growing out of it if it were kept moist, which it isn’t. Still, it is lovely, simply as sculpture. In terms of sheer acreage, however, the Harrison Studio’s contribution to “Green Acres” — an installation of indoor farming containers exploding with greenery under electric grow lights — leaves the most indelible impression. Part of the “Survival Series,” most of the works on view date from the early 1970s, when they were first devised by husband-and-wife “eco-artists” Newton and Helen Mayer Harrison as a way to raise awareness about the potential for, and importance of, urban farming. Part art and part activism, their work includes prototypes for farming in places without wide open spaces (e.g., Arlington). The “Strawberry Wall“ is a series of wooden planters mounted on the wall, hosting alternating strawberry and arugula plants, which seem to be thriving under the artificial lights. But is it art? Spaid argues that it is, for reasons both aesthetic and conceptual. The tension between the profusion of lush green leaves and the tightly linear planters, for example, is inarguably sculptural. And there is a sensory element in the engagement of visitors, who encounter a world of smells, textures and sights not normally encountered in a gallery. Okay. Maybe that’s pushing it. If an urban greenhouse is sculpture, then is working in the garden performance art? Thanks to our increasing disconnection from our food sources, and in a world where salad comes, pre-washed, in a plastic bag, “Green Acres” would probably argue that the answer is yes. Doug Retzler looks like a bohemian. A tuft of graying beard sprouts just below his lower lip; he wears yellow Crocs; and there’s dirt under his fingernails. But when I ran into the Baltimore artist puttering around “Gourd Palace Spirit House” — the sculptural installation he built outside the Arlington Arts Center with the design assistance of the community, and which is now overgrown with gourd vines — he said he preferred the term “instigator” to”artist.” “Farmer” might be just as good. When Retzler began planting the living sculpture from seedlings earlier this summer, no vine was taller than a foot or so. The plants, he says, barely budged for the first couple of weeks, as they put all of their energy into putting down roots. Once established, they climb up to a foot a day. As of July 28, the structure was heavy with bright orange, warty and otherwise bizarre-looking fruit, hanging at ankle level and overhead. Some is edible, some ornamental, some can be used to make musical instruments and spoons. Retzler, who calls the structure an “ambassador,” hopes that passersby will see it and be drawn into “Green Acres.” And what other artists might consider vandalism of their work, he calls community engagement. Recently, some person or persons came by — possibly under cover of darkness — and snipped several of the largest gourds, making off with them. It doesn’t bother Retzler, who says, with a laugh, that he hopes whoever took the art ate it. **— Michael O’Sullivan**

D.C. community calendar, March 7 to 14, 2013

**Thurgood Marshall remembered,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the life of the Supreme Court justice. 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Free. Call Joseph Mohr, 202-359-1532. **Orchid month at Hillwood,** Jason Gedeik, head of Hillwood’s greenhouse and design operations, discusses owner Marjorie Merriweather Post’s love of orchids and how she incorporated them into her luxurious lifestyle. 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tuesdays; 10:30 a.m. Thursdays, 1 p.m. Fridays, continues through March 29, Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Suggested donation, $15; 65 and older, $12; 6 to 18, $5; 5 and younger, free. 202-686-5807 or www.hillwoodmuseum.org. **Enlist in the 1863 Union Army,** and drill with them and a National Park Service ranger in Civil War attire. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-3:30 p.m., Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Free. Call Mike Rose, 202-438-9667. **Scrabble at the library,** for adults. 1 p.m. Thursdays, Chevy Chase Library, 5625 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. 202-282-0021. **Greenhouse Tours,** Jason Gedeik leads a short tour of the working greenhouse and discusses its history, Marjorie Merriweather Post’s infatuation with orchids and more. 2 p.m. Thursdays, 11 a.m. Fridays and Tuesdays and 1 p.m. Saturdays except March 23, continues through March 30, Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. $15; 65 and older, $12; 6 to 18, $5; 5 and younger, free. 202-686-5807. **Cathedral earthquake damage,** in “Though the Earth be Moved,” a staff member leads a tour to explore the damage caused by the2011 earthquake. 3 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. $10. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org. **Game night,** for ages 12 to 19; participate in video games, board games, trading card games and more. 4-6 p.m. Thursdays, Lamond-Riggs Library, Meeting Room No. 1, 5401 South Dakota Ave. NE. Free. 202-541-6255. **Nanook sings in Greenlandic,** the internationally known ensemble performs; part of the Nordic Cool 2013 festival. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **George Henry Thomas, Civil War hero,** Edward H. Bonekemper, author of five books on Civil War leaders, discusses the undefeated — but unheralded — Union general who played a key role in winning the war. 6:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $42. 202-633-3030. **The Hudson River School,** Ellen Wiley Todd, an associate professor of art history at George Mason University, discusses the themes encircling the diverse group of artists known by this disparaging term and why their art has generated renewed interest. 6:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $30. 202-633-3030. **An evening with a park ranger,** a National Park Service ranger leads a tour and discusses the history of the memorials; take water and a flashlight. 7-9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, National World War II Memorial, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-426-6841. **Cartoons and Myths : Reviving Pan and Diana for the 21st Century,** painter Inka Essenhigh discusses her influences and the evolution of her work. 7 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. ******1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created,** a lecture by Charles C. Mann. 7 p.m., Library of Congress, Coolidge Auditorium, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-5221. **Danish jazz vocalist Caroline Henderson,** part of the Nordic Cool 2013 festival. 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Cool Club, 2700 F St. NW. $25. Free. 202-467-4600. **************** ********************************** ** ************ **“Koch,”** Neil Barsky’s film about the quintessential New Yorker, and former mayor Ed Koch, who led the city through a decade of grit, graffiti, near- bankruptcy and rampant crime from 1978 to 1989, includes candid interviews and rare archival footage. Call theater for showtimes, Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. $11; students, $9; seniors, $8.25; age 12 and younger, $8. 202-966-6000. **Pinot & Augustine,** for ages 5-10, artists Mark Jaster and Sabrina Mandell of Happenstance Theater re-create the charm of the golden age of the French circus with physical comedy and music, lyrical melodies played on a musical saw and more. 10:15 and 11:30 a.m., Discovery Theater at S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $8; ages 2-16, $6; 1 and younger, $3. 202-633-8700 or www.discoverytheater.org. **Friday Morning Music Club recital,** a performance of works by Haydn Charles Villiers Stanford and Dvorak . Noon, Calvary Baptist Church, 755 Eighth St. NW. Free. 202-333-2075. **“Circle Within the Square,”** a documentary about Mimar Sinan, chief architect to the Ottoman Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, Sinan’s Islamic style in the context of his times and highlights of some of the 500 known buildings he designed. Noon, Textile Museum, 2320 S St. NW. Free. 202-667-0441, Ext. 64. **Gardens that “do,”** landscape architecture professor Laura Lawson discusses the evolution of community gardening from the 1890s to today, along with key concerns and opportunities for their sustainability in the future. Noon, U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Classroom, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov. **Art symposium,** illustrated lectures by scholars on pre-Raphaelitism and International Modernisms. Noon-5 p.m. Friday and 1-5 p.m. Saturday, National Gallery of Art, East Building Concourse, Auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215 . **Library of Congress lectures,** Ismail Serageldin, director of Egypt’s national library, will give two talks: “The Loss and Rebirth of the Library of Alexandria,” noon, Room 119; “The Knowledge Revolution and the Future of Libraries,” 7 p.m., Coolidge Auditorium, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-1737. **Mary’s Journey,** soprano Joan Phalen traces the journey of Jesus’s mother to her anguished witness at the cross, using works from medieval times, spirituals and modern song, with accompaniment and interludes on the oud — a middle Eastern guitar-like instrument —by Guillermo Christie. 12:15-1 p.m., St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 3001 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Free. 202-363-8286 or www.stalbansdc.org. **Danish National Girls’ Choir recital,** part of the Nordic Cool 2013 festival. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **“All That Matters Is Past,”** Sara Johnsen’s 2012 film about an emotionally searing triangle involving a woman and two brothers; part of Nordic Cool 2013. Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $8. 202-467-4600. **Game night,** “Catan: Oil Springs,” learn the rules and play the scenario with the designers, Erik Assadourian of the Worldwatch Institute and Ty Hansen; players who own a copy of the original game are encouraged to bring it; drinks and snacks will be offered. 6-9 p.m., Goethe-Institut, 812 Seventh St. NW. $5, reservations requested: rsvp@washington.goethe.org. 202-289-1200. **“Building the Great Cathedrals,”** a documentary about constructing marvels of Gothic architecture, including Chartres, Beauvais and others. 7 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free. Reservations: 202-549-4172 or www.hillcenterdc.org. **Burlesque workshop,** for beginners age 18 and older to learn the basic burlesque skills and a flirty dance routine taught by burlesque dancer and choreographer Lola Rose, come in free-moving clothing, no experience necessary; light refreshments served. 7-9 p.m., Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. $25, reservations requested. 202-547-6839 or www.chaw.org. **“Jezebel,”** William Wyler’s 1938 film about a haughty and temperamental Southern belle whose attempts to mold her fiance to her own designs eventually bring about her downfall, starring Bette Davis, Henry Fonda and George Brent; come at 6:30 for a discussion of the film. 7 p.m., National Museum of American History, Warner Brothers Theater, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Sunna Gunnlaugs Trio,** the Icelandic group bridges the Brooklyn/Reykjavik jazz divide, combining the elegance of the European approach with a fiery New York drive; part of Nordic Cool 2013. 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Cool Club, 2700 F St. NW. $25. 202-467-4600. **Health lecture,** H. Gilbert Welch, professor of medicine, Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy, discusses “Overdiagnosed: Making People Sick in the Pursuit of Health.” 8:15 p.m., Cosmos Club, John Wesley Powell Auditorium, 2170 Florida Ave. NW. Free. 703-370-5282. **“Marie Kroyer,”** Bille August’s 2012 film about one of Denmark’s greatest painters and his wife’s struggle when her husband’s health starts to fail and she meets Swedish composer Hugo Alfven on a trip to Sicily, part of Nordic Cool 2013. 9 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $8. 202-467-4600. **********************************The Bog Band and Shannon Dunne Dance,** traditional Irish music in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. 9:30 and 11 a.m., National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free ticket, one per person, distributed 30 minutes before each show. 202-783-3372. **Writing Creative Nonfiction,** Tilar Mazzeo, author and co-chair of Colby College’s English department, a hands-on workshop that focuses on the process from beginning to end and covers publishing and ethical issues related to writing about historical topics, includes writing exercises. 9:30 a.m.-4:15 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $130. 202-633-3030. **Edwardian England: Grandeur, Scandals and Servants,** Lorella Brocklesby, a New York University professor of humanities, discusses the transition from the Victorian age to the Edwardian era and the social and cultural changes, including the new styles of daring George Bernard Shaw plays, artists and writers of the Bloomsbury Group, the campaign for women’s votes, elegant and sometimes-shocking fashions. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $130. 202-633-3030. **Mehndi: The Traditional Art of Henna Painting,** a hands-on workshop and introduction to the rich history of the mehndi tradition and the best methods of application. All supplies provided. 10 a.m.-1 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $70. 202-633-3030. **Used book sale,** most are $1, proceeds benefit library programs. 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Southeast Library, 403 Seventh St. SE; and 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Woodridge Library, 1801 Hamlin St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. **Weaving knotted-pile textiles,** psychologist Mark Traxler discusses learning to weave when far removed from traditional weaving cultures and measuring success by quality, not quantity. 10:30 a.m., Textile Museum, 2320 S St. NW. Free. 202-667-0441, Ext. 64. **Orchid care,** how to care for your orchid to get more flowers and ensure reblooming, secrets to successful orchid growing and more. 10:30 a.m.-noon, 2-3:30 p.m. March 16 and 10:30 a.m.-noon and 2-3:30 p.m. March 30, Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. $25. Registration: www.hillwoodmuseum.org or 202-686-5807. **Violinist Pamela Ferguson and Alouette the Dragon,** a concert. 11 a.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. $10, adults, children 12 and under, free. 202-549-4172 or www.hillcenterdc.org. **Civil War Family Day,** join the troops camping in the Kogod Courtyard for an afternoon of crafts, games and other activities. 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Kogod Courtyard, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **The Women on the Wall,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the lives of the women whose names are listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. 1 p.m., meet at the flagpole, Constitution Avenue and Henry Bacon Drive NW. Free. Natasha Arnold, 202-658-8205. **Walk with a ranger,** a National Park Service ranger leads a stroll and discusses American history and the memorials. 1-3 p.m., Lincoln Memorial, Survey Lodge, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Free. 202-426-6841. **Children’s theater,** for age 10 and older, the story of what might happen if an 11-year-old became king, including the possibility of giving the nation’s power to the children of his kingdom; part of Nordic Cool 2013. 1:30 and 5 p.m., Kennedy Center, Family Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $18. 202-467-4600. **“Now, Voyager,”** the 1942 film about a spinster overwhelmed by her domineering mother who finds help at a sanitarium from a kind psychiatrist, starring Bette Davis, Claude Rains and Paul Henreid; come at 1:30 for a film discussion. 2 p.m., National Museum of American History, Warner Brothers Theater, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **“The Making of ‘Fanny and Alexander,’ ”** in conjunction with Sweden’s Royal Dramatic Theatre’s upcoming performance of its adaptation of Ingmar Bergman’s Academy Award-winning film, director Stefan Larsson discusses the process of turning film into theater, excerpts of the documentary will be shown; part of Nordic Cool 2013. 2 p.m., Kennedy Center, Eisenhower Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $10. 202-467-4600. **Ben Durham portrait talk,** join the artist in a discussion of his art that melds image and word to portray lives gone awry. 2 p.m., National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Hands-on orchid workshop: To repot or not?** , learn about the different potting materials and techniques. 2-4:30 p.m., Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. $25. Register: www.hillwoodmuseum.org or 202-686-5807. **Rosa Parks talk,** a National Park Service ranger discusses her refusal to give up her seat on a bus and how that act inspired civil rights leaders. 3 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, West Potomac Park, between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials, Independence Avenue SW. Free. Mike Townsend, 202-329-0125. **“Sanctuary,”** Fredrik Edfeldt’s 2012 film about a blossoming father-and- daughter relationship as they go on the run together to escape the father’s pending prison sentence; part of Nordic Cool 2013. 3:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $8. 202-467-4600. **Art reception,** for an al-media exhibit. 5-7 p.m. March 9; exhibit continues, 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays, through April 5, Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. Free. 202-547-6839 or www.chaw.org. **Wimme,** the Finnish singer performs a blend known as “shamanistic chant meets modern soundscapes;” part of Nordic Cool 2013. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Twilight talk,** a National Park Service Ranger discusses the natural resources found in the park; bring a flashlight. 6 p.m., National World War II Memorial, North Side, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Kristel Nelson, 202-497-1357. **“The Last Sentence,”** Jan Troell’s 2012 film of the coming of fascism and Sweden’s position of neutrality through World War II, part of the  Nordic Cool 2013 festival. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $8. 202-467-4600. **“Mr. Skeffington,”** the 1944 drama about an incorrigible society flirt of the World War I era, who marries a steadfast financier for security, she continues to keep company with other men until time takes its toll, starring Bette Davis and Claude Rains; come at 6:30 for a discussion. 7 p.m., National Museum of American History, Warner Brothers Theater, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Vocalist Gretchen Parlato in concert,** sponsored by Washington Performing Arts Society. 8 p.m., Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW. $30. 202-785-9727. **** **** **Environmental reconciliation discussion,** Yale University lecturer and research scholar Mary Evelyn Tucker discusses the natural place people of faith have in the conversation and activities that work toward a holistic approach to the subject. 10:10 a.m., Washington National Cathedral, Front Nave, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Free. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org. **Botanic Garden facility tours,** staff members lead visitors through greenhouse complexes to view orchids, medicinal plants and rare and endangered species not on public display; a question-and-answer session follows with the gardeners; light snacks and beverages provided. 10:30 a.m., 11 and 11:30 a.m. and 12:30, 1 and 1:30 p.m, U.S. Botanic Garden Production Facility. $10, registration required, directions given at registration. 202-225-1116 or www.usbg.gov. **“Legends of Valhalla: Thor,”** animated feature film for young audiences, about an over- confident teen with a magical weapon and a handful of imperfect gods who join forces against an evil queen and her army of giants; part of Nordic Cool 2013. 10:30 a.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $8. 202-467-4600. **“Stars Above,”** a film set in three different time periods, 1942, 1978 and the present, a rich chronicle of the changing context of Finnish women’s lives in revealing period detail; part of Nordic Cool 2013. 12:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $8. 202-467-4600. **“Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?”** Robert Aldrich’s 1962 film about aging sisters who live in a decaying Hollywood mansion, trapped with their memories as competing child actors, starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford; come at 1:30 for a discussion with NPR commentator Murray Horwitz. 2 p.m., National Museum of American History, Warner Brothers Theater, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Marine Chamber Ensemble concert,** a performance of works by Brahms, Prokofiev and Bach. 2 p.m., John Philip Sousa Band Hall, Marine Barracks Annex, Seventh and K streets SE. Free. 202-433-4011. **Portrait Story Days: Marisol Escobar,** listen to a story about the sculptor and create a special piece of art to take home. 2-5 p.m., National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **“The Phantom Carriage,”** a classic silent film from Sweden, based on a legend that the last person to die in a given year must drive the carriage picking up the souls of the dead the next year, with piano accompaniment; part of Nordic Cool 2013. 2 p.m., Kennedy Center, Cool Club, 2700 F St. NW. $8. 202-467-4600. **Lee Greenwood in concert,** the country music legend performs with the U.S. Air Force Band. 3 p.m., DAR Constitution Hall, 18th Street between C and D Streets NW. Free. 202-767-5658. **Left Bank Quartet,** clarinetist Paul Cigan and pianist Audrey Andrist, on the museum’s Steinway Concert Grand piano, join in a performance of selected works. 3 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium, meet in the G Street Lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. Free tickets at 2:30 p.m. 202-633-1000. **“Not What You Think,”** concert, a 12-person a cappella ensemble presents pop, light jazz and folk songs. 3-4:30 p.m., Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. $15; 65 and older, $12; 6 to 18, $5; 5 and younger, free. Registration: www.hillwoodmuseum.org or 202-686-5807. **“Teddy Bear,”** Mads Matthiesen’s 2012 film about a gentle giant of a bodybuilder who lives with his mother and is desperate to find a girlfriend, even if he must leave Denmark to do it; part of Nordic Cool 2013. 3:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $8. 202-467-4600. **“Bush Mama,”** Haile Gerima’s 1975 film that blends narrative fiction, documentary, surrealism and political modernism in an unflinching story about a pregnant welfare recipient in Watts, Los Angeles, starring Barbara O. Jones; also “Daydream Therapy,” imagining the fantasy life of a hotel worker trying to flee his workplace humiliations, is set to Nina Simone’s haunting rendition of “Pirate Jenny.” 4:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building Concourse, auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-842-6799. **Cathedral organ recital,** Michael Bauer performs works by William Albright, Pamela Decker, Marcel Dupre, Forrest Pierce, Petr Eben and Charles Tournemire . 5:15 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, Front Nave, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Suggested donation, $10. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org. **What Makes It Great?** commentator, conductor and composer Rob Kapilow discusses why a piece of music sometimes stays in your memory, and explores the elements that combine to render a musical composition a masterpiece. The Peabody Chamber Orchestra performs Mozart’s “Jupiter,” a question-and-answer session completes the evening. 6 p.m., National Museum of Natural History, Baird Auditorium, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. $25. 202-633-3030. **“Naked Harbor,”** Aku Louhimies’s film, a series of parallel stories all taking place in one of Helsinki’s most popular neighborhoods during a week in winter, with the film’s principal characters confronting some situation they see as irreversible, from racism and xenophobia to bullying and unemployment; part of Nordic Cool 2013. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $8. 202-467-4600. **Danish fashion designer Henrik Vibskov,** an installation, performance and video self-portrait; part of Nordic Cool 2013. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **“Hermitage Cats Save the Day,”** for young audiences: an ensemble of musicians and actors perform the works of Chris Brubeck, written to accompany the book “Anna and the Hermitage Cats” by Washingtonian Mary Ann Allin, latecomers not admitted. 6:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, West Building Garden Court, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-842-6941. **AARP driver safety class,** for age 50 and older, certificate issued upon completion of the course, light refreshments served. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Washington Hospital Center, Siegel Auditorium, 110 Irving St. NW. $14, registration requested; parking included. 202-877-6213. **Color in early modern paintings,** a lecture by conservation scientist Barbara Berrie lectures. 12:10 and 1:10 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building Concourse, Small Auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **Clipper City Brass Quintet,** the Baltimore-based ensemble performs masterworks written for brass, popular songs, jazz, Dixieland and more. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **“The Galapagos Islands at World’s End,”** geologist and naturalist Kitty Coley unlocks the mystery of these islands by exploring their natural history and revisits the observations made by evolutionist Charles Darwin during his visit in 1835; sponsored by Smithsonian Associates. 6:45 p.m., Freer Gallery of Art, Meyer Auditorium, Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW. $42. 202-633-3030. **“William Eggleston in the Real World,”** photographer Lucian Perkins introduces the Michael Almereyda film about the acclaimed photographer who made color cool again. 6:30 p.m., Goethe-Institut, 812 Seventh St. NW. $7; seniors and students, $4. 202-289-1200. **** **** ******Friday Morning Music Club concert,** a performance of works by Monteverdi, Bach and George Onslow. Noon, Dumbarton House, 2715 Q St. NW. Free. 202-333-2075. **Library of Congress lecture,** Margaret Wagner discusses the library’s illustrated timeline of the Civil War. Noon, Library of Congress, Madison Building, Montpelier Room, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-5221. **Augusta Browne,** Bonny Miller of the music division’s discusses one of America’s first female composers during the 19th century. Noon, Library of Congress, Jefferson Building, Whittall Pavilion, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-5502. ******Classical music recital,** violinist Natasha Bogachek and pianist Dasha Gabay perform. 12:10 p.m., Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Suggested donation, $5. 202-347-2635, Ext. 20. **“Notorious,”** Alfred Hitchcock’s 1946 romantic thriller about the daughter of a disgraced father who is recruited by American agents to infiltrate a post-World War II spy ring in Brazil, starring Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains. 6 p.m., Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. Free. 202-727-0232. **Deborah Bond,** the vocalist and Strathmore artist-in-residence and her band, Third Logic, perform rhythm and blues, funk and acoustic soul. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **“Lost Rivers,”** a documentary about the disappearance and recent resurfacing of historic rivers that once flowed through various waterways; from the Environmental Film Festival. 6 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, Embassy of Canada, 501 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free, reservations required: canadianembassy-lostrivers.eventbrite.com. **“Solar Mamas,”** a film about Rafea, a Jordanian mother of four who travels outside of her village for the first time to attend Barefoot College’s solar engineering program, along with women from Guatemala, Kenya, Burkina Faso and Colombia; from the Environmental Film Festival. 6 p.m., Johns Hopkins University, 1740 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Free. 202-885-3408 or www.environmentalfilm.org. **“Hot Water,”** filmmakers Lizabeth Rogers and Kevin Flint on a journey through the American West to expose uranium mining and our atomic legacy; from the Environmental Film Festival. 7 p.m., Carnegie Institution for Science, Elihu Root Auditorium, 1530 P St. NW. Free. 202-885-3408 or www.environmentalfilm.org. **Bustin’ Loose: Stories from D.C.’s Underground Music Scenes,** Iley Brown of Stride Records, 9:30 Club owner Seth Hurwitz, D.C. go-go and hip-hop figure DJ Kool and musician Alec MacKaye discuss their experiences in the late 1970s and early 1980s. 7 p.m., Corcoran Gallery of Art, 500 17th St. NW. $10. 202-639-1700. Register: getinvolved.corcoran.org/bustin_loose. **** **Online genealogy research,** archives specialist Nancy Wing teaches a 90-minute hands-on workshop and how-to guide for using the Web site www.archives.gov . 9:30 a.m., National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. Registration: nancy.wing@nara.gov. 202-357-5000. **********John Paul Jones and Joshua Barney,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the naval fighters of the American Revolution. 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., National World War II Memorial, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Call Joe Mohr, 202-359-1532. **Book talk,** Author Denise Kiernan discusses “The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II,” about the women of Oak Ridge, Tenn., who unknowingly played a critical role by being part of 1942’s Manhattan Project. Noon, National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Civil War-era newspapers,** Georgia Higley of the Serial and Government Publications Division discusses the Vicksburg Daily Citizen and the role of newspapers during the war. Noon, Library of Congress, “The Civil War in America” exhibit, Southwest Gallery, Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-9203. **The Civil War and contemporary American artists,** senior curator Eleanor Jones Harvey moderates a panel of artists discussing artists Terry Adkins, William Dunlap, Sally Mann and Dario Robleto and how and why they address aspects of the American Civil War in their recent bodies of work. 4 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **“Community Harvest,”** documentary about the dramatic transformation of the North Columbia Heights Green, a vacant urban D.C. alley transformed into a public garden and collaborative green space; part of the Environmental Film Festival. 5 p.m., Riverside Center, Washington Parks & People, 5200 Foote St. NE. Free. 202-885-3408 or www.environmentalfilm.org. ** “How I Became an Elephant,” ** one girl’s quest to visit Lek Chailert, a.k.a. “The Elephant Lady,” who risks her life to protect elephants from illegal trade and abuse; 5:30 p.m.; and ** “Go Ganges!” ** about two TV producers who test their skills traveling down one of the world’s busiest, most polluted and most sacred rivers, the Ganges in India. 7:15 p.m., part of the Environmental Film Festival. Gallaudet University, Foster Auditorium, 800 Florida Ave. NE. Free. 202-885-3408 or www.environmentalfilm.org. **“Betting the Farm,”** the 2011 documentary film about a group of Maine dairy farmers who were dropped by their national milk company and banded together to launch their own dairy; part of the Environmental Film Festival. 6 p.m., Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Free; reservations required: www.hillwoodmuseum.org or 202-686-5807. **Blues Alley Youth Orchestra,** local student musicians perform big band music and jazz by legends Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and others. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Contemporary Spanish architectural trends,** a lecture by Carme Pinos, principal of Estudio Carme Pinos in Barcelona. 6 p.m., Catholic University, Edward M. Crough Center for Architectural Studies, Koubek Auditorium, 620 Michigan Ave. NE. Free. 202-319-5188. **“Polk Street,”** a play by Joey Plaster about people who are running from pieces of the past. 8 p.m. Wednesday-March 15, Georgetown University, Walsh Black Box Theatre, 36th and Prospect streets NW. $12; students, $10. 202-687-2787. ******“District League: Pepik Hnatek’s Last Stand,”** a dark comedy based on a popular Czech TV program of the same name, about a popular football player who suffers a series of heart attacks and must choose between football or life, in Czech with English subtitles. 8 p.m., Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. $11; students, $9; seniors, $8.25; age 12 and younger, $8. 202-966-6000. ******Behind the scenes cathedral tour,** for age 11 and older; see gargoyles and stained-glass windows and climb a lot of stairs for a panoramic view of the city; take a camera. 10:30 a.m. most weekdays, Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $15. 202-537-6200. **“Beijing Besieged by Waste, **”** ** about China’s monumental waste problem spawned by a burgeoning population, booming industry and insatiable urban growth, in Mandarin with English subtitles; part of Environmental Film Festival. Noon, Ronald Reagan Building, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-885-3408 or www.environmentalfilm.org. **Cherry trees walking tour,** a National Park Service Ranger leads a tour and discusses the 103 year history of the pink and white trees and the people behind them. 2-4 p.m. and 8-10 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, West Potomac Park, between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials, Independence Avenue SW. Free. Kawther Elmi, 202-438-6184. **Glenn Ligon conversation,** the artist talks with associate curators Molly Donovan and James Meyer. 3:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **The Music of Puerto Rico,** singer-songwriter and radio host Larry Groce emcees a multi-instrumental performance by Angélica Negron and American singer-songwriter and guitarist Aaron Lee Tasjan. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **“Minds in the Water,”** about the transition of professional surfer Dave “Rasta” Rastovich from ocean admirer to ocean activist who embarks on a personal mission to help stop the worldwide commercial slaughter of dolphins and whales; part of the Environmental Film Festival. 6:30 p.m., Edmund Burke School, 4101 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. 202-885-3408 or www.environmentalfilm.org. **Cultural investments: economic impact of the arts,** a panel discussion on how arts organizations plan for sustainable growth and more. 6:30 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. $20; students, $12. 202-272-2448. Registration: www.nbm.org. **“A Community of Gardeners,”** about the role of seven community gardens in Washington as sources of fresh, nutritious food, places of healing, outdoor classrooms, links to immigrants’ homelands, centers of social interaction and oases of beauty and calm in inner-city neighborhoods, a question-and-answer session follows. 6:30 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Classroom, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free, registration required. 202-225-8333. **Yarrow Mamout: the black burgher of Georgetown,** author James H. Johnston discusses the life, career and descendants of Mamout, an educated Muslim, enslaved in 1752, who later established himself as a Georgetown businessman and was painted by one of America’s great portraitists. 6:30 p.m., Tudor Place, 1644 31st St. NW. $20. Registration: http://yarrowmamout.eventbrite.com/. 202-965-0400. **Every Man a Rembrandt, ** curator William L. Bird Jr. discusses the paint- by-number craze of the 1950s, then invites visitors to sip a glass of wine and try their hand at one. 6:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $42. 202-633-3030. **The Battle of Stalingrad,** historian Jochen Hellbeck discusses the battle that took the lives of thousands of German and Soviet soldiers and civilians and changed the psychological tide of World War II, all mostly from the German point of view. 6:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $42. 202-633-3030. **“The Challenge of Venice,”** about the threat to the foundations of the city’s buildings caused by climate change and whether the city’s system of mobile barriers will work when it is completed in 2014; part of Environmental Film Festival. 7 p.m., Embassy of Italy, 3000 Whitehaven St. NW. Free; reservations required: iicwashington.info/events/20130314/20130314_venice.html. 202-885-3408 or www.environmentalfilm.org. **Jazz concert,** Bassist Eric Wheeler leads the newly formed Hill Center Jazz Ensemble. 7:30 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. $15. 202-549-4172 or www.hillcenterdc.org. ************ ** — Compiled by Gerri Marmer  ** **E-mail:** districtlocalliving@washpost.com (to the attention of Gerri Marmer) **   Mail:** Community Events, District Local Living, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20071. **   Details:** Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.

Alexandria-Arlington community calendar, April 16-23, 2015

**“Compartmentalized” exhibit** Assemblages by Zofie Lang. Reception, Saturday at 2-4 p.m. Continues through May 17. Northern Virginia Community College, Margaret W. and Joseph L. Fisher Art Gallery, 3001 N. Beauregard St., Alexandria. 703-845-6156. lvitello@nvcc.edu . Free. **Rock Spring Garden Club program** Kathy Jentz of Washington Gardener Magazine discusses “Container Gardening: Recipes for Success.” 11 a.m. Little Falls Presbyterian Church, 6025 Little Falls Rd., Arlington. 703-532-1959. rockspringgardenclub@gmail.com . Free; lunch, $5. **Spring book sale** Friends of the Beatley Central Library will sell books and audio-visual items in all genres in four sessions (first session, members only. Memberships available for $10 at the door; last session, prices reduced). Thursday at 4-8:30 p.m., Friday at 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Saturday at 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Sunday at 1-4:30 p.m. Charles E. Beatley Library, 5005 Duke St., Alexandria. 703-746-1702. www.alexandria.lib.va.us . **ArtFest Week** Features an art show and sale by 30 artists. For a complete schedule, visit the Web site. Thursday and Friday at noon-4 p.m. Fort C.F. Smith Park, 2411 N. 24th St., Arlington. 703-243-4342. www.arlingtonartistsalliance.org . Free. **Virginia Cooperative Extension plant clinic** Master gardeners answer gardening questions. Thursdays at 6:45-8:45 p.m. Through Nov. 19, Arlington Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington. 703-228-6400. Free. **Holistic Moms Network program** Author Lisa Guernsey discusses how children are affected by what they watch and how they interact with screens. 7-9 p.m. Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, 4444 Arlington Blvd. 703-801-8651. www.holisticmomsarlalex.blogspot.com . Free. **Virginia Native Plant Society program** Speakers discuss “DIY: Transform Your Yard With Native Plants.” 7 p.m. Arlington Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington. 703-820-8859. Free. **Meigs Hodge concert** Features traditional and contemporary blues guitar and vocal. 7 p.m. the Athenaeum, 201 S. Prince St., Alexandria. 703-548-0035. www.nvfaa.org . admin@nvfaa.org . $15. **U.S. Army Voices** Features popular, country and patriotic music with musicians from the Army Band and Old Guard. 7:30 p.m. Fort Myer, Brucker Hall, 400 McNair Rd., Arlington. 703-696-3399. www.usarmyband.com . Free. **U.S. Air Force Band: Chamber Series** Features “Music for Soprano, Clarinet and Piano.” 8-9:30 p.m. The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St., Alexandria. 703-746-4994. www.usafband.af.mil . Free. **Rara Avis exhibit** Features drawing and sculptural composition by Beverly Ress and Martin Tarrat, and Langley Spurlock’s Abcedarium of Birds. Thursdays at noon-4 p.m. Continues through May 31. Opening reception, Sunday at 4-6 p.m. the Athenaeum, 201 S. Prince St., Alexandria. 703-548-0035. www.nvfaa.org . Free. **Lee Center walkers trip** Travel by van to Riverbend Park in Great Falls. 10 a.m. Lee Senior Center, 5722 Lee Hwy., Arlington. 703-228-0555. www.parks.arlingtonva.us . $3 with 55+ Pass ; registration required. **American Youth Philharmonic** Orchestra recital by AYPO students from the Chamber Music Program. 2:30-4:30 p.m. The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St., Alexandria. 703-642-8051. www.aypo.org . Free. **Friends of the Planetarium program** Features a full-dome program, a documentary based on video shot by Dave Brown and other Columbia astronauts, and short programs. For a complete schedule, visit the Web site. Friday at 6:30 p.m. Through Sunday, David M. Brown Planetarium, 1426 N. Quincy St., Arlington. 703-228-6070. www.friendsoftheplanetarium.org . $3; seniors and 12 and younger, $2. **Arlington Farmers Market plant clinic** Master gardeners answer questions. Saturdays at 8-11 a.m. Through Sept. 26, North Courthouse Road and North 14th Street. 703-228-6400. Free. **Carlyle House’s Garden Day** Features an herb and craft sale, gardening questions answered by master gardeners (8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.), and music. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Carlyle House Historic Park, 121 N. Fairfax St., Alexandria. 703-549-2997. www.carlylehouse.org . Free; house tour, $3-$5; 3 and younger, free. **Arlington Environmental Collection and Recycling (E-CARE)** For Arlington residents and employees, dispose of household hazardous materials, computer monitors ($15), televisions ($20) and recycle small metal items, electronics, shoes and clothes. For acceptable items, visit the Web site. 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Thomas Jefferson Middle School, 125 S. Old Glebe Rd. 703-228-6570. recycling.arlingtonva.us . **Garden Tour Marketplace** A tour of the museum, vendors featuring hats, purses, jackets, native plants and more. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. the Athenaeum, 201 S. Prince St., Alexandria. 703-548-0035. www.nvfaa.org . Free. **Historic Garden Week in Old Town** Six homes and gardens feature flower arrangements created by members of the Garden Club of Alexandria and the Hunting Creek Garden Club. Additional tours of Lee-Fendall, Carlyle House, American Horticulture Society, Green Springs Garden, Mount Vernon Estate and Guston Hall Plantation are accessible. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 804-644-7776, Ext. 22. www.vagardenweek.org . $45; in advance, $40. **Square-Foot Gardening** Master gardener Renee Johnson discusses planning and creating small planted gardens. 10:30 a.m.-noon, Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library, 4701 Seminary Rd., Alexandria. 703-228-6414. Free; reservations requested. **Evening with Miroslav Tadic and Merima Kljuco** Guitar and accordion duo perform contemporary world and classical music. 8-9:30 p.m. The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St., Alexandria. 703-220-0042. www.bheartfoundation.org . $49. **Encore Stage and Studio spring theater classes** For students in kindergarten-eighth grade. For a complete schedule, visit the Web site. Theatre on the Run, 3700 S. Four Mile Run Dr., Arlington. 703-548-1154. www.encorestageva.org . Four sessions $65; registration required. **“2015 Spring Solos”** Seven artists from Pennsylvania, Maryland and the District will each mount a self-contained show in one of seven separate gallery spaces. Opening reception, Saturday at 6-9 p.m. Continues through June 28, Arlington Arts Center, 3550 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. 703-248-6800. www.arlingtonartscenter.org . information@arlingtonartscenter.org . Free. **NAMI support group** For parents of those with a mental health diagnosis. 1-2:30 p.m. Trinity Presbyterian Church, 5533 N. 16th St., Arlington. 703-862-9588. Free. **Beau Soir Ensemble** A flute, viola and harp chamber concert. 2-3:30 p.m. The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St., Alexandria. 202-607-6000. www.beausoir.org . Donations accepted. **Ibis Chamber Music** Features violinist Joseph Sheer and harpist Susan Robinson performing works by Saint-Saens, Debussy and others. 3 p.m. Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ, 5010 Little Falls Rd., Arlington. 703-228-4744. www.parks.arlingtonva.us . Free. **Sandra Y. Johnson Quintet** Concert. 4 p.m. Meade Memorial Episcopal Church, 322 N. Alfred St., Alexandria. 703-549-1334. www.meadechurch.org . $15. **Growing Ornamental Edibles workshop** Master gardeners of Alexandria and Arlington discuss soil, containers, maintenance and suitable plants. 7-8:30 p.m. Fairlington Community Center, 3308 S. Stafford St., Arlington. 703-228-6414. mgarlalex@gmail.com . Free; registration requested. **The Art of Ballroom Dance** Gary Stephans teaches the fox trot, waltz, tango, swing and more. Come with or without a partner. Beginning and advanced dancers welcome. 7-9 p.m. Practice, 8:30-9 p.m. The Athenaeum, 201 S. Prince St., Alexandria. 703-505-5998. garystephans@me.com . $15. **Knitting with friends** Drop-in for cancer patients and caregivers. Bring supplies. 3:30-5 p.m. Virginia Hospital Center, Cancer Resource Center, 1701 N. George Mason Dr., Arlington. 703-558-6913. Free; registration required. **Managing the Vegetable Garden program** Discussed by master gardeners of Alexandria and Arlington. 7-8:30 p.m. Fairlington Community Center, 3308 S. Stafford St., Arlington. 703-228-6414. mgarlalex@gmail.com . Free; registration requested. **Sustainable Home Renovations** Learn how small renovation projects can reduce energy and water consumption. 7-8 p.m. Walter Reed Community Center, 2909 16th St. S., Arlington. 703-228-6427. www.arlingtonenvironment.org . Free. **Walking club trip** Travel by van to Riverbend Park in Great Falls. 9 a.m. Culpepper Garden Senior Center, 4435 N. Pershing Dr., Arlington. 703-228-4403. www.parks.arlingtonva.us . $4 with 55+ Pass ; registration required. **Postpartum support group** For women suffering depression or anxiety during pregnancy or in the first year following childbirth. Second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, 7:30-9 p.m. Fairlington United Methodist Church, Room 109, 3900 King St., Alexandria. 703-831-7845. megan.monsky.psva@gmail.com . Free. **Faith, Food and Fellowship** A service with music, a message from a pastor, lunch and Arlington County Fire Chief James H. Schwartz discussing the response to the events of 9/11 at the Pentagon. Noon, Clarendon United Methodist Church, 606 N. Irving St., Arlington. 703-527-8574. www.morefaith.org . Free; lunch, $5. **Staged Reading: The Mad Wooing** A troop of hapless and brave actors perform a scene from William Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew.” 7 p.m. the Athenaeum, 201 S. Prince St., Alexandria. 703-548-0035. www.nvfaa.org . $15. **Alexandria Sesquicentennial lecture** Independent scholar of history Stephen Smith discusses “Now He Belongs to the Ages: Lincoln in Diverse Perspectives.” 7:30 p.m. The Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington St., Alexandria. 703-746-4554. Free. ** — Compiled by Ria Manglapus  **

‘What Plants Talk About’ on PBS; geology tours at Virginia winery on April 6

On April 3, the PBS series “Nature” will delve into the silent, secret conversations between plants. Plants can’t talk, you say? Well, according to the documentary “What Plants Talk About,” flowers, trees and seedlings may not have brains or mouths, but they have other ways of communicating — to cooperate, to compete and ultimately to survive. For example, it’s well known that plants compete for food and light, but some species, such as the Douglas fir, share resources. Using a massive underground fungal network, the trees supply nutrients to seedlings and other organisms. The wild tobacco plant, meanwhile, defends itself against caterpillar attacks by communicating with the insect’s predators. The plant releases a toxin that, when ingested, makes the caterpillar stink. This odor attracts animals that eat the caterpillar before it finishes eating the plant. The parasitic dodder vine, unable to produce its own food, “sniffs” out the chemical scents of nearby plants to find a suitable host, from which it can suck water and nutrients. The program features time-lapse video that demonstrates how the vine tendril twirls around on itself, circling in the air for hours until it homes in on the right scent. Plants and trees, says experimental plant ecologist JC Cahill, are “actively engaging with the environment in which they live. They actively respond to the nutrients and the predators and the herbivores that are around them. It’s a really dynamic system.” A popular descriptor among oenophiles is “terroir,” a French term that literally means soil and is used to denote a “sense of place,” or the effects of a local environment on how a wine tastes. The influences on terroir are varied and include natural conditions such as soil quality, climate and surrounding crops as well as man-made choices regarding grape type, fertilizer and fermentation technique. It’s a complex, nuanced concept, one that experts say is best understood by tasting. Wine lovers in the Washington area will get the opportunity to experience this interplay of science and flavor during “A Taste of Science” at Virginia’s Doukenie Winery on April 6. Staff naturalist Leanne Wiberg will lead a geology tour of the winery, located in Loudoun County, and talk about how the rocks and soil of the Blue Ridge region affect wine produced there. The tours will be offered at 11 a. m. and 3 p.m., with each followed by a wine tasting. The cost is $15, free for the winery’s club members. Call 540-668-6464 for reservations.

The curtain falls on Ireland’s most famous private garden

In the rain they come, groups of older women, mostly, and mothers with teenage daughters. Their umbrellas are bright and patterned, but they cannot outshine the flowers. Since Helen Dillon announced she was leaving 45 Sandford Road after 44 years, the visitors have been crowding into Ireland’s most famous private garden for one last horticultural feast before it closes on the last Sunday of September. Dillon and her husband, Val, have sold their Georgian house and the half-acre garden in Dublin’s trendy Ranelagh neighborhood and plan to retreat to a smaller abode. Soon, the celebrated Dillon Garden will retreat, too, and in private, as the new buyers convert much of the heart of the garden back to lawn. Dillon will gather her plants in pots, which must number hundreds and range from tiny cuttings in two-inch containers to her beloved potted hagenias, a sumac-like tree from Ethiopia. Robin Lane Fox, in a 2014 column in the Financial Times, described the Dillon Garden as “the best walled town garden one can hope to see.” Note to the world’s garden lovers: Hurry. Around the spine of a descending Moorish fountain and canal, the garden is a harmonious medley of tender and hardy plants from five continents, planted in highly considered combinations. There are no trendy plant habitats or faux ecosystems, but intense, artful compositions. It reveals Dillon as a master plantswoman and a skilled colorist, which is a dying art. The plants are not labeled, and many may be known only to connoisseurs, but this is the garden’s charm. I don’t think I have seen another garden where so many diverse plants — bulbs, tropical vines, tender perennials, shrubs, herbs, succulents, annuals — are interwoven so densely, seamlessly and effectively. The heavy reliance on containers, some obscured, others not, allows Dillon to move things in and out of season and to adjust heights. In one part of the central border, she paired a pink brugmansia with an intense magenta alstroemeria and a royal blue _Tibouchina urvilleana_. Elsewhere, she used light and dark varieties of agapanthus in a blue border, the hue repeated in the towering blooms of aconitum. Peeking from below was a hydrangea whose white florets were aging a rose color that harmonized with the blues. God is in the details. Among the extravagant oddities was a shrubby tender vine whose common name, monastery bells, speaks to its big, squat campanulate flower, unlike any other I have seen. It grows in and around a red-barked slender tree named _Arbutus_ x _andrachnoides_. The couple came to the property from London in the early 1970s. One of the first things Helen Dillon did was to remove an incongruous but period-trendy rock garden, and then she made the decision — a blunder, she admits — to erect an antique iron fountain as a focal point, now long gone. The central canal and its dark limestone frame came later, and apart from its utility, it gives the garden some structure to temper the parade of plants. The water brings light down from the sky and spreads it around like a croupier dealing cards. In Dublin, summer days are long but not necessarily bright. The great design challenge in a town garden, even one as generous as this, is to address the dominance of its rectilinear boundaries. Here, the edges are blurred with sub-gardens, including an arid-looking corner consisting of a grove of aralia trees underplanted with ferns and tropical shrublike plants resembling justicias. It sounds a bit wacky, but it is this inventiveness that has given the garden its originality and its edge. If Dillon seems driven to a point of obsession, the garden merely affirms that. In one edge, near a raised-bed garden marked by a sundial, she has a handcrafted aviary stocked with a few zebra finches, a flock of orange canaries and, if you are still, a furtive mouse that darts out to feed. Closer to the house, two small greenhouses offer shelter from the drizzle and a look at more plants in pots — including regal geraniums and more ferns. It is here that Dillon, originally from Scotland, has spent long and absorbing hours over the years, starting new plants from seeds and cuttings. She has written several books about the garden, co-hosted a popular garden show on Irish TV for several years and has done the lecture tours wide and far. “I’ve been to 27 states, including Alaska,” she said, handing me a cup of tea. I had talked my way into her cozy kitchen, out of the rain, for a chat. We had met years ago in Richmond, but I’m not sure she remembered. She’s now in her 70s, and gardening at such a pitch takes its toll on the body, even with some help. Her plan was to let the garden fade with time, and in great age she would merely observe its decline from within the house, which was built in 1830. But last winter, the couple made the decision to downsize. It seems hard to think of such a dynamo winding down, and when pressed, she says the new garden will get the creative juices going again, even if she has no plans to open it to visitors. Her plant-driven, consummate approach, she concedes, “is labor-intensive, which is _very_ unfashionable.” Over the years, she has done major reworkings of portions of the Dillon Garden, which opened to visitors 25 years ago. The front garden is a strikingly restrained composition of a stone terrace and birch trees. But there’s nothing left to redo. “It has got like an overpainted picture. It’s not fresh, and I can’t think of anything else to do with it,” she said. “I want to play somewhere else.” Another consideration is that an intensively cultivated garden runs out of steam even if, like Dillon, you use only organic feeds. The soil is depleted, and the pests and diseases have built up. It was time to move on. “I don’t want to be a curator,” she said, “I want to be a creator.” Asked how he felt about the end of the era, Val Dillon, who has served as his wife’s garden helper all these years, chose church Latin over the botanical kind. “Deo gratias.” More from Home and Garden: A shrub to brighten the dog days of summer Rekindling a gardener’s passion for daylilies Birds, chipmunks, snakes, insects: At some point, the gardener feels like an intruder **@adrian_higgins on Twitter** **Also at washingtonpost.com**   Read past columns by Higgins at washingtonpost.com/home.

In Philadelphia, the show goes on

In 1829, a few members of the newly formed Pennsylvania Horticultural Society gathered to show off plants that they had proudly grown and tended, some ordinary, others curiously novel like the poinsettia. Thus was held the first Philadelphia Flower Show. Miraculously, perhaps, the show continues: It opened Saturday at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in downtown Philly and runs through Sunday. It’s safe to say that if the original participants returned they would be reaching for their smelling salts. The show plays out in the cavernous environment of the convention center and features dozens of floral sets, hundreds of horticulturally themed vendors and thousands of competitors, who are still showing off their plants, still in search of a ribbon to affirm what they do. Historically, big-city flower shows are like big cities themselves: They either change or decline but cannot stay the same. By all appearances, the Philadelphia show is in the midst of healthy change: Attendance climbed from 235,000 in 2010 to 270,000 last year and is on track to exceed 300,000 this year. The number of competitive entries in a feature called the horticultural court — the horticourt — is about 11,000, and the entrants’ enthusiasm has been rewarded with a new $1 million setting for the competitions that includes a fabric roof and new show benches and display backdrops. “All the exhibitors have been just ecstatic about it,” said Diane Newbury, co-vice chairman of horticulture overseeing the judging. She was in aisles full of small but choice succulents, each in their own pots. Nearby were gigantic specimens of clivias and foxtail ferns and, farther along, slipper and moth orchids of impressive form and vigor. Beyond the orchids stood containers of daffodils, not only forced into flower but somehow twice their garden size. In the horticourt this year, “the lighting is much better,” Newbury said. On much of the show floor, however, the lighting still has the capacity to deaden the colors of flowers brought painstakingly into bloom out of season. The show has gotten around this, coincidentally, by moving away from the types of displays you would have found here years ago, that is, pretty little gardens given structure with arbor vitae and cypress and color with azaleas and bedding annuals, tricked into bloom in the greenhouse. Instead, the exhibits seem to be taking plants out of the garden and using them more as design elements. This was seen in an exhibit named “Fog on the Moors” in which the creative Philadelphia floral studio of Moda Botanica used dried and blanched ferns and other primal plants to effect mist. The exhibit reflects the strategic change that has been in force since the society appointed Sam Lemheney show designer in 2005 and Drew Becher the president in 2010. Becher is actively moving beyond the Philadelphia region to bring in top floral and landscape designers he hopes will sharpen the show’s edge and increase its entertainment value. He has placed a lot of stock in a show attraction named the Designer’s Studio, a “Project Runway”-like high-pressure contest among floral designers. But Becher is a big believer in staging parties, and the show also features events geared to specific groups, including an LGBT party on Sunday, a wedding night for future brides on Wednesday and on Thursday a “girls night out.” Becher wants the show to move beyond horticulture in the same way that New York Fashion Week has become more than just runway shows, instead sparking consumer trends and becoming a cultural event unto itself. “I want this to be the rollout of everything new for the coming season: You’ll see all the new colors, the new plants, the new garden design ideas,” he said. Becher and his design team have tried to achieve that this year with a hip-Brit theme called “Brilliant!” that comes together with a central exhibit of Big Ben, whose massive clock face not only tells real time but morphs into amusing music videos that use Monty Python-type cut-out animations. The cast of characters include the Beatles, Mr. Bean, Joanna Lumley and even Benny Hill, still weirdly funny years after all these years. At one point when I was talking to the central feature’s designer, Chris Woods, I caught a glimpse on screen of a young Queen Elizabeth on a motorcycle. Years ago, a British-themed exhibit would have consisted of a genteel take on the quintessential English garden, with flower borders, rose bowers and a conservatory. As Becher points out, that is no longer the garden type in Britain. The famed Chelsea Flower Show — celebrating its 100th anniversary in May — features avant-garde, high-design exhibits that draw top designers, big sponsors and prime-time TV coverage. Each main display costs well into six figures to stage. At America’s largest flower show, Becher is also planning to move away from themes based on nations or cultures, though the British motif seemed a good one, given the buzz created by the royal wedding, the queen’s jubilee, the Olympics and that ubiquitous period soap, “Downton Abbey.” “This isn’t about real gardening, it’s a theater, it’s a way to introduce people to the real garden that’s coming a month from now,” Woods said. Someone trying to figure out where the Philly show has been and where it is going should meet Natasha Bieberfeld, 30, her brother Clayton Bieberfeld, 27, and his girlfriend, Gillian Brooks, 28. They showed up for society members day dressed for the part and just for the fun of it: Natasha as a character from Harry Potter, Gillian as Mary Poppins, Clayton as Bert, the chimney sweep. The Bieberfelds’ grandparents, emigres from Germany, started a nursery and landscape business in Harleysville, Pa., in the early 1950s, and their parents used to stage exhibits at the show when they were toddlers. The Bieberfelds, who are also part of the family business, grew up with the show and like the way it is changing for their generation. “It satisfies a deep-rooted need we have for tangibility,” Brooks said. For all the screen time of the digital generation, “they want something they can see and touch.”

A Garden Festival at Ladew Topiary Gardens

My affection for Ladew Topiary Gardens north of Baltimore continues, 20 years or so after I first saw the enchanting gardens of their colorful creator, Harvey S. Ladew. If you haven’t been, you should go, because Ladew, in Monkton, Md., is both grand and whimsically self-mocking; it captures the essential pleasure of a garden that is laughing out loud. You have an excuse to make the trek (a leisurely two hours from the District) this Saturday, when the garden holds its fourth annual Garden Festival. The heart of the event is the appearance of more than 40 plant vendors. Many of them are specialists who are passionate about gardening and have some mouthwatering plants for sale. They include Broken Arrow Nursery, Atlock Farm, McLean Nurseries and Pine Knot Farms — names well-known to plant geeks near and far. But do leave enough time to wander around the 22 acres of Ladew, whose tone is set near the entrance where you see a hunt scene in clipped yew: Topiary gardeners have been training evergreens into sculptures and figures since at least the time of the Romans, but Harvey Ladew’s hunting tableau, for all its jocularity, is a topiary for the ages because of its inventiveness and real sense of movement. Classical gardeners grew their boxwood and laurel to spell out their own names, but Ladew, who died in 1976, didn’t need to. His singular personality is captured in the designs of his box, holly, hemlock and yew. He was a bon vivant whose passions ran to fine and decorative art, entertaining, garden design and sport, particularly fox hunting. He obviously enjoyed life and took as much out of it as he put in, which was considerable. Parts of Ladew’s and his plant choices are inherently dated, though not neglected, and reflect the American garden before its current golden age. The Iris Garden, for example, offers a stunning display in May and June but come August probably feels the lack of other perennials. Other parts of the estate, fully developed since Ladew’s time, are very much contemporary in their naturalistic sensibility. The Wildflower Meadow is a five-acre feature full of native forbs and grasses that peaks in summer and early fall. The Nature Walk is a 1.5-mile trail though the woodland at the edge of the property. The Rose Garden is a period piece but a lovely one and, with this year’s precocious growing season, will begin to show off this weekend. The Berry Garden is as inventive today as it was in the 1960s and is full of woody plants that fruit in a showy way, including mahonias, cotoneaster and hollies. Ladew was a self-taught designer and plantsman with a gifted eye. The Yellow Garden is dominated by blocks of yellow-leafed and -flowered plants, particularly the bold ribbons of golden privet. (The tulips, sadly, are over by now.) The concept works, I think, because he doesn’t use yellow as an overwrought accent but as a pigment. He has painted the place with it, and the composition is particularly effective in spring, when the red-leafed Japanese maples are still crimson. Keeping Ladew’s fantasy going requires a team of gardeners headed by Tyler Diehl. Interestingly, in caring for a large and complicated garden, they have eschewed the chemical culture prevalent in Ladew’s day. The rose garden, for example, has new and old roses chosen for their resistance to disease and pests. “We are now in our third season with no spraying at all,” he said. The tough bush varieties include Belinda’s Dream, Thomas Affleck, Ducher and Joe Woodard. In replacing a failing section of nearby yew hedging, the gardeners have reworked paths and created a berm to prevent rainwater from flooding the bed. Yew hate to have wet feet, but beyond that, the water was bringing the deadly blight named phytopthera. Other steps (gardeners call them cultural practices) involve removing mulch from the yew beds in the fall to allow the soil to get cold and then freeze to kill off the deadly mold. Elsewhere there are signs of renewal to the greenery, particularly in the Sculpture Garden, where Ladew produced some of his most whimsical work. Throughout the garden, the hedges and topiary appear as passive and architectural and thus deceptively permanent. Maintaining their health and shape is a big job, and interrelated. Shearing is inherently stressful to plants, so the gardeners tackle the work after the spring flush has finished and darkened. The evergreens expend energy producing the new shoots, which then put food reserves back into the plants. As Diehl points out, if you were to shear in early spring before the fresh foliage did its work, you’d be putting the hedge on a starvation diet, as well as promoting a further sapping regrowth. Generally, the gardeners clip the plants beginning in July and then return for a light grooming after the first hard frost of fall. These are the practical lessons of Ladew, but the more important idea is that a garden is a place to discover your own sense of adventure. The Garden Festival at Ladew Topiary Gardens is Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $15. Ladew is at 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton, Md. 410-557-9570. www.ladewgardens.com. **Also at washingtonpost.com** To read Higgins’s previous columns and a transcript of his latest live chat, go to washingtonpost.com/home. Follow @adrian_higgins on Twitter.

Children’s theater, Kids/teens free lunch, Classical/jazz concerts, Botanic Garden tours, Gargoyle tour, cemetery yoga, Zumba

**Reflecting Pool Memorials** National Park Service rangers lead walking tours of the Lincoln, Vietnam Veterans, Korean War Veterans and World War II memorials. Daily at 10 a.m. 2 and 6 p.m. Through June 30. Lincoln Memorial, meet at the Hawaii-Alaska Plaque, below the Lincoln Memorial Steps, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. 202-426-6841. Free. **Beatboxing with Mr. Max** Mr. Max introduces kids to the most powerful musical instrument ever: their own bodies, lots of audience participation and exciting on-the-spot improvisations for ages 5-12. Thursday-Friday at 10:30 a.m. and noon. S. Dillon Ripley Center, Discovery Theater, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. 202-633-8700. www.discoverytheater.org. $8, ages 2-16 $6, 1 and younger $3. **Washington Cathedral behind the scenes** Age 11 and older. See gargoyles and stained-glass windows and climb stairs for a panoramic view of the city. Bring a camera. Weekdays except holidays at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-537-2228. www.nationalcathedral.org. $26, ages 11 and 12 $21. **Cutting Garden’s Bounty** Head grower Drew Asbury leads a behind the scenes look at the cutting garden. Thursdays, Sundays, Tuesdays at 11 a.m. Through July 31. Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. 202-686-5807. www.hillwoodmuseum.org. $15; 65 and older, $12; 6 to 18, $5; 5 and younger, free. **Travel the Tropics** Gardener Angela Weber leads a walk and discusses some of the plants found from Amazon Rainforest to the Yucatan Peninsula. 11-11:45 a.m. U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov. Free, registration required. **Tidal Basin Memorials** National Park Service rangers lead walking tours of the Martin Luther King Jr., Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson memorials. Thursdays at noon and 4 p.m. Through July 31. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, 1964 Independence Ave. SW. 202-426-6841. Free. **U.S. Army Blues band concert** Noon, 1 and 2 p.m. National Museum of American History, Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-1000 or 703-696-3399. Free. **U.S. Botanic garden tour** Visit a jungle, desert and tropical paradise, travel back to the Jurassic period or tour with a guide who will connect the exotic plant world to everyday life, look at bananas, cacao and coffee ripening on the tree or learn about the next big breakthrough in medical plant research. Fridays, Mondays and Wednesdays at noon. Tuesdays at 2 p.m. Through August 31. U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov. Free. **Kids and teens eat free lunch** Sponsored by D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education. Weekdays from 1-2:30 p.m. Through Aug. 12. Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-715-7707, Bellevue/William O. Lockridge Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW. 202-243-1185, Benning/Dorothy I. Height Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. 202-281-2583, Capitol View Library, 5001 Central Ave. SE. 202-645-0755, Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. 202-698-6373, Lamond-Riggs Library, 5401 South Dakota Ave. NE. 202-541-6255, Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. 202-671-3121, Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. 202-243-1188, Shepherd Park (Juanita E. Thornton) Library, 7420 Georgia Ave. NW. 202-541-6100, Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. 202-724-4752, Shaw (Watha T. Daniel) Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. 202-727-1288. Free. **Reptiles alive!** Age 5 and older will meet exciting live animals and hear funny stories and facts about them. 1:15 p.m. Takoma Park Library, 416 Cedar St. NW. 202-576-7252. Free. **Coloring club for adults** Not just for kids, coloring sheets and coloring pencils provided. Thursdays and Tuesdays at 2 p.m. West End Interim Library, 2522 Virginia Ave. NW. 202-724-8698. Free. **Music for little ones** A 20-30 minute introduction to language and music for age 5 and younger, children and grownups will actively participate together. Thursdays at 2 p.m. Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. georgetownlibrary@dc.gov. 202-727-0232. Free. **LEGO Club** Fun with some LEGO-inspired games. Thursdays and Mondays at 4:30 p.m. Woodridge Library, 1790 Douglas St. NE. 202-541-6226. woodridgelibrary@dc.gov. Free. **Chess for kids** Weekly instruction for all ages of children who want to learn how to play the game or play with better strategy in tournaments, chess instructor teaches how to think, plan your next move and use your brain power to win, made possible by the Friends of the Cleveland Park Library. Thursdays at 5 p.m. Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. clevelandparklibrary@dc.gov. 202-282-3080. Free. **Fast Eddie & The Slowpokes concert ** A harmonica-driven five-piece band inspired by classic roots materials. 5-7 p.m. U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, Conservatory Terrace, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. usbg.gov. Free. **Game night at the library** Kids and teens, ages 7-16, may play competitive games from video games to card games to board games. Thursdays at 5 p.m. Parklands-Turner Library, 1547 Alabama Ave. SE. parklandsturnerlibrary@dc.gov. 202-645-4532. Free. **Learn to play chess** For all ages to learn to play the game, improve your strategy or practice your moves with other players. Thursdays and Tuesdays at 6 p.m. Deanwood Library, 1350 49th St. NE. deanwoodlibrary@dc.gov. 202-698-1175. Free. **Maggie Ingram and the Ingramettes** The female gospel quartet from Richmond spans three generations of singers. 6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. www.kennedy-center.org. **Eya: ensemble for Medieval music** Soprano Crossley Hawn, soprano and music director Allison Mondel and mezzo soprano Kristen Dubenion-Smith perform works from four favorite programs: “Greenwood,” “The Mirror,” “The Three Marys,” and “Heartform,” each segment with a unique look into the ensemble’s creative and bold programming, includes a setting of a mystical Marian text composed by Canon Michael McCarthy. 6:30 p.m. Washington National Cathedral, Nave, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-537-6200. www.nationalcathedral.org. Free with $5 Summer Evening Hours admission fee. **Gargoyle tour** Docents show slides of the building’s whimsical stone gargoyles and grotesques, followed by an outdoor tour designed for age 10 and older. Binoculars are recommended; cameras welcome. 6:30 p.m. Washington National Cathedral, 7th floor auditorium, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-537-2228. www.nationalcathedral.org. $22, ages 10-12, students, seniors and military $18, reservations suggested. **Giotto and the Dawn of the Renaissance** Elaine Ruffolo, lecturer in Renaissance art history for Syracuse University in Florence, highlights the boldness of the vision of Giotto di Bondone, the first Italian master to achieve universal importance. 6:45-8:45 p.m. S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. 202-633-3030. www.smithsonianassociates.org. $45. **Old Testament as literature** Tod Linafelt, a professor of biblical literature at Georgetown University, explores the nuances of the Old Testament in its two primary forms of narrative and poetry, arguing for its place not only in the synagogue or church but also among the classics of world literature. 6:45 p.m. S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. 202-633-3030. www.smithsonianassociates.org. $45. **Yoga at Northwest One** Beginner and intermediate levels, wear comfortable clothing, mats and blocks provided. Thursdays at 7 p.m. Northwest One Library, Meeting Room, , 155 L St. NW. northwestonelibrary@dc.gov. 202-939-5946. Free. **“Born for This: The BeBe Winans Story”** A new musical about the six-time Grammy Award winner by Broadway director Charles Randolph-Wright. Thursdays- Fridays at 8 p.m. Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m. Sundays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Through Aug. 28. Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. 202-488-3300. arena@arenastage.org. www.arenastage.org. $50-$99. **U.S. Marine Band concert** A performance of works by John Philip Sousa, Leonard Bernstein and Kevin Walczyk. 8 p.m. Sylvan Theater, on the Washington Monument grounds near 15th Street and Independence Avenue SW. 202-433-4011. Free. **“The Phantom of the Opera”** Andrew Lloyd Webber’s tale about a disfigured musical genius who falls obsessively in love with a young vocalist, for age 6 and older. Thursdays-Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays-Sundays at 1 and 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays-Wednesdays at 7 p.m., Aug. 15 at 7 p.m., Aug. 17 at 1 p.m. Through Aug. 20. Kennedy Center, Opera House, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/event/TQTSH. $25-$149. **“Minions”** Stars the voices of Sandra Bullock, Michael Keaton and Jon Hamm.Doors open 8 p.m. Film at 8:30 p.m.Canal Park, Second and I streets SE. 202-465-7080. www.capitolriverfront.org. Free. **“The Second City’s Almost Accurate Guide to America”** The comedy troupe from Chicago takes a satirical look at the founding fathers, the industrial revolution and other aspects of American history. Thursdays-Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 6 and 9 p.m., Sundays at 3 and 7 p.m., Tuesdays-Wednesdays at 8 p.m. Through July 31. Kennedy Center, Theater Lab, 2700 F St. NW. 800-444-1324. www.kennedy-center.org. $49-$65. **Preschool story time** Ages 3-5 and their adult caregivers explore stories and activities that encourage them to develop a lifelong love of reading and learning in this 30-40 minute program designed to promote language and listening skills, expand children’s imaginations and arouse their curiosity about the world around them. Fridays at 10 a.m. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. tenleylibrary@dc.gov. 202-727-1488. Free, tickets distributed at the Children's Desk 30 minutes before the program starts. **Baby and toddler story time** Ages 3-5 and their adult caregivers explore stories and activities that encourage them to develop a lifelong love of reading and learning in this 30-40 minute program designed to promote language and listening skills, expand children’s imaginations and arouse their curiosity about the world around them. Fridays at 10 a.m. Through July 29. Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library, 1630 7th St. NW. wathashawlibrary@dc.gov. 202-727-1288. Free. **Bilingual Spanish story time** Fridays at 10 a.m. Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. mtpleasantlibrary@dc.gov. 202-671-3121. Free. **Children’s safety seats and belts inspection** D.C. Safe Kids ensures the proper installation of seats and seat belts. Fridays at 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. through Aug. 19, THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-476-3618. www.thearcdc.org. www.thearcdc.org. Free. **Guided garden tour: historic and growing** Learn about the history and horticulture of centuries – old trees, heirloom plants and flowers, abundant English boxwood shrubs that thrive in the 5½-acre historic landscape and how the land changed since the nation’s earliest days, on the fourth Friday of the month. Through Oct. 11 a.m. Tudor Place, 1644 31st St. NW. 202-965-0400. Register: www.tudorplace.org. $10. **1,2,3 Andrés! (Andres Salguero)** The bilingual guitarist performs traditional songs in a highly interactive program in Spanish and English for all ages. 11 a.m. Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. mtpleasantlibrary@dc.gov. 202-671-3121. Free. **Mini Makers’ Crafternoon** Children ages 3 to 6 will explore themes such as Fantasy, or Fun and Games, or Engineering using a story and/or a video demo as inspiration for their special creations, all materials supplied or bring your own small toys and odds-and-ends, parent consent needed for photography/video recording. Fridays at 11 a.m.Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. 202-243-1188. petworthlibrary@dc.gov. Free. **How nature impacts health** Barbara Kreski, Director, Horticultural Therapy Services, Chicago Botanic Garden, discusses connecting with nature and its many documented physical, cognitive and psychological benefits, a talk about some of the surprising ways “going green” can help you flourish. Noon-1 p.m. U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, Conservatory Classroom, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov. Free, registration required. **U.S. Botanic garden tour** Visit a jungle, desert and tropical paradise, travel back to the Jurassic period or tour with a guide who will connect the exotic plant world to everyday life, look at bananas, cacao and coffee ripening on the tree or learn about the next big breakthrough in medical plant research. Fridays, Mondays and Wednesdays at noon. Tuesdays at 2 p.m. Through July 30. U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov. Free. **“The Art of Afghan Music”** Vocalist Humayun Khan, rubab player Quraishi Roya, dholak player Chetram Sani and tabla player Nittin Mitta perform traditional Kabuli songs in connection with the “Turquoise Mountain” exhibition. Friday 1 p.m. Saturday-Sunday noon and 3 p.m. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Sublevel 3, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. 202-633-1000. asia.si.edu. Free. **Drawing up close** Ever noticed how different things look from up close? Use the library’s magnifying glasses to observe and draw everyday items differently. Fridays at 3:30 p.m. Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. 202-282-3139. palisadeslibrary@dc.gov. Free. **U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers market** With 32 vendors of fresh fruits and vegetables, bedding plants, herbs, seafood, eggs, dairy products, cured meats, baked goods and more, classes on many vegetables and fruits. Fridays from 4-7 p.m. USDA Farmers Market, Department of Agriculture, 12th Street and Independence Avenue SW. 866-632-9992. www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets. Admission, free. **Jazz in a sculpture garden: Incendio** An eclectic band blending their influences and compositional talents, echoes of classical to jazz to rock to flamenco to Celtic and to bluegrass. 5 p.m. National Gallery of Art, Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215.. Free. **Luce 10th anniversary party** Special community showcase, sample the birthday cake and beer from a local brewery, PraxisCat and Bigh Hush bands, snacks available at a cash bar. 6-8:30 p.m. U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-633-1000. 202-225-8333. Free. **Sam Grow Band concert** 6:30-8:30 p.m. The Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. 202-289-0111. www.yardspark.org. Free. **Cinematery: Movie Night in the Cemetery** The classic 1952 musical “Singing in the Rain” is screened. Gates open at 7:30 p.m. Film at dusk. Historic Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. 202-543-0539. www.congressionalcemetery.org. $10 suggested donation. **DC Hip-Hop Theater Festival** Founded as the Hip-Hop Theater Festival in 2000, the Hi-ARTS mission is to support hip-hop as a vibrant urban art and culture movement. Hi-ARTS invigorates the arts and culture field by nurturing the creation of innovative work within the hip-hop aesthetic; presenting and touring artists whose work addresses the socio-political issues relevant to the hip-hop generation; and serving young, urban communities through outreach and education. Friday-Saturday 8 p.m. Dance Place, 3225 Eighth St. NE. 202-269-1600. boxofficemanager@danceplace.org. http://www.danceplace.org/performances/dc-hip-hop-theater- festival-2/2016-07-22/. $15-$30. **U.S. Army Band** The band presents a “Sunsets with a Soundtrack” concert. 8 p.m. West Lawn of the Capitol, 100 Constitution Ave. NE. 703-696-3718. www.usarmyband.com. Free. **U.S. Marines on parade** Silent Drill Team, Drum and Bugle Corps, Color Guard, Silent Drill Platoon and Ceremonial Marchers; guests with reservations admitted at 7:15 p.m.; visitors must arrive no later than 8 p.m. Parade, 8:45 p.m. Fridays through Aug. 26. Marine Barracks, Eighth and I streets SE. 202-433-4011 or 202-433-6060. www.mbw.usmc.mil. Free, reservations required. **Ranger run** About 4 miles at 10 minutes per mile, an exhilarating trek around the National Mall to learn about some of the most iconic sites in the city and some that aren’t as famous. 9-10:30 a.m. Washington Monument, Lodge, 15th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Laura Abbott. 202-570-2785.. Free. **Traveling Lantern - “Vladimir Goes for the Gold!”** Meet Vladimir Cashewninski, champion badminton player and sole athlete from the tiny People’s Republic of Insurgistan, as he prepares to compete at the Olympic Games, and his enthralling dream that takes him to Ancient Olympia. 9:30 and 11 a.m. National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-783-3372. http://www.travelinglantern.com/index.php. Free ticket, one per person, distributed 30 minutes before each show. **Tanabata: Japanese Star Festival** Explore the Japanese-style garden and the exhibit “Deco Japan: Shaping Art and Culture, 1920-1945,” listen to fascinating tales and delightful music, write poems and special wishes on colorful strips of paper called tanzaku, to hand on bamboo, following the traditional Japanese custom. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. 202-686-5807. $18, $15 senior, $10 student, $5 ages 6-18, 5 and younger, free. **Summer floral design workshop** Tour the cutting garden then learn practical floral arranging techniques and new design concepts as you create a stunning arrangement to take home, all materials provided. 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. 202-686-5807. Advance payment: $65. **ESL Conversation circle** For adults who speak English as a second language, facilitated by Washington English Center volunteer teachers. Saturdays at 10 a.m. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-727-1488. tenleylibrary@dc.gov. Free. **Fitness event: practice with love yoga gatherings** WithLoveDC, a movement to spread love, joy and acceptance throughout the city. Bring a mat. Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory West Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov. Free. **Lego Club** Open Lego Duplo block play time for children ages 2 to 5 years and their caregivers. Saturdays at 11 a.m. Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library, Shaw (Watha T. Daniel) Library,, 1630 7th St. NW. wathashawlibrary@dc.gov. 202-727-1288. www.dclibrary.org/watha. Free. **Historic Congressional Cemetery tour** Docent-led introductory tour, wear comfortable walking shoes. Saturdays at 11 a.m. Through October. Historic Congressional Cemetery, meet inside the front gate adjacent to the Gatehouse, 1801 E St. SE. 202-543-0539. Free. **Yoga at your library** Beginner level class, no experience required, bring a mat. Saturdays at 11 a.m.Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. 202-243-1188. petworthlibrary@dc.gov. Free. **Trading card meetup** Show your trading card prowess, swap with your opponents and others, games open to adults and teens, tournaments twice a year for adults and teens. Saturdays at noon. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Lower Level Gallery A-6, 901 G St. NW. mlkjrlibrary@dc.gov. 202-727-0321. Free. **Kids and teens eat free lunch** Saturdays from 1-2:30 p.m. Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-715-7707, Bellevue/William O. Lockridge Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW. 202-243-1185, Benning/Dorothy I. Height Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. 202-281-2583, Capitol View Library, 5001 Central Ave. SE. 202-645-0755. Free. **Design a career you will love** Career coach Blair Goins leads a workshop on career design. 1-3:30 p.m. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. megan.mcnitt@dc.gov. 202-727-1488. Registration: megan.mcnitt@dc.gov or blair@designmycareet.org. tenleylibrary@dc.gov. Free. **Igbo masquerade performance** Master Igbo healer Oscar Mokeme performs a powerful masquerade drawing on the past to address the present and imagine the future as he engages the audience with all five senses. 2-4 p.m. National Museum of African Art, 950 Independence Ave. SW. 202-633-4600. https://www.eventbrite.com. Free, reservations required. **Clash of cultures** Ranger led walk, about .5 mile. Learn why Japan become more aggressive in the 1930s, how the U.S. reacted to this behavior and more. 3-5 p.m. WWII Memorial (contact station), 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Paul O’Brian, 202-438-7066. **Lotus jazz night** The finale of the week long Water Lily and Lotus Festival. Vocalist Akua Allrich performs against a backdrop of the pink American lotus. Bring a blanket. 5 p.m. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE. 202-426-6905. Free. **Palisades farmers market** Locally grown seasonal produce year round, music by Sherier Mountain. Sundays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. 48th Place and MacArthur Boulevard NW. www.palisadesfarmersmarket.com. Admission, free. **Happy 100th Birthday, National Park Service!** Park Volunteer Talk: 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM Hear the NPS centennial story from its birth to the present. Find out what you can do to preserve America’s treasures for future generations. Sunday 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, meet near the bookstore, Ohio Drive NW. 202-426-6841. Free. **Shaw knitting and crochet circle** All experience levels welcome, special instruction for beginners, in-house training materials provided, but please bring needles and yard for your own take-home projects. Sundays at 3 p.m. Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library, 1630 7th St. NW. 202-727-1288. www.dclibrary.org/watha. Free. **Baby and toddler story time** Books, songs, rhymes and fingerplays for children birth to two-years-old to introduce children to language skills in a positive and fun environment.Mondays-Tuesdays at 10 a.m. West End Interim Library, 2522 Virginia Ave. NW. 202-724-8698. Free. **Toddler story time** Ages 18-36 months and a caregiver will be treated to books, songs and fun activities designed to develop your child’s language skills in these 20-30 minute programs. Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. palisadeslibrary@dc.gov. 202-282-3139. Free. **Ready, Set, GoBots** For teens, ages 13-19, build an amazing motorized machine that wiggles, spins, moves and goes home with you. 2 p.m. Juanita E. Thornton/Shepherd Park Library, 7420 Georgia Ave. NW. shepherdparklibrary@dc.gov. 202-541-6100. Free. **LEGO builders** For age 4 and older who want to be in a free-play session that uses LEGO building blocks, or large Duplo LEGO building blocks for age 1½ years, all materials provided. Mondays at 3 p.m. Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. palisadeslibrary@dc.gov. 202-282-3139. Free. **PartyLab+ DJ Event** Teens are invited to the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden to hang with the crew at ARTLAB+ for a party featuring sets from the best DJs, art making activities, refreshments and more. 5-8 p.m. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue and Eighth Street SW. 202-357-1000. Free. **Let’s speak English** For adults who can read, write and carry on conversations in English. Mondays and Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. mtpleasantlibrary@dc.gov. 202-671-3121. Free. **Yoga mortis** Instructor Kelly Carnes leads all experience levels in a one- hour classMondays at 7 p.m. Historic Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. 202-543-0539. http://www.congressioalcemetery.org. $10. **Zumba at Southwest Library** Instructor Roshaunda Jenkins will lead this one-hour fitness and dance workout--all fitness levels welcome! The class is free and no registration is required, dance your way to fitness! Mondays at 7:30 p.m. Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. 202-724-4752. southwestlibrary@dc.gov. Free. **U.S. Navy Band concert** The U.S. Navy Concert Band performs a variety of genres from marches to modern wind band repertoire. 8 p.m. U.S. Capitol (west steps), Pennsylvania Avenue and First Street NW. 202-433-2525. www.navyband.navy.mil. Free. **Rhythm and rhyme** Age 5 and younger, an interactive musical experience incorporating the use of musical instruments. Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. Shaw (Watha T. Daniel) Library, 1630 7th St. NW. wathashawlibrary@dc.gov. 202-727-1288. Free. **Chair yoga classes** Gentle adapted yoga to perform seated and supported poses that safely promote deep relaxation and mental clarity, all experience levels welcome. Tuesdays at Noon, Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St. NW. 202-483-8600. www.smithcenter.org. $10 per class, $25/month. **Classical music concert** Flutist Rebecca Collaros, pianist Darya Gabay and oboist Kenneth Stilwell perform works by J.S. Bach and Sergei Prokofiev. 12:10-1 p.m. Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. 202-347-2635, Ext. 20. www.epiphanydc.org. $10. **Ready, Set, GoBots** For teens, ages 13-19, build an amazing motorized machine that wiggles, spins, moves and goes home with you. 2 p.m. Chevy Chase Library, DC, 5625 Connecticut Ave. NW. chevychaselibrary@dc.gov. 202-282-0021. Free. **Sketching: draw and discover** Draw inspiration from artists’ sketches and objects on display in the Luce Foundation, then sketch on the center’s workshop, bring a sketchbook and pencils, other materials provided. Tuesdays from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free. **I Spy: patterns and puzzles for teens, tweens and young children** Test your visual, spatial, mathematical and logical acumen using mandalas, logical geometric and pictorial puzzles, LEGO, wooden blocks and more. Tuesdays from 3-5 p.m. Parklands-Turner Library, 1772 Church St. NW, 1547 Alabama Ave. SE. parklandsturnerlibrary@dc.gov. 202-645-4532. Free. **West End knitting circle** Learn the basics of knitting or the fine points or just get help with a difficult situation, bring your own materials. Tuesdays at 5 p.m. West End Interim Library, 2522 Virginia Ave. NW. 202-724-8698. westendlibrary@dc.gov. Free. **Smart with art and stories Tuesdays** Listen to one or more short stories then do your best in an hour of arts and crafts. Tuesdays at 5 p.m. Rosedale Recreation Center, Library, 1701 Gales St. NE. 202-727-5012. rosedalelibrary@dc.gov.. Free. **Get in the game: summer activities** Participate in a fun activity including crafts, challenges and contests with prizes then try your hand at origami, duct tape crafts, blackout poetry, bookface photo contests and scavenber hunts, something new every Tuesday, earn your badges and win cool prizes. Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. palisadeslibrary@dc.gov. 202-282-3139. Free. **Reading club** Read and discuss short stories by women from Iran and the Arab world in relation to photographs from the exhibition “She Who Tells a Story.” 6-8 p.m. National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. http://nmwa.org/events/reading-club-desires-and-dreams.. 202-783-5000. www.nmwa.org. Free, reservations required. **Laughing our way to wellbeing** Laughter Yoga in the Garden, all ages (5 to 95) and levels of mobility may join for stress reduction, immune system strengthening and more in the Bishop’s Barden. 7:30-8:30 p.m. Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. arlingtonlaughteryoga@yahoo.com. 202-537-2228. www.nationalcathedral.org. Free. **U.S. Navy Band concert** The U.S. Navy Concert Band, Sea Chanters chorus and Cruisers ensembles perform alongside the Navy Ceremonial Guard and the Navy Drill Team as part of the Concerts on the Avenue series. Join us as we celebrate Naval history, pay tribute to the greatest generation and honor our veterans and those who currently serve around the world, around the clock. Selections include “Rather Be,” sung by Pentatonix, Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground,” and a medley of songs from “Grease.” 7:30 p.m. U.S. Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-433-2525. www.navyband.navy.mil. Free. **U.S. Air Force Band** Various USAF Band ensembles perform. Tuesdays at 8 p.m. U.S. Capitol (west steps), Pennsylvania Avenue and First Street NW. 202-767-5658. usafband.af.mil. Free. **Yoga in the galleries** Certified Kripalu yoga instructor Eva Blutinger leads a rejuvenating class in the peaceful surroundings of art, bring your own mat, all experience levels welcome. Wednesdays at 10 a.m. American University, Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. www.american.edu/cas/museum. 202-885-1300. $10 per class. **Film and Discussion: Soundtrack for a Revolution (2009, 89 min) Closed captioned** This documentary examines the music of the American civil rights movement and how the energy of the songs (many having their origins in the church) swept people up and empowered them to fight for basic rights. Set against a background of archival news footage from the 1960s, the film celebrates the power of music to inspire and move people to action. Post-film discussion with a museum educator follows the screening. Call 202.633.4844 to register for this program. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4844. ACMinfo@si.edu. www.anacostia.si.edu. Free. **Toddler dance party** Music and dancing for all ages. Wednesdays at 11 a.m. Chevy Chase Library, DC, 5625 Connecticut Ave. NW. chevychaselibrary@dc.gov. 202-282-0021. Free. **Gallery talk** Chief curator Kathryn Wat discusses artwork in the exhibit “She Who Tells a Story.” Noon-12:30 p.m. National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. 202-783-5000. Free. **Creative writing in the afternoon** Reza, a library associate with an MA in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University, leads the class. Wednesdays at 1 p.m. Northeast Library, 330 Seventh St. NE. northeastlibrary@dc.gov. 202-698-0058. Free. **Engineering Wednesdays** Children may spend an hour designing and creating something they have dreamed of, a special engineering project. Wednesdays at 2 p.m. Rosedale Library, 1701 Gales St. NE. 202-727-5012. rosedalelibrary@dc.gov. Free. **Lunder behind the scenes** Staff member discusses how conservators use science, art history and skilled hands to preserve objects from the museum collection in the Lunder Conservation Center. Wednesdays at 3 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, third floor, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free. **Lego construction crew** For ages 4-12, the library supplies the Legos, you bring your imagination. Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. tenleylibrary@dc.gov. 202-727-1488. Free. **Chess and checkers club** Children of all ages and levels are encouraged to come and learn the games and their strategies for winning, prizes for those who participate. Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Bellevue (William O. Lockridge) Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW. 202-243-1185. bellevuelibrary@dc.gov. Free. **Anime Club** A place for teens to gather, watch and talk Japanese animation, film are shown in Japanese with English subtitles, classic and new releases shown, share your own fan fiction and fan art. Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. petworthlibrary@dc.gov. 202-243-1188. Free. **Board game bonanza** Ages 6-12 and their family members are encouraged to come and play classic games including Scrabble, Monopoly, Connect Four, Sorry and others. Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Northeast Library, 330 Seventh St. NE. northeastlibrary@dc.gov. 202-698-0058. Free. **Ready, Set, GoBots** For teens, ages 13-19, build an amazing motorized machine that wiggles, spins, moves and goes home with you. 4 p.m. Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. clevelandparklibrary@dc.gov. 202-282-3080. Free. **Kids computer class** Students from age 8-13 may learn new ways to create data and have fun using computers, meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays each month for one hour. 4:30 p.m. Capitol View Library, 5001 Central Ave. SE. 202-645-0755. Free. **Summer adult-child yoga** Led by instructor Dexter Sumner guiding adults and children through the basic principles of yoga, breathing exercises and poses, learn the many benefits of yoga, from flexibility and strength to creating confidence and peace of mind, all levels welcome, wear comfortable clothing, for age 6 and older. Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. palisadeslibrary@dc.gov. 202-282-3139. Free. **Artist in conversation** Artist Tanya Habjouqa leads a gallery talk based on the exhibit “She Who Tells a Story,” all are invited to a reception.6:30-p.m. National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. 202-783-5000. Reservations: http://nmwa.org/. $25, seniors and students $15. **Artists in conversation: “She Who Tells a Story”** Artists Boushra Almutawakel, Tanya Habjouqa and guests discuss their backgrounds, artistic processes and philosophies over light refreshments, ample time for gallery exploration, questions about the artists’s work and conversations in small groups. 6:30-9 p.m. National Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-783-5000. $25. **PAL (People animals love) Pajama Party** Pajama party with doggies, come in your jammies for a doggie story time and an opportunity to read to a PAL dog. Wednesdays at 7 p.m. Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. mtpleasantlibrary@dc.gov. 202-671-3121. Free. **Yoga with Caroline** Bring water and a mat and wear comfortable clothes. 7 p.m. Northeast Library, 330 Seventh St. NE. northeastlibrary@dc.gov. 202-698-0058. Free. **Shakespeare’s Globe on Tour: “The Merchant of Venice”** Welsh actor Jonathan Pryce, who plays the High Sparrow in “Game of Thrones,” takes on the role of Shylock in this production of Shakespeare’s play. July 27-29 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Kennedy Center, Eisenhower Theater, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/event/TQTSI. $69-$120. **U.S. Marine Band concert** A performance of John Williams’s Olympic Fanfare and Theme, John Philip Sousa’s march “The Picador,” Henry Fillmore’s march “Rolling Thunder,” and Gioachino Rossini’s Overture to William Tell. 8 p.m. U.S. Capitol, West Terrace, East Capitol and First streets. 202-433-4011. Free. **Yoga in the galleries** Certified Kripalu yoga instructor Eva Blutinger leads a rejuvenating class in the peaceful surroundings of art, bring your own mat, all experience levels welcome. Wednesdays at 10 a.m. American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-885-1300. american.edu/cas/katzen. $10 per class. **Totally tomatoes cooking demonstration** The Cook Sisters show new ways to prepare the undisputed star of the summer garden, the sun-ripened tomato, some tasting involved. noon, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov. Free. **U.S. Marine Corps Band concert** Noon, 1 and 2 p.m. National Museum of American History, Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-1000. 202-433-4011. Free. **Teen game night** Come to the Teen Space for Bananagrams, Uno, Jenga and others, for ages 13-19. Thursdays at 6 p.m. Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. mtpleasantlibrary@dc.gov. 202-671-3121. Free. **Memoir and essay club** Writing enthusiast Maura Policelli leads adult writers. 7 p.m. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. tenleylibrary@dc.gov. 202-727-1488. Free. **U.S. Marine Band concert** A performance of John Williams’s Olympic Fanfare and Theme, John Philip Sousa’s march “The Picador,” Henry Fillmore’s march “Rolling Thunder,” and Gioachino Rossini’s Overture to William Tell. 8 p.m. Sylvan Theater, on the Washington Monument grounds near 15th Street and Independence Avenue SW. 202-433-4011. Free. **“Creed”** Outdoor screening of the film starring Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone and Tessa Thompson. 8:20 p.m. Canal Park, Second and I streets SE, 200 M St. SE. 202-465-7080. www.capitolriverfront.org. Free. ** — Compiled by Gerri Marmer  ** **E-mail:** districtlocalliving@washpost.com (to the attention of Gerri Marmer) **   Mail:** Community Events, District Local Living, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20071. **   Details:** Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.

D.C. community calendar, Oct. 9-16, 2014

**Garden tour and kids in snugglers,** volunteers take turns leading parents or care providers with one child in a snuggly for a 45-minute guided tour of the conservatory; no strollers. 10:30 a.m. Thursdays, through Oct. 30, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free; registration required. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov . **National Cathedral behind the scenes,** age 11 and older, see gargoyles and stained-glass windows and climb a lot of stairs for a panoramic view of the city. Bring a camera. 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. weekdays, Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $25; ages 11-12, $21. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . ******Climate and wildfires in the 21st century,** Douglas Morton, a physical scientist with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, discusses the recent upsurge in wildfires and the drier conditions that will likely cause increased fire activity across the country in coming decades. 11:30 a.m., Library of Congress, Madison Building, Mary Pickford Theater, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-5664. **Cooking demonstration: fall market feasts,** gardening and cooking writer Adrienne Cook and her sister, nutritionist Danielle Cook, demonstrate what to do with the last harvest of beans, tomatoes, peppers and summer squash and discuss maturing of winter squashes, broccoli and late peas. Noon and 12:45 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . **Liberators of Latin America,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour and discusses the revolutionary ideas that link the memorials to the liberators of Latin America. 6-8 p.m. Oct. 9 and 10, Artigas Memorial, 18th Street and Virginia Avenue NW. Free. Matt Furman, 240-882-8290. **Memorials of the Mall,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour of America’s front yard. 2-4 p.m. daily through Oct. 31, Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Free. 202-426-6841. **********Beading for teens,** learn to bead as you hang out with and meet new friends, create key chains, animals, jewelry; all materials provided; ongoing projects may be stored at the library; snacks served. 3:30 p.m. Thursdays, Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. Free. 202-727-0232. **Chess for teens,** learn how to play and master unique strategies. 4 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Teen Space, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **HIV/STI testing,** for ages 13-24, hosted by Metro TeenAIDS. 4:30 p.m., Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. Free. 202-715-7707 or 202-715-7708. **Art Signs: Gallery Talk in ASL,** a volunteer American Sign Language gallery guide leads conversations about various artworks. 5:30 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Lincoln Gallery, Third Floor Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Pilates on the square,** a certified instructor leads a relaxing after-work exercise program, sponsored by Golden Triangle Business Improvement District, 5:30 p.m. Thursdays through Oct. 16. Farragut Square Park, 17th and K streets NW. Free. 202-463-3400. **Wii dance-off,** for ages 13-19, a weekly competition using Wii. 5:30 p.m. Thursdays, William O. Lockridge/Bellevue Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW. Free. 202-243-1184. ******************Jazz concert,** the Darius Jones Quartet and Emilie Lesbros perform. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Anacostia Library chess club,** for ages 10-16. 6 p.m. Thursdays, Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. Free. 202-715-7707 or 202-715-7708. **Managing your mind,** licensed social worker Madelaine Weiss leads a quick- start, compact training workshop where you may learn a new mind-set and gain strategies to keep you as productive as you want to be. 6:30 p.m., Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. Free. 202-727-0232. **Who uses libraries and who does not?** a presentation by Lee Rainie, director, Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project. 6:30 p.m., Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. Free. 202-243-1188. **Business planning process workshop,** sponsored by the D.C. Small Business Development Center, an overview of the thought process and discussion of the reasons why. 6:30 p.m., William O. Lockridge/Bellvue Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW. Free. 202-243-1185. **Giacomo Puccini: the man who loved women,** opera expert Fred Plotkin discusses how Puccini created a portrait gallery of unforgettable women whose music touches the soul and whose stories break the heart, excerpts from “La Boheme” performed by members of the Washington National Opera’s Domingo- Cafritz Young Artist program, who also discuss singing Puccini. 6:45-9 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $42. 202-633-3030. www.smithsonianassociates.org . **Umbria, Italy’s “Cuore Verde,”** food historian Francine Segan leads a virtual tour of Umbria, beginning with Perugia and Assisi and ending with a sampling of wine produced by the Arnaldo Caprai winery and truffle products by Urbani, from the heart of Italy. 6:45-8:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $52. 202-633-3030. www.smithsonianassociates.org . **Literary evening: the Art Deco murals of Hildreth Meiere,** architectural historian Kathleen Murphy Skolnick discusses and shows the works of one of the most talented and prolific but largely unknown American muralists of the first half of the 20th century. 7 p.m., Arts Club of Washington, 2017 I St. NW. Free. 202-331-7282. www.artsclubofwashington.org. **Literature of the English-speaking world,** a librarian leads the second part of a discussion of Kate Grenville’s “The Secret River .” 7 p.m., Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. 202-282-3072. **“King Oedipus,”** directing degree candidate Orion Jones heads a production of an experimental exploration of Sophocles’s tragedy revealing the classic story of one man’s frighteningly contemporary ambition and downfall. 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Catholic University, Hartke Theatre, 3801 Harewood Rd. NE. $15; seniors, $10. cua- drama@cua.edu . 202-319-4000. **“Driving Miss Daisy ,”** Jennifer L. Nelson directs the Alfred Uhry play about the clash of wills between a stubborn Jewish matriarch and a proud black man who serves as her chauffeur, starring Nancy Robinette and Craig Wallace. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, continues through Oct. 26, Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. $15-$62, discounts for seniors, military and age 34 and younger. 202-347-4833. www.fords.org . **Classical violin and piano recital,** violinist Ray Chen and pianist Julio Elizalde perform works by Mozart, Prokofiev, J.S. Bach and Sarasate, sponsored by Washington Performing Arts Society. 7:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $25. 202-785-9727. **“Shear Madness,”** a comedy-mystery set in Georgetown, with audience participation to help solve a mock murder. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays, 6 and 9 p.m. Saturdays, 3 and 7 p.m. Sundays, 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays, Kennedy Center, Family Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $50. 202-467-4600. **********“The Shoplifters,”** Morris Panych’s comedy about society’s haves and have-nots and how much they might actually have in common in this high- stakes battle of wills. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays, continues through Oct. 19, Arena Stage, Kreeger Theater, 1101 Sixth St. SW. $45-$90, subject to change and based on availability. 202-488-3300 or www.arenastage.org . **“Marie Antoinette,”** Yury Urnov directs Kimberly Gilbert in the David Adjmi play about a society that might just be consuming itself to death. 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays, 8 p.m. Wednesdays, 11 p.m. Wednesday, continues through Sunday, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D St. NW. $39-$78, subject to availability. 202-393-3939. www.woollymammoth.net . **** **Used library book sale,** large selection of several genre, most $1 or $10 per bag, except children’s books, a collectibles corner includes rare and specially priced volumes, bargain books for 25 cents or $2 per bag throughout the sale. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. Free. 202-337-1505. **Seniors line dancing,** age 50 and older. 10 a.m. Fridays, Woodridge Interim Library, 1790 Douglas St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. **Total body workout,** for active seniors, a class led by Carolyn Gichner, bring a mat and light weights, sponsored by Sibley Senior Association. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Fridays and Wednesdays through Nov. 14, Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, Vestry, 3401 Nebraska Ave. NW. Call for prorated fees. 202-364-7602. **Helping Our People Engage,** in the spirit of revitalizing the historic cinema theaters of Anacostia, such as the Carver, Anacostia, Naylor and Congress theaters, the Anacostia Neighborhood Library presents matinees Friday mornings, a discussion group follows. 11:30 a.m. Fridays, Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. Free. 202-715-7707 or 202-715-7708. **Thin places: gardens that move you,** Richard Hartlage of Land Morphology discusses two significant projects that have changed his perception on making exceptional gardens with strong emotional impressions and what ingredients imbue a place with meaning, how the inherent characters of the site must be teased out and magnified and how details reinforce the organizing themes critical to an exceptional garden. Noon, U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Classroom, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . **Role of race in American musical theater,** a lecture by Warren Hoffman, a program director, producer, theater critic and playwright. Noon, Library of Congress, Jefferson Building, Whittall Pavilion, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-5502. **“Kennesaw: one last mountain,”** a short film with authentic battle recreations and accounts of soldiers, civilians and freed slaves and a discussion following the screening. Noon, National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. ******Pipe organ recital,** Samantha Koch performs works by Dorothy Papadakos, Léon Boëllmann, J.S. Bach, Charles-Marie Widor and Jean Langlais. 12:15-1 p.m., National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Cir. NW. Free; donations welcome. 202-797-0103. **Secrets of the Washington Monument grounds,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour of the tribute to George Washington. 2-4 p.m., Refreshment Stand-Paddle Boat Parking Lot, Independence Ave. SE. Free. Michael Kelly, 202-359-2662. **Join the “STEAM” team,** for ages 6-12 with an interest in science, technology, engineering, art and/or mathematics and a desire to design, construct, discover and create. 4 p.m. Fridays, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **NSO prelude concert,** symphony members clarinetist Paul Cigan, violinists Paula Akbar and Sue Midkiff, violist Ruth Schaaf, cellist James Lee and bass player Paul Denola perform works by Jim Parker and Phillip Rhodes. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Evening with Estes,** on the opening of “Richard Estes’ Realism,” co- curator and scholar Patterson Sims discusses the life and work of Richard Estes, one of the most acclaimed American realist painters working today, a question-and-answer session follows. 6 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Paint and sip art workshop,** with step-by-step instruction by teaching artists Ellen Cornett and Sheppard Bear, create your own artwork, enjoy snacks and wine. 6:30-8:30 p.m., Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. $30, includes materials and refreshments. 202-547-6839 or www.chaw.org . **Memorials of the Mall by night,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour of America’s front yard. 7-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, National World War II Memorial, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-426-6841. **Kennedy Center jazz,** Muhal Richard Abrams and his group perform. 7:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $32. 202-467-4600. **Classical music concert,** violinist Oleh Kaskiv and pianist Oksana Skidan perform works by Mendelssohn, Ysaÿe, Sarasate, Koryk and Schimanovsky; includes a buffet with wine. Embassy of Ukraine, 3350 M St. NW. $95. 202-625-2361. www.embassyseries.org . **Telescope lecture,** Matt Mountain, director of Baltimore’s Space Telescope Science Institute, discusses “Seeing Farther, Clearer, Earlier: NexGen Telescopes on Earth and in Space,” sponsored by the Philosophical Society of Washington, 8:15 p.m., Cosmos Club, John Wesley Powell Auditorium, 2170 Florida Ave. NW. Free. 703-370-5282. ******Run with a National Park Service ranger,** on a three- to four-mile run around the nation’s iconic memorials, about 10 minutes per mile. 8 a.m., Washington Monument Lodge bookstore, 15th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Survey lodge, 202-426-6841. **Ward 8 farmers market,** fresh fruits and vegetables, cooking demonstrations, yoga. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays through Nov. 22, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901 or www.thearcdc.org . **USS Monitor: symbol, landmark and sanctuary,** an all-day seminar about the ironclad ship that was built in 100 days, changed naval combat forever and what has been learned from its remains found in 1973. 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $139. 202-633-3030. www.smithsonianassociates.org . **Yoga for adults,** taught by an instructor from Yoga Activist, wear comfortable clothing and bring a mat; some mats may be available. 10 a.m. Saturdays, Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. Free. 202-281-2583. ******“Doktor Kaboom: Live Wire! The Electricity Tour,”** for age 7 and older, focusing on the power of electricity and blending theater with the wonders of scientific exploration. 11 a.m., 1:30 and 5 p.m. Saturday, 1:30 and 4 p.m. Sunday, Kennedy Center, Family Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $20. 202-467-4600. **Cemetery tours,** a docent leads a tour of the cemetery that provides a final resting place for John Philip Sousa and other notables. 11 a.m.-noon Saturdays through Nov. 1, Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. Free. 202-543-0539. www.congressionalcemetery.org . **Yoga,** a teacher from Yoga Activist leads beginner classes for teens and adults. 11 a.m. Saturdays, Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. Free. 202-243-1188. **Fall family festival,** celebrate the changing seasons with stilt walkers, ghost stories and a performance by the Banjo Man, Frank Cassel; enjoy fall- themed craft activities or a scavenger hunt to find autumn scenes in the museum’s galleries. 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Kogod Courtyard, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **************Excel basics,** learn to identify and navigate through basic features and elements of the spreadsheet program, build a simple budget, format and edit data, create simple formulas and more; bring a flash drive to save class documents. 12:15 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Computer Lab, Room 311, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. ******Carillon recital,** carillonneur Edward M. Nassor performs. 12:30 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, Bishop’s Garden and other outdoor areas, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Free. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . **Chile pepper celebration,** members of the Herb Society of America present more than 60 varieties of chile peppers from the garden, run a taste test and offer samples of chile-based foods. 1-4 p.m., U.S. National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave. NE. Free. 202-245-4521. **Portrait story days: Roy Lichtenstein,** listen to a story about the American pop artist and create a piece of art inspired by his life and portrait. 1-4 p.m. Saturday, 2-5 p.m. Sunday, National Portrait Gallery, First Floor, Education Center, room E151, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Kids Euro Fest 2014: trip to Scotland,** best for ages 8-12, view photos of Scotland and hear about the Festival Fringe in Edinburgh. 1 p.m., Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. Free. 202-724-4752. **Docent tour: Shakespeare at the National Portrait Gallery,** Lorna Grenadier leads a tour and discusses how his works have resonated in American life and culture. 1:30 p.m., National Portrait Gallery, F Street lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Latino and Hispanic heritage,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the diverse heritages. 2 p.m., Thomas Jefferson Memorial, 900 Ohio Dr. SW. Free. Call JoAnn Garcia, 202-329-1641. **World War II talk,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the massive air campaign begun in 1944 in Europe. 2 p.m., National World War II Memorial, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Call Paul O’Brian, 202-438-7066. **************Guided bike ride,** about three hours, led by a National Park Service ranger, with stops to discuss moments in American history; bring your bike, water and snacks; helmets required. 2-5 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, 900 Ohio Dr. SW. Free. 202-426-6841. **Walking with wheat,** a journey through history, botany and culture, staff from the newly opened U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, the National Gallery of Art and U.S. Botanic Garden lead an exploration of wheat’s impact on visual culture, including the National Gallery of Art’s newly acquired “Green Wheat Fields, Auvers” by Vincent van Gogh; bring walking shoes, sunscreen and weather-appropriate protective clothing. 3 to 5 p.m., U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, The Capitol. Free; registration required. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov . **Building Mr. Lincoln’s memorial,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the memorial’s design and construction, the first major one on the mall. 3 p.m., Peter Winfrey, 202-426-6841. **“Conversation Piece ,”** Luchino Visconti’s 1974 film about an aging professor who lives alone in a Roman apartment surrounded by his collections and is confronted by a vulgar Italian marchesa and her companions, starring Burt Lancaster and Silvana Mangano, sponsored by the National Gallery of Art. 4 p.m., National Portrait Gallery, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Rosie the Riveter,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the role of the “home front” in winning World War II. 4 p.m., National World War II Memorial, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Call Paul O’Brian, 202-438-7066. **Hispanic Medal of Honor recipients,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour of the war memorials highlighting these heroes. 4-6 p.m., Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Free. Eury Cantillo, 202-647-8432. **********Kennedy Center music,** singer-songwriters Andy Zipf, Derek Evry and the Beanstalk Library’s Ryan Walker perform. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **U.S. Navy Band bluegrass and country music concert,** the Country Current ensemble performs. 7 p.m., American University Katzen Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. Free. 202-433-2525. **Latin American songs of love,** conductor Sergio Alessandro Bushje leads the Pan American Symphony Orchestra, tenor Mauricio Miranda and jazz/folk vocalist Sofia Rei in a performance of works by Piazzolla, Lobo and others. 7:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $40-$50. 202-467-4600. **Axelrod String Quartet concert,** a performance of Haydn’s Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 76, No. 4 (the “Sunrise”), Mozart’s Quartet in G Major, K387 and Beethoven’s Quartetto serioso in F Minor, Op. 95; come at 6:30 p.m. for a pre-concert presentation by artistic director Kenneth Slowik. 7:30 p.m., National Museum of American History, Warner Brothers Theater, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. $31. 202-633-3030. www.smithsonianassociates.org . **“Almost White: Forced Confessions of a Latino in Hollywood ,”** a one-man play starring and created by Rick Najera. 8 p.m., Gala Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW. $20. 202-234-7174 or www.galatheatre.org . **Mavis Staples in concert,** the gospel, soul, rhythm and blues, jazz and rock vocalist performs in conjunction with the exhibit “The Civil Rights Act of 1964: A Long Struggle for Freedom.” 8 p.m., Library of Congress, Coolidge Auditorium, 10 First St. SE. Free tickets available by phone, with a $2.80 service charge per ticket. 202-397-7328 or 202-707-5502. **PearsonWidrig DanceTheater,** a performance of “Take Me With You,” and “Kré Kré Kré,” by Korean contemporary artist Uh Uh Boo. 8 p.m. Saturday, 7 p.m. Sunday, Dance Place, 3225 Eighth St. NE. $25 in advance; $30 at the door; seniors, $20; college students and ages 2-17, $15. 202-269-1600 or www.danceplace.org . ******** **Palisades farmers market,** locally grown seasonal produce, music by Sherier Mountain. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays, 48th Place and MacArthur Boulevard NW. www.palisadesfarmersmarket.com . **Enigma: Tidal Basin,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walk along the Tidal Basin perimeter and discusses the cultural and natural history of the basin. 10 a.m.-noon, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, 900 Ohio Dr. SW. Free. Call Julia Clebsch, 202-557-4371. **Serene Sunday,** view Marjorie Merriweather Post’s dazzling jewels amid a garden oasis. 1-5 p.m. Sunday and Oct. 26, Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. $15; 65 and older, $12; 6 to 18, $5; 5 and younger, free. 202-686-5807. **Get it “write” study hall,** get help with homework or feedback on your creative writing in a quiet study space. 1 p.m. Sundays, Mount Pleasant Library, Lower Level, 3160 16th St. NW. Free. 202-671-3121. **Alienweeds: tapping the abundance of invasive plants,** artist and writer Patterson Clark documents the processes he uses to turn local invasive weeds into inks, printing blocks and sheets of paper to yield prints; raw and refined materials available for a hands-on display. 1:30 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Classroom, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free; registration required. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . ******Georgetown Library yoga,** taught by an instructor from Yoga Activist. 1:30 p.m., Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. Free; registration required. 202-727-0232 or erika.rydberg@dc.gov . **U.S. Marine Band concert,** a performance of works by J.S. Bach, Malcolm Arnold, Sergei Prokofiev and Igor Stravinsky. 2 p.m., John Philip Sousa Band Hall, Marine Barracks Annex, Seventh and K streets SE. Free. 202-433-4011. ******Kennedy Center Chamber Players concert,** a performance of works by Debussy, Ives, Saint-Saëns and Beethoven. 2 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $36. 202-467-4600. **Saving the Baldwin film,** Karen Thorsen, director of “James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket ,” and co-writer Douglas Dempsey discuss the making of their award-winning documentary, the challenges of restoring the original 16mm film elements and the necessity of ensuring access to the film during the digital age. 2 p.m., National Gallery of Art, West Building Lecture Hall, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **Specialty mums at Hillwood,** grower Drew Asbury gives a behind-the-scenes tour of the greenhouse and discusses how to propagate chrysanthemums for fresh-cut flowers in floral arrangements. 2-2:30 p.m. Sunday, 1-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, 11-11:30 a.m. Oct. 16, Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. $15; 65 and older, $12; 6 to 18, $5; 5 and younger, free. 202-686-5807. **Moon Temple of the Queen of Sheba,** Zaydoon Zaid discusses the archaeology and architecture of the Awam Temple near the ancient city of Marib in ancient South Arabia. 2 p.m., Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Sublevel 1, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Join the STEAM team,** for ages 6-12 with an interest in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics and a desire to design, construct, discover and create. 2 p.m. Sundays, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-1278. **Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra concert,** a performance of various works and those of top Chinese vocalists and classics from Berlioz, Dvořák and others. 3 p.m., Kennedy Center, Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW. $29-$89. Free. 202-467-4600. **Steinway Series with Sean Chen,** the classical pianist performs works by Scriabin and Ravel composed between 1900 and 1914. 3 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. Free tickets distributed at 2:30 p.m. in the G Street Lobby. 202-633-1000. **Liberators of Latin America,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour and discusses the revolutionary ideas that link the memorials to the liberators of Latin America. 3-6 p.m., Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro station, 2301 I St. NW. Free. Mike Balis, 202-438-9710. **Board games in the afternoon,** for age 10 and older, play board games with your friends or learn to play chess. 3 p.m. Sundays, Northwest One Library, 155 L St. NW. Free. 202-939-5946. ******Shaw knitting and crocheting circle,** all experience levels welcome; bring needles and yarn for a take-home project. 3 p.m. Sundays, Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. Free. 202-727-1288. **Zumba kids,** for ages 4-13, the perfect combination of fun and fitness. 3:30 p.m., Capitol View Library, 5001 Central Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-0755. **Organ recital,** Paul Hardy performs works by Buxtehude and others, part of the Music@the Monastery series, 4 p.m., Franciscan Monastery, 1400 Quincy St. NE. Free-will offering. 202-526-6800, Ext. 374. ******Cathedral pipe organ recital,** Norwegian artist Sigurd M. Ogaard performs works by J.S. Bach, Dietrich Buxtehude, Charles Villiers Stanford, Arild Sandvold, Johann Ludwig Krebs and César Franck on the 10,600-pipe organ. 5:15 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, Great Choir, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Suggested donation, $10. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . **Kennedy Center music,** songwriter, vocalist and live-looper Margot MacDonald, instrumentalist and singer Sam McCormally and singer-songwriter Olivia Mancini perform. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **National Gallery of Art Orchestra concert,** Philippe Entremont leads the orchestra and clarinetist Michel Lethiec in a performance of works by Saint- Saëns and other composers in honor of Degas’s “Little Dancer.” Latecomers not admitted. 6:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, West Building Garden Court, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **Classical piano recital,** Yun-Chin Zhou performs works by Haydn, Liszt, Revel, Trenet/Weissenberg and Rachmaninoff. 7:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $35. 202-467-4600. **Ghost tours,** for age 10 and older, wander the museum’s darkened halls and learn its newly discovered spooky stories. 8 and 9 p.m. Sunday, 8 and 9 p.m. Oct. 17 and 19, National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. $25; registration required. 202-272-2448. www.nbm.org . ******Library of Congress Columbus Day** opening for visitors to the Jefferson Building’s Great Hall. 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Library of Congress, Main Reading Room, Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-8000. **Puppet show, “Tum Tica!”** Tom Mallan directs the Wit’s End Puppets in a bilingual history of music and family, music by Cecilia Cackley and Diana Sáez. 10:30 a.m. Monday-Oct. 17, 3 p.m. Oct. 18, 10:30 a.m. Oct. 20-23, 3 p.m. Oct. 25, Gala Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW. $12; $10, students. 202-234-7174 or www.galatheatre.org . **History of spices,** science education volunteer Todd Brethauer discusses the botany, geography, ecology and economics of spice production, the human lust for spices that has made fortunes for a few and great voyages of discovery, changing the lives of many. 10:30 a.m.-noon, U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Classroom, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free; registration required. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . **Therapeutic yoga classes for cancer patients,** Corrin Bennett and Alaina Sadick lead patients, survivors and caregivers. 10:30 a.m. Mondays, 6 p.m. Wednesdays, Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St. NW. $25/month. 202-483-8600 or www.smithcenter.org . **U.S. Botanic Garden lunchtime tour,** museum volunteers lead a tour of plants and discuss what manila folders, Chanel No. 5, vanilla and fossil fuels have in common. Also, a discussion of possible breakthroughs in medicinal plant research. Noon, Mondays and Wednesdays through Oct. 29, U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov . **Mental health and HIV confidential group,** ****for people with HIV and mental-health problems, sponsored by MetroHealth. Transportation tokens and refreshments provided. 3:30 p.m. 1012 14th St. NW. Free. 202-638-0750. **Botany, history and future of chrysanthemums,** science education volunteer Todd Brethauer discusses their original cultivation in Asia thousands of years ago, their important cultural, medicinal and culinary uses in Chinese and Japanese cultures and which first lady attended the national chrysanthemum show in Indianapolis, presenting the grand prize to the winning grower. 2-3:30 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free; registration required. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . **Liberators of Latin America,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour and discusses the revolutionary ideas that link the memorials to the liberators of Latin America. 3-6 p.m., Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro station, 2301 I St. NW. Free. Mike Balis, 202-438-9710. **Kennedy Center comedy,** featuring comedian Nikki Glaser, contains mature themes and strong language. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. ******** **Music lecture,** “The Genesis of Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms as Seen in the Library of Congress Leonard Bernstein Collection,” a lecture by Paul Laird, University of Kansas professor of musicology. Noon, Library of Congress, Coolidge Auditorium, 10 First St. SE. Free tickets available by phone, with a $2.80 service charge per ticket. 202-397-7328 or 202-707-5502. **American Ballet Theatre: 75 years touring the globe,** a lecture by Columbia University’s Victoria Phillips. Noon, Library of Congress, Madison Building, Mumford Room, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-5502. **Tour the garden of good and evil: medicinal and poisonous plants,** biochemist Beth Burrous discusses the medicines derived from plants, the potential risks associated with them and the fatal cases of poisoning by plants. Noon, U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333. **Poetry as enchantment,** poet, essayist and former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts Dana Gioia discusses the relationship between poetry and music. Noon, Library of Congress, Jefferson Building, Whittall Pavilion, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-5394. **Yoga at noon,** led by traditional yoga teacher and therapist Heather Ferris; bring a mat. Noon Tuesdays, Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. Free. 202-727-1288. **Classical music concert,** cellist Vasily Popov and pianist Jeffrey Chappell perform works by J.S. Bach and Benjamin Britten (Cello Sonata Op. 65). 12:10 p.m., Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Suggested donation, $10. 202-347-2635, Ext. 20. **Welcome to America’s front yard,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour and discusses the Mall’s development from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial. 1-2:30 p.m., Washington Monument Lodge, 15th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Linda Coldiron, 202-426-6841. **Cathedral tour and tea,** a docent-led tour of the cathedral, its history, architecture and art — plus a traditional English tea and a scenic view of the city from the cathedral tower. 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays with the occasional holiday exception, Washington National Cathedral, Docent Station at the Rear Nave, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $30; reservations required. 202-537-8993, www.allhallowsguild.org  or misbister@cathedral.org . **Tech Tuesdays,** a librarian teaches a variety of popular tech tools. Tuesday: Introduction to Google Drive; Oct. 21: Microsoft Word basics; Oct. 28: e-mail basics. 2 p.m., Southeast Library, 403 Seventh St. SE. Free. 202-698-3377. **E-reader drop-in clinic,** a librarian helps visitors with their portable devices for downloading e-books, audio books, music and videos; bring your iPad, Nook or Kindle. 2 p.m., West End Interim Library, 2522 Virginia Ave. NW. Free. 202-724-8698. **Sketching workshop,** bring pencils and a small sketchbook, work with objects on display in the center. 2:30-4:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. ******Hook and needle club,** for ages 10-19 who always wanted to learn how to knit or crochet; all experience levels welcome; yarn, knitting needles and crochet hooks provided. 3:30 p.m. Tuesday and the second Tuesday of every month, Northwest One Library, 155 L St. NW. Free. 202-939-5946. **HIV/STI screening,** for teens and young adults, ages 13-24, by Metro TeenAIDS, with information on how to live a healthy life. 4 p.m., Anacostia Library, Meeting Room 2, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. Free. 202-715-7707 or 202-715-7708. **D.C. Youth Slam Team poetry,** for ages 13-19, a poetry workshop; bring your imagination. 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free; registration required. Jonathan Tucker, 202-787-5279. **Yoga on Farragut Square,** a certified instructor leads a relaxing after- work exercise program, sponsored by Golden Triangle Business Improvement District, 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Oct. 21. Farragut Square Park, 17th and K streets NW. Free. 202-463-3400. **Classical music concert,** members of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra perform Schoenfield’s Café Music and Beethoven’s Trio in B-flat. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **************Yoga in the evening,** one-hour lesson, all skill levels welcome, mats provided. 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays except the first one in each month, Northwest One Library, 155 L St. NW. Free. 202-939-5946. **Henry Rollins on the D.C. Punk Scene,** the spoken-word poet, actor, author and DJ talks with Washington Post pop music critic Chris Richards about growing up in the city and his leading role in the movement that inspired trailblazing artists such as Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Rites of Spring, Fugazi and Bikini Kill. 6:45 to 8:45 p.m., National Museum of Natural History, Baird Auditorium, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. $25. 202-633-3030. www.smithsonianassociates.org . **Wyeth Dynasty: The worlds of N.C., Andrew and Jamie Wyeth,** art historian Bonita Billman discusses the extraordinary body of work the Wyeths have created, complementing the National Gallery of Art’s exhibit “Andrew Wyeth: Looking Out, Looking In,” on view through Nov. 30. 6:45-9 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $42. 202-633-3030. www.smithsonianassociates.org . **Cartier and women of the National Gem Collection,** Jeffrey Post, curator- in-charge and geologist of the Smithsonian mineral collection, discusses Marjorie Merriweather Post, Countess Mona Bismarck, Anna Case and Evalyn Walsh McLean. 7 p.m., Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. $20; $7, students. Register: www.hillwoodmuseum.org . 202-686-5807. **Classical music concert,** the Hugo Kauder Trio performs works by Kauder, Peter Nogradi, Zoltan Kodaly and others. 7:30 p.m., Embassy of Hungary, 2900 Spring of Freedom St. NW. $75, includes a buffet with wine. 202-625-2361. www.embassyseries.org . **Petworth purls knit and crochet club,** a fiber arts club for anyone who wants his or her knit and crochet time to be with talk and tea. 7:30 p.m., Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. Free. 202-243-1188. **English conversation class,** volunteer teachers from the Washington English Center facilitate classes twice a week. 10 a.m.-noon, Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. Free. 202-727-0232. **“Fabulas Fairytales,”** for ages 3-7, an interactive introduction to Spanish words mixed with a trio of familiar children’s stories and recycled materials in the costumes and set pieces. 10:15 and 11:30 a.m. Wednesday and Oct. 16, Discovery Theater at S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $8; ages 2-16, $6; 1 and younger, $3. 202-633-8700 or www.discoverytheater.org . **Total body workout,** for active seniors, a class led by Carolyn Gichner; bring a mat and light weights. Sponsored by Sibley Senior Association. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Wednesdays and Fridays through Nov. 14, Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, Vestry, 3401 Nebraska Ave. NW. Call for prorated fee. 202-364-7602. **Gallery talk,** Director of the Library Heather Slania discusses selections from an exhibition featuring graphic novelist Helena Bochořáková-Dittrichová. Noon-12:30 p.m., National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. Free. 202-783-5000. **Lincoln-Douglas: debates that made a president,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the 1858 debates that gave Lincoln the fame necessary to become a nationally recognized candidate. 1 p.m., Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Free. Dave Rappel, 202-359-1533. **Tai chi classes,** 2 p.m., St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Rock Creek, 201 Allison St. NW. Free. 202-726-2080. **Train your brain games,** a fun workout for your brain using puzzles, games and other activities that help prolong healthy functioning, learning, memory, creativity and flexibility in thinking. 3 p.m., Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. Free. 202-243-1188. **Chess for kids,** instruction for all ages. 4 p.m. Wednesdays, Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. 202-282-3080. **Steve Abshire, jazz guitarist,** a concert to honor the late local jazz musician Dick Morgan. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Rock garden talk,** Denver Botanic Garden plantsman Panayoti Kelaidis discusses their history, design and culture, especially those in the Mid- Atlantic. 7-9 p.m., U.S. National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave. NE. $15; registration required. 202-245-4521. www.usna.usda.gov . **Zumba class,** led by Christine, a certified instructor; no experience necessary, but all participants must sign a waiver; dress comfortably. 7 p.m., Southeast Library, 403 Seventh St. SE. Free. 202-698-3377. **Yoga for adults and teens,** led by instructor Sandra Flores; all fitness levels welcome; mats provided. 7:15 p.m. Wednesdays, Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. Free. 202-724-4752. **Danish String Quartet concert,** the art of the fugue: a performance of works by Mendelssohn, Shostakovich and Beethoven, sponsored by Washington Performing Arts Society. 7:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $35. 202-785-9727. www.wpas.org . **Tai chi class,** Susan Lowell teaches the flowing movements of the Chinese martial art that weaves meditation and relaxation with the wisdom of Chinese medicine, may improve your health by giving stability, comfort and awareness; participants must sign a liability waiver before the class starts. Wear comfortable, free-flowing clothing for best movement. 7:30 p.m., Tenley- Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Free. 202-727-1488. **National Symphony Orchestra concert,** with organist Jeremy Filsell in a performance of works by Jongen, Dupre, Hampton and Rachmaninoff. 8 p.m., Kennedy Center, Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW. $15. 202-467-4600. **“The Wolfe Twins,”** Mike Donahue directs Rachel Bonds’s play about growing older and changing amid the festering of old wounds and intimate, untold secrets, starring Tom Story. 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 7 p.m. Sundays except Oct. 29, 2 p.m. Oct. 19 and 26 and Nov. 2, Studio Theatre’s Milton Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. $25. 202-332-3300. **“On the Way to School,”** a film that interweaves four male pupils forced to confront and overcome countless, often dangerous obstacles – enormous distances over treacherous territory, snakes, elephants, even bandits – on their journey to the classroom, in French with English subtitles. 8 p.m., Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. $11.75; students, $9.25; seniors, $9; military and age 12 and younger, $8.75. 202-966-6000. www.theavalon.org. **Housing conference,** an exploration of the importance of having stable, affordable housing to education, health and aging, with key leaders, researchers, practitioners and advocates discussing practical solutions with local, state and federal policymakers. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Free; registration required. 202-272-2448. www.nbm.org . **Nixon Legacy Forum: Vietnam and the Paris Peace Accords,** a panel including KT McFarland, Winston Lord, John Negroponte and Dick Smyser discusses the chronology, key players and impact of the Paris Peace Accords. 10 a.m., National Archives, Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Garden sculpture safari,** for ages 2-5 and an accompanying adult, discover animals and other fanciful creatures in the sculpture throughout Hillwood’s gardens, work on an art project, sing songs and more. 10:30-11:15 a.m., Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. $12 per child/adult; registration requested. 202-686-5807. **Face to face with Zachary Taylor,** senior historian David C. Ward discusses the portrait and life of the career Army officer and 12th president of the United States who served a term of 16 months. Noon, National Portrait Gallery, first floor East, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Abolition before Abe,** a National Park Service ranger leads an interactive talk about slavery and abolition up to 1865. 2 p.m., Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Free. Genevieve Goerling, 202-426-6841. **HIV/STI testing,** for ages 13-24, hosted by Metro TeenAIDS. 4:30-7:30 p.m., Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library, Meeting Room 2, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. Free. 202-281-2583. **Feedel Band concert,** the local band performs a blend of Ethiopian music and jazz to create a unique sound that has been called EthioJazz. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Abraham Lincoln book talk,** Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer discusses his book “Lincoln and the Power of the Press: The War for Public Opinion ” with CBS White House chief correspondent Major Garrett. Reception, 6 p.m. Lecture, 6:30 p.m., President Lincoln’s Cottage, 140 Rock Creek Church Rd. NW. Reception, $10; book talk, $10. 202-829-0436, Ext. 31224, mmartz@savingplaces.org  or www.lincolncottage.org . (Please note: This event has been postponed.) **Faith and fantasy: the Medieval illuminated manuscript,** about The Book of Kells, the Lindisfarne Gospels and other illuminated books created in Ireland and northern Britain between the seventh and ninth centuries, art historian Judy Scott Feldman discusses the ways in which monk-artists, inspired by the Celtic love of intricate pattern and dazzling color, transformed the prevailing influences in Christian art and left a lasting impact on the art of Europe’s early Middle Ages and beyond. 6:45-8:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $42. 202-633-3030. www.smithsonianassociates.org . **Birds and humans: exploring a timeless connection,** birder Victor Emanuel discusses the affinity of humans for birds in flight, the same as that reflected in art, poetry, music and literature. 6:45-8:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $42. 202-633-3030. www.smithsonianassociates.org . **“Finding Your Roots: The Official Companion to the PBS Series,”** Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. discusses the PBS program that asks who we are and where do we come from. 7 p.m., National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Musicians from Marlboro I,** violists Kim Kashkashian and Wenting Kang, flutist Marina Piccinini, violinists David McCarroll and Nikki Chooi, cellist Karen Ouzounian and harpist Sivan Magen perform works by Beethoven, Kurtág and Debussy. 7:30 p.m., Freer Gallery of Art, Meyer Auditorium, Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Cellist recital,** cellist Katinka Kleijn, in a collaboration with composers Daniel Dehaan and Ryan Ingebritsen, connects to an EEG headset to play a live duet with her brain waves. 9 p.m., Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Free tickets at www.atlasarts.org . 202-707-5502. ** — Compiled by Gerri Marmer  ** **E-mail:** districtlocalliving@washpost.com (attention Gerri Marmer) **   Mail:** Community Events, District Local Living, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20071. **   Details:** Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.

D.C. community calendar, Oct. 4 to 11, 2012

**Thurgood Marshall Remembered** a National Park Service ranger discusses the life of the Supreme Court associate justice. 10 a.m., Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Free. Call Joseph Mohr, 202-359-1532. **Smithsonian Seeds and Sprouts!,** for ages 4-10, Smithsonian Gardens tell a story and explore the tiny elements that make the Institution’s gardens grow, lead a seed safari and plant seeds that will take root at home. 10:15 and 11:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Oct. 4-5, Discovery Theater, meet at the Haupt Garden, behind Smithsonian Castle, Entrance Gate next to Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $8; ages 2-16, $6; 1 and younger, $3. 202-633-8700 or www.discoverytheater.org. **Forged in Fire: Cathedral Ironwork,** a docent leads a tour of wrought-iron works, including depictions of creatures and flowers. 3 p.m. Thursday, 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Washington National Cathedral, main entrance welcome desk, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $10, reservations suggested. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org. **** **Mid-20th-century D.C. buildings,** discussed by architects, developers and preservationists. 6:30-8 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. $20; students, $12. Free. 202-272-2448. **Voices of Strength dance concert,** featuring a range of dance genres; followed by discussion. 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $36. 202-467-4600. **Warren G. Harding and his era,** a National Park Service Ranger discusses the life and times of the 29th president. 10 a.m., Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Ohio Drive NW. Free. Matthew Furman, 240-882-8290. **Beautifying a garden,** horticulture specialist Rick J. Lewandowski discusses expanding the garden palette with native plants for all seasons. Noon, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free, registration required. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov. **Educational film in the U.S.,** Marsha Orgeron discusses her book “Learning with the Lights Off” and shows clips from the films. Noon, National Archives, Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Artist George Bellows symposium,** scholars David Curry, Adam Greenhalgh, David Lubin, Carol Troyen, David C. Ward, Mark White, Sean Wilentz and Rebecca Zurier lecture; in collaboration with the Columbus Museum of Art. Noon-5 p.m. Friday, 1-5 p.m. Saturday, National Gallery of Art, East Building, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215 or www.nga.gov. **Books conversation with Michael Dirda,** Dirda discusses his favorite books, writing about books and those he has written; followed by a question- and-answer session. 12:15-1 p.m., St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 3001 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Free. 202-363-8286. **Classical music recital,** soprano Katherine Keem and pianist Michael Sheppard perform Russian romances and Shostakovich piano solo pieces. 1:15 p.m., Georgetown University, McNeir Hall, 37th and O streets NW. Free. 202-687-2787. **Aristotle philosophy lecture,** Boston College’s Arthur Madigan discusses “Dialectical Inquiry in Aristotle, De Anima I.” 2 p.m., Catholic University, Aquinas Hall Auditorium, 620 Michigan Ave. NE. Free. 202-319-5259. **“The Queen of Versailles,”** a documentary film about a billionaire family and their financial challenges, including their 90,000 sq. ft. mansion inspired by the French palace, in a time of economic crisis, starring Jackie Siegel and David Siegel. 3:15 and 8 p.m., Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. $11; students, $9; seniors, $8.25; age 12 and younger, $8. 202-966-6000. **“Eveningland,”** dance event choreographed by Sydney Skybetter, about a boy and his memory of his grandmother’s death. 6 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **“Lincoln Haunts Jaunts,”** a National Park Service ranger leads a tour of areas associated with President Abraham Lincoln. 6-8 p.m., Washington Monument, 15th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Call Lowell Fry, 202-438-9603. **Mulgrew Miller Trio jazz concert,** 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Gallery, 2700 F St. NW. $26. 202-467-4600. **** **************Orchids Jubilee — Celebrating 65 Years,** blooming plants, advice and lectures by orchid specialists; plants and supplies sold, sponsored by the National Capital Orchid Society; classes listed at the Web site. Vendor tent, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Monday. Exhibits, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday, U.S. National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave. NE. Admission, free. 202-245-2726 or www.usna.usda.gov. **Opportunity to photograph orchid show,** photograph rare and exotic orchids set in museum-quality displays with access to the exhibit area before the public does; tripods and other equipment welcome. 9-10 a.m. Saturday-Monday, U.S. National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave. NE. $12, registration required. 202-245-4521 or www.usna.usda.gov. **D.C. Takoma Library used book sale,** quality books including novels, cookbooks, children’s books, self-help and history. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Takoma Park Library, 416 Cedar St. NW. Admission, free. 202-576-7252. **Elizabethan garden tours,** docents lead tours of the library’s knot garden, which features plants mentioned in Shakespeare’s works and herbs that were popular during his era. 10 and 11 a.m., Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Free. 202-544-7077. **Computer basics,** learn how to use a computer; Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing program also available; take a flash drive to save your class documents and/or your e-mail address to send information to your account. 10 a.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Computer Lab, Room 311, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **Columbia Heights Day,** live music performances on two stages, games, arts and crafts, family and children’s activities, food vendors, cupcake eating contest, petting zoo, yoga workshop and more. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Harriet Tubman Elementary School, field, 11th and Kenyon streets NW. Free. 202-255-2677. **FDR’s wild side,** a National Park Service Ranger leads a walking tour and discusses the president’s New Deal and programs that helped the environment; binoculars provided. 10 a.m.-noon, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Ohio Drive NW. Robert Steele, 202-438-9574. **Intriguing trees, a living history bike tour,** a National Park Service Ranger leads a ride through a park with more than 15,000 trees and several tree specimens; take your own bike and water, helmets required. 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Thomas Jefferson Memorial, 900 Ohio Dr. SW. Free. Call Neil Koch, 202-438-6640. **Botany and history of Chrysanthemums,** Todd Brethauer discusses how modern breeding methods are being used around the world to improve resistance to disease and insects and to improve production methods. 10:30 a.m.-noon, U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Classroom, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free, registration required. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov. **The Big Draw Family Day,** learn about new styles of drawing and watch artist demonstrations, participate in a community mural, sketch flowers and leaves of plants, and make a sketchbook from recycled material to take home. 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Kogod Courtyard, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000 or http://americanart.si.edu/calendar/event.cfm?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D101143729 **Stories about Alice Waters,** for children, listen to a story about the chef and author, and her use of fresh and locally grown seasonal ingredients; and create a piece of art. 1-4 p.m. Saturday, 2-5 p.m. Sunday, National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Tidal Basin paddle boat tour,** a National Park Service Ranger leads an exploration of Christopher Columbus’s journey and landfall on Slavador Island and discusses how it helped shape America. 1 p.m., meet at the Tidal Basin paddle boat vendor. Two-seater boat, $12; four-seater boat, $19. Call Call Eddy Kahle, 202-462-6841. **Technology for low-vision readers,** discussion of JAWS screen reader and MAGic screen magnifier, computer tools used by blind and low-vision patients, and learn about adaptive technologies and services. 1 p.m. the first and third Saturdays of each month, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Adaptive Services Division, Room 215, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **Knit and Lit,** informal group of knitters and readers, take knitting or needlework project to work on as you share patterns and stories. 3 p.m., Georgetown Library, 3307 M St. NW. Free. 202-724-8783. **Jazz by Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio,** featuring Jonathan Kreisberg and Jamire Williams. 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Gallery, 2700 F St. NW. $26. 202-467-4600. **“A Clockwork Orange,”** for age 16 and older, Scena Theatre’s production of Anthony Burgess’s play, with music; about free will versus social order and the human capacity for evil and redemption. Previews, 8 p.m. Saturday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Oct. 11-12 and 3 p.m. Sunday. Regular shows, 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays, through Nov. 19, H Street Playhouse, 1365 H St. NE. Previews, $10; regular shows, $25-$35. 703-683-2824 or www.scenatheater.org. **“If God Is Green, Is Green Always Godly?,”** farmer and writer Joel Salatin discusses his humorous approach to stewardship of the earth; in person and broadcast live on the Internet. 10:10 a.m., Washington National Cathedral, Front Nave, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Free. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org. **“The Parties Versus the People,”** Mickey Edwards, former Republican Member of Congress from Oklahoma,” discusses his book that advocates for less partisanship and ideological rancor in Washington. 10 a.m., St. John’s Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square, 1525 H St. NW. Free. 202-347-8766. **Renwick’s Sit ’n’ Stitch,** for all abilities, specialists teach different types of stitching. 2 p.m. first Sunday of each month, 12:30 p.m. Thursdays, through Oct. 25, Renwick Gallery, Palm Court, 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Olivia Mancini concert at museum,** the local indie-pop singer and songwriter performs a one-hour set after a staff-led talk on a piece of art selected by Mancini; free coffee or tea served. 1:30 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **U.S. Marine Band concert,** works by Zoltan Kodaly, Leo Delibes and Aaron Copland. 2 p.m., John Philip Sousa Band Hall, Marine Barracks Annex, Seventh and K Streets SE. Free. 202-433-4011 or www.marineband.usmc.mil. **Ceramicist Jason Walker,** Walker discusses his exploration of modern technology’s impact on nature. 2 p.m., Renwick Gallery, 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **“The Devil’s Trap,”** Frantisek Vlacil’s 1962 film about a drought-stricken Bohemian village where a inquisitor probes a local miller who wants to know if the devil is behind his successful grain mill, in Czech with English subtitles. 2 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building Concourse, auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-842-6799. **“The Bremen Town Musicians,”** for children and adults, film about a donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster who escape as they are about to be sold by their owner, in German with English subtitles, co-presented by Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 2 p.m., Goethe-Institut, 812 Seventh St. NW. Free. 202-289-1200 www.goethe.de/washington. **Classical piano recital,** Tim Woolsey performs works by J.S. Bach, Scarlatti, Brahms and Liszt; followed by a reception. 4 p.m., Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church, 1 Chevy Chase Cir. NW. Free, donations appreciated. 202-363-2202. **Pipe organ classical recital,** cathedral assistant organist Benjamin Straley performs works by J.S. Bach, Healey Willan, Maurice Durufle and Jean Langlais. 5:15 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, Great Choir, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Suggested donation, $10. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org. **Classical guitar and organ concert,** guitarist Mak Grgic and organist Stephen Ackert perform works by Isaac, Kohaut, Weiss and Hagen, in conjunction with the exhibit “Imperial Augsburg: Renaissance Prints and Drawings, 1475-1540,” latecomers not admitted. 6:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, West Building Garden Court, 600 Constitution Ave. NW. Free. 202-842-6941. **Smithsonian Chamber Music Society concert,** violinist Vera Beths, violist Steven Dann and pianist Pedja Muzijevic perform two French quartets and a work by Beethoven, 7:30 p.m.; arrive at 6:30 p.m. for a talk with artistic director Kenneth Slowik, National Museum of American History, Hall of Musical Instruments, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. $28. 202-633-3030. **Museum “ghost” tours,** for age 10 and older, a guided tour led by the “ghost” of accused Lincoln assassination conspirator Mary Surratt, featuring ghost stories associated with the museum. 8-9 p.m. Sunday-Monday and other dates through November, National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. $20, registration required. 202-272-2448. **Library of Congress Main Reading Room open house,** photographs allowed, online resources demonstrations by reference librarians and more; other reading rooms and buildings closed for the holiday. 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Library of Congress, Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-8000. **Tudor Place tour and herb garden workshop,** Suzanne Bouchard and Talia Mosconi lead a tour of the mansion’s garden and 1920s kitchen; start a kitchen garden by planting potted herbs, supplies provided. 10-11:30 a.m., Tudor Place, 1644 31st St. NW. $20. 202-965-0400. Registration, tudorplacekitchenandherb.eventbrite.com. **Botany and history of spices,** Todd Brethauer discusses how pepper, allspice, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, once only affordable for the rich, have become part of daily lives, and the production, processing and history of spices. 10:30 a.m.-noon, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free, registration required. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov. **Tudor Place Fairies in the Garden,** for all ages, tea and treats, with a craft to take home. 1-2:30 p.m., Tudor Place, 1644 31st St. NW. Age 12 and younger, $25; accompanying adult, $10; registration required. 202-965-0400 or tudorplaceoctfairytea.eventbrite.com. **Woodridge chess club,** instruction for children and teenagers. 5:30 p.m. Mondays, Woodridge Library, 1801 Hamlin St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. **Sretensky Monastery Choir concert,** an a cappella program of Russian religious and folk music. 7:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $30-$50. 202-467-4600. ******Computer basics,** learn how to use a computer; Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing program also available; take a flash drive to save your class documents and/or your e-mail address to send information to your account 10 a.m., Capitol View Library, 5001 Central Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-0755. **Classical guitar and piano concert,** Douglas Rogers and pianist Alex Peh perform French and Spanish guitar music from the 1920s and 1930s. 12:10 p.m., Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Suggested donation, $5. 202-347-2635, Ext. 20. **Cathedral tour and tea,** a docent leads a tour, followed by a traditional English tea with sandwiches and scones; plus a scenic view from the cathedral tower; meet inside the West Front area. 1:30 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. $30, reservations required. 202-537-8993 or www.tea.cathedral.org. **Teen poetry workshop,** weekly sessions. 4:30-6:30 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, second-floor teen space, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **“Waiting for Guffman,”** 1996 film parody of a community theater group, starring Eugene Levy, Karen Murphy and Christopher Guest. 6 p.m., Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. Free. 202-727-0232. **Powerpoint basics,** learn about the basic features that can help create a slide show; take a flash drive or your e-mail address to save your class documents. 6:30 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Computer Lab, Room 311, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **Tango music concert,** bandoneonist JP Jofre, pianist Steven Beck and violinist Christiana Liberis perform. 7:30 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. $15. 202-549-4172 or www.hillcenterdc.org. **“Beyond the Stethoscope: How Community Health Centers Address the Social Determinants of Health,”** focusing on the efforts of D.C. Primary Care Association member health centers as they work in the community to remove barriers to primary care access; a day of of educational and interactive sessions, expert speakers, and a unique opportunity to share your experiences and provide feedback; keynote address by Clement Bezold, founder and chairman of the Institute for Alternative Futures. 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Gallaudet University, Kellogg Conference Center, 800 Florida Ave. NE. 202-552-2319. ******Mariachi Madness,** for age 5 and older. Los Quetzales Mexican Dance Ensemble joins Mariachi Los Amigos onstage. 10:15 and 11:30 a.m., National Museum of Natural History, Baird Auditorium, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. $8; ages 2-16, $6; 1 and younger, $3. 202-633-8700 or www.discoverytheater.org. **Music for children,** Burnett Thompson and JP Jofre, a bandoneonist. 11 a.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. $15. 202-549-4172 or www.hillcenterdc.org. **“The Immortal Balladeer of Prague,”** Marek Jicha and Josef Lustig’s film about Karel Hasler, a Czech singer-songwriter and actor from the late 20th century and his illegitimate son, Thomas Hasler; a question-and-answer session follows, in Czech with English subtitles. Noon, Library of Congress, Madison Building, Mary Pickford Theater, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-9897. **Castro’s Secrets: The CIA and Cuba’s Intelligence Machine,** discussed by Brian Latell, former National Intelligence Officer for Latin America. Noon, International Spy Museum, 800 F St. NW. Free. 202-393-7798. **“The Immortal Balladeer of Prague,”** Marek Jicha and Josef Lustig’s film about Karel Hasler, a Czech singer-songwriter and actor from the late 20th century; followed by a question-and-answer session; film in Czech with English subtitles. Noon, Library of Congress, Madison Building, Mary Pickford Theater, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-9897. **Gregory library chess club,** for all ages and abilities. 5:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-4297. **The African Origins of Christianity,** lecture by Sam El-Amin. 7 p.m., Woodridge Library, 1801 Hamlin St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. **American Art Museum lecture,** Adam Gopnik, critic, essayist and journalist, discusses common elements of American art. 7 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. Free tickets in the G Street Lobby at 6:30 p.m. 202-633-1000. **The Sphinx Virtuosi with the Catalyst Quartet,** and violinist Elena Urioste, in a performance of works by Piazzolla, Golijov, Montgomery, Coleridge, Taylor-Perkinson Villa-Lobos and Ginastera. 7:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $32. 202-467-4600. **“Katka,”** Helena Trestikova’s film about the replenishing power of life, values and their price, and mothers and their relationship with their children as they live in Prague hustling for drugs, stealing and attempting murder, in Czech with English subtitles. 8 p.m., Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. $11; students, $9; seniors, $8.25; age 12 and younger, $8. 202-966-6000. **Kids garden sculpture program,** for children 2-5 accompanied by an adult, featuring an exploration of a garden, an art project, songs and more. 10:30-11:15 a.m. Thursdays, through Oct. 25, Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. $30. 202-686-5807 or www.hillwoodmuseum.org. **U.S. Botanic Garden tour,** education technician Alex Torres leads a walking tour of the National Garden, gives tips for improving a home garden and discusses his favorite native plants; sunscreen, protective clothing and water suggested. 10:30 a.m. Thursdays, through Oct. 25, meet on the terrace by the entrance to the conservatory, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333. **“The Weight of Vengence:, The United States, the British Empire, and the War of 1812,”** history professor Troy Bickham discusses his book about the turning point for maritime power between the U.S. and Great Britain. Noon, National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Renwick “Sit ’n’ Stitch,”** for all abilities, specialists teach different types of stitching. 12:30 p.m., Renwick Gallery, Palm Court, 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Free. 202-633-1000 or http://americanart.si.edu/calendar/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D99790076 **Improving urban areas,** Mike Lydon discusses “depaving,” open streets, intersection repair and other ways to revitalize urban areas. 12:30 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Free, registration required. 202-272-2448. **Gallery tour for deaf visitors,** a gallery volunteer uses American Sign Language to discuss works in the museum. 5:30 p.m. Oct. 11 and 1 p.m. Oct. 21, Smithsonian American Art Museum, F Street lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Fendiko performance,** musicians and dancers in a program of traditional Ethiopian dance and music. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Lecture and award ceremony,** David Childs, former chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, receives the American Architecture Foundation’s inaugural George White Award, to honor the former Architect of the Capitol, and delivers an original presentation. 6:30 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. $20; students, $12. Free. 202-272-2448. **Environmental aspects of gardens,** horticulturist Ray Mims and education specialist Alex Torres show how home gardens can produce environmental, social and economic benefits, and discuss ways to reduce energy and water costs, runoff and harmful pollutants; participants welcome to bring a drawing or site assessment of their gardens. 6:30-8 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Classroom, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free, registration required. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov. **“Mark Lombardi: Death Defying Acts of Art and Conspiracy,”** the artist who had created BCCI, an intricate illustrated map of the links between global finance and terrorism, following the trail of money leading to the 9/11 attacks and the documentary that simultaneously explores the fascinating life and work of an artist whose sudden death left many unanswered questions. 7 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000 or http://americanart.si.edu/calendar/event.cfm?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D101148187 **Classical piano recital,** Richard Goode performs Beethoven’s last three piano sonatas, sponsored by Washington Performing Arts Society. 7:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $65. 202-785-9727. **Improvisational comedy,POTUS Among Us,”** an improvised comedy performance for the frenetic end of the 2012 election season. 8 p.m. Thursdays, 8 and 10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, continues through November. 3, Source, Washington Improv Theater, 1835 14th St. NW. $20; in advance, $15. 202-204-7770. **“Far Away,”** Caryl Churchill’s 2000 play directed by Jason Loewith, about a terrible secret involving the bloodied bodies of children and others. 8 p.m. Oct. 11-13, 2 p.m. Oct. 14, Georgetown University, Davis Performing Arts Center, Devine Studio Theatre, 37th and O streets NW. Friday-Saturday: $18; students, $10. Sunday: $15; students, $8. 202-687-2787. ** — Compiled by Gerri Marmer  ** **E-mail:** districtlocalliving@washpost.com (to the attention of Gerri Marmer) **Mail:** Community Events, District Local Living, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20071 **Details:** Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.

D.C. community calendar, May 15-22, 2014

**Walking club,** for fitness and better health, co-sponsored by Sibley Memorial Hospital. 8:30-9:30 a.m. Thursdays and Tuesdays, Mazza Gallerie, 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Free, with free parking. 202-364-7602. ******Preschooler series: Gardens Alive!** for ages 2-5, discover the colors and scents of plants growing in spring gardens, participate in an art project, sing songs. 10:30-11:15 a.m., Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Three-class series: $30 per child and one accompanying adult; member, $25; additional adult, $15; Single event: $12 per child and one accompanying adult; registration required. 202-686-5807 or www.hillwoodmuseum.org . **Hillwood Garden spring tours,** a guide leads a one-hour walk and discusses the history, design and the plants and flowers of the 13 acres of formal gardens. 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays through June 28, 2:30 p.m. Sunday and May 25, Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. $15; 65 and older, $12; 6 to 18, $5; 5 and younger, free. 202-686-5807. **********************************Washington Cathedral behind-the-scenes,** age 11 and older, see gargoyles and stained-glass windows and climb stairs for a panoramic view of the city. Bring a camera. 10:30 a.m. weekdays, Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $25; ages 11-12, $21. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . **“Biological Consequences of Nuclear Disasters: From Chernobyl to Fukushima,”** a lecture by Timothy Mousseau, a professor of biological sciences at the University of South Carolina at Columbia. 11:30 a.m., Library of Congress, Madison Building, Mary Pickford Theater, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-5664. **Cooking demonstration: sensational strawberries,** gardening and cooking author Adrienne Cook and her sister and nutritionist/cooking instructor Danielle Cook discuss how to mince, mash bake, cook and serve fresh strawberries to awaken the palate with new ideas. Noon and 12:45 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free; registration required. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . **“These Are Our Lives,”** Ann Banks and Virginia Millington discuss the 75th anniversary of the publication of the 1930 book of life histories gathered by the Federal Writers’ Project. Noon, Library of Congress, Madison Building, Mary Pickford Theater, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-1519. **********Beginner computer class,** ****learn how to create an e-mail account, search the Internet and use online library services. 1-3 p.m. Thursdays, Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. Free. 202-727-1288. ******European imprint on the Mall,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the marks made by European immigrants to the United States. 2-4 p.m., Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Free. Call Paul O’Brian, 202-438-7066. **Memorials on the Mall,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour and shows a selection of memorials. 2-4 p.m. daily through May 31, Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Free. 202-426-6841. ******Whistler and the Peacock Room,** a docent leads a tour and tells the story of James McNeill Whistler’s controversial decoration of the Peacock Room, originally in the London home of shipping magnate Frederick R. Leyland, and explains how Leyland influenced Charles Lang Freer’s aesthetic sensibility. 2:15 p.m., Freer Gallery of Art, Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW. Free. 202-633-1000. ******************************************************************Crafty Thursdays,** age 5 and older, all materials provided. 4 p.m., William O. Lockridge/Bellevue Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW. Free. 202-243-1184. **HIV/STI testing,** ages 13-24, hosted by Metro TeenAIDS. 4:30-7:30 p.m., Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library, Meeting Room 2, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. Free. 202-281-2583. ******Take 5! The René McLean Quintet with Pop-up Art,** a tribute to René’s father, renowned alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, create pop-up art as you listen to an array of world music genres, including Eastern and African traditions. 5-8 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Kogod Courtyard, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **“The Music Box,”** Synetic Theater performs a preview of a collection of comedic vignettes set to music. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. ****************Meet Nigel Hamilton,** **the best-selling award-winning biographer of political and military leaders including John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton discusses his new work, “The Mantle of Command: FDR at War, 1941-1942.” 6 p.m., National Portrait Gallery, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Conversations at Lincoln’s Cottage,** a lecture about our 16th president by Stephen Mansfield, author of “Lincoln’s Battle With God: A President’s Struggle with Faith and What it Meant for America .” Come at 6 p.m. and mingle with the author during a cocktail reception. Lecture. 6:30 p.m., President Lincoln’s Cottage, 140 Rock Creek Church Rd. NW. Lecture only, $10; lecture and reception, $20; reservations requested. 202-829-0436, Ext. 31232 or smiraminy@savinplaces.org . **Anacostia Library yoga,** develop your mind, body and spirit to its fullest. 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. Free. 202-715-7707 or 202-715-7708. **1177 B.C.: the year civilization collapsed,** archaeologist and ancient historian Eric Cline discusses how an interlinked cycle of human and natural events, including earthquakes, storms, droughts, rebellions and the collapse of systems, coalesced to bring the Bronze Age to an end. 6:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $42. 202-633-3030. **“Elling,”** Kasi Campbell directs, based on a play by Ivgvar Ambjornsen about oddly matched roommates coping with everyday life. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, through May 18, Undercroft Theatre, Massachusetts Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Friday and Saturday evenings, $50; Thursdays and matinees, $40; seniors, $10 discount; students, half price. 240-582-0050. **************************************“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee ,” **for age 12 and older, a musical based on the Rachel Sheinkin book, with music and lyrics by William Finn, the story of six awkward adolescents navigating their way through a spelling contest, contains coarse language. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. $18-$77.65. 800-982-2787 or www.fords.org . **************************************“Shear Madness,”** a comedy-mystery set in Georgetown, with audience participation to help solve a mock murder. 8 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 6 and 9 p.m. Saturday, 3 and 7 p.m. Sunday, 8 p.m. Tuesday- Wednesday, Kennedy Center, Family Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $50. 202-467-4600. **“Smokey Joe’s Café,”** the songs of Leiber and Stoller, music that carries audiences to the golden age of rock, rhythm and blues with songs such as “Jailhouse Rock,” “Stand by Me” and “On Broadway.” 8 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays, through June 8, Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. $50-$99 subject to change and based on availability. 202-488-3300 or www.arenastage.org . ******President Nixon and D.C. Home Rule,** a panel discusses how the Nixon administration brought about the bill that Congress passed in 1973, creating a popularly elected mayor and 13-member City Council. 10 a.m., National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Endangered Species Day,** learn about the U.S. Botanic Garden’s endangered species and native plant collections, children’s activities focused on endangered plants and pollinators, and leave with inspiring activities that you can do at home to help protect the planet. 10 a.m.-2 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free; registration required. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . **Seniors line dancing,** age 50 and older. 10 a.m. Fridays, Woodridge Interim Library, 1790 Douglas St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. **“Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns,”** “Episode Two: The Gift.” During the uproarious Jazz Age of the 1920s, the story of jazz becomes the story of two great cities, Chicago and New York, and of two extraordinary artists, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. Noon, National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Friday Morning Music Club recital,** a performance of works by Maiko Chiba, Dvorak and Grieg. Noon, Calvary Baptist Church, 755 Eighth St. NW. Free. 202-333-2075. ********************Pipe organ concert,** **organist Marvin Mills performs. 12:15-1 p.m., National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Cir. NW. Free; donations welcome. 202-797-0103. **************Join the STEAM team,** for ages 6-12 with an interest in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics and a desire to design, construct, discover and create. 4 p.m. Fridays, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **Evening at the Botanical Gardens,** biochemist and volunteer Beth Burrous leads a tour of plants from around the world that give our food sweet flavors, discusses plants including sugar cane, coconut palm, papaya, banana, tamarind, ginger, allspice, coffee and chocolate, and offers samples along the way. 5-7 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free; registration required. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . **Creature feature,** picnic in the gardens, explore the estate on an animal art safari, make your own work of art and view screenings of 7 family-oriented short films. Picnicking. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Art project. 5:30-8 p.m. Films. 7-8 p.m., Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Call for price. 202-686-5807. **NSO season prelude,** National Symphony Orchestra violinists Nurit Bar- Josef and Teri Lee, pianist Jessica McKee, clarinetist Eugene Mondie, violist Abigail Evans, and cellist James Lee perform a program that includes Frolov’s Divertimento for two violins and piano and Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Luce Unplugged,** up-and-coming local bands perform as museum visitors explore the artworks in the Luce Foundation; libations and small snacks available for purchase. 6-8 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, third floor, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Step it up D.C. 2014,** the Dance Place Step Team connects kids and parents, students and professionals in a hands-on arts workshop for all experience levels culminating in a performance for a real audience. 6 p.m., Brookland Artspace Lofts, 3305 Eighth St. NE. Workshop and performance, $12; workshop only, $8; performance only, $5. 202-269-1600. **Monster Band in concert,** 6:30-8:30 p.m., Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. Free. 202-289-0111 or www.yardspark.org . **CityVision final presentation,** students from Cesar Chavez Parkside and Stuart-Hobson middle schools display their innovative plans for adapting old buildings such as the Franklin School, Washington Coliseum and Old Post Office to new uses, a reception follows. 6:30-8:30 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Free. 202-272-2448. www.nbm.org . **Working from the figure,** drop-in figure drawing, work on drawings or paintings in front of a live model in a session without an instructor. Bring drawing materials; easels available. 6:30-9:30 p.m., first and third Fridays of each month. Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. $20; for a four-class pass, $76. 202-547-6839 or www.chaw.org . **“Naked,”** Mike Leigh’s 1993 film for adult audiences, the story of a troubled man who shows up unannounced at a friend’s London apartment, seduces and abandons her roommate and roams the city looking for more. 7 p.m., Freer Gallery of Art, Meyer Auditorium, Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW. Free. 202-633-1000. **NSO and Jessica Lang Dance,** Thomas Wilkins leads the National Symphony Orchestra, violinist Leila Josefowicz and the dancers in Adams’s Violin Concerto, also works by Daugherty, Walker and Copland. 7 p.m. Friday, 8 p.m. Saturday, Kennedy Center, Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW. $10-$85. 202-467-4600. **U.S. Marines on parade,** Silent Drill Team, Drum and Bugle Corps, Color Guard, Silent Drill Platoon and Ceremonial Marchers; guests with reservations admitted at 7:15 p.m.; visitors must arrive no later than 8 p.m. Parade, 8:45 p.m., Fridays through Aug. 29, Marine Barracks, Eighth and I streets SE. Free; reservations required. 202-433-4011 or 202-433-6060 or www.barracks.marines.mil . ******Takoma Park Library used book sale,** priced to sell at $1, proceeds support library programs. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Takoma Park Library, Front Lawn, 416 Cedar St. NW. Free. 202-576-7252. **Genealogy: Canadian border crossings, 1895-1950s,** archivist Claire Kluskens discusses how to improve your archival research skills. 10 a.m., National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Enlist and drill with the 1864 Union Army,** meet VIPs and staff dressed in period clothing. 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Free. Mike Rose, 202-438-9667. ******Yoga at the library,** for adult and teen beginners with an instructor from Yoga Activist. No experience required; bring a mat or use one from the library. 10 a.m., Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. 202-281-2583; 11 a.m., Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. Free. 202-243-1188. **Understanding ballet, classical to contemporary,** choreographer Diane Coburn Bruning, founder and artistic director of the Washington-based Chamber Dance Project, presents a wide range of performance clips that illustrate landmark works and legendary ballet artists, with an emphasis on how the interplay of choreographers, dancers and musicians sparks the art of making dances; participants get a close-up look at that process in an interactive working rehearsal with Chamber Dance Project’s dancers and string quartet and try their hand at shaping some of the dancers’ movements in a ballet created and performed on the spot. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $130. 202-633-3030. **Hands-on workshop: container gardens,** take a short walk as you listen to plans for Hillwood’s summer designs then build your own bowl of beauty overflowing with pink and purple flowers and ornamental foliage; all supplies provided, latex gloves available. 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. $45. 202-686-5807 or www.hillwoodmuseum.org . **Carillon recital,** carillonneur Edward M. Nassor performs. 12:30 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, Bishop’s Garden and other outdoor areas, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Free. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . **** **Portrait story days: Anna May Wong,** listen to a story about the first Chinese American movie star and the first Asian American actress to gain international recognition, and create a piece of art inspired by her life and portrait. 1-4 p.m. Saturday, 2-5 p.m. Sunday, National Portrait Gallery, first floor, Education Center, Room E151, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Curator’s tour,** senior historian David Ward leads a tour of the exhibit “Face Value: Portraiture in the Age of Abstraction.” 2 p.m., National Portrait Gallery, Second Floor Exhibit Entrance, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Guided bike ride,** about three hours, led by a National Park Service ranger, with stops to discuss moments in American history; bring your bike, water and snacks; helmets required. 2-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through May 25, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, 900 Ohio Dr. SW. Free. 202-426-6841. **Rochelle Rice, jazz vocalist,** the singer and songwriter performs a combination of jazz, soul, pop, and rock and roll. 5-7 p.m., public plaza at the corner of Columbia Road and 18th Street NW (in front of BB&T; Bank). Free. 202-997-0783. **************“Things You Shouldn’t Say Past Midnight,”** Colin Smith directs Peter Ackerman’s bedroom comedy about three pairs of lovers trying to enjoy a night of romance. 8 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, 8 p.m. Monday; call theater or visit the Web site for other performances through June 7, Andrew Keegan Theater, 1742 Church St. NW. $30; students and seniors, $25. 703-892-0202, boxoffice@keegantheatre.com  , www.keegantheatre.com . **Dance recital,** Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion performs in an ensemble work, a piece that investigates gender roles in the black community and societal perspectives on the quest for acceptance in the world of hip-hop celebrity at the same time as Abraham reflects on the current “emoticon culture.” 8 p.m. Saturday, 4 p.m. Sunday, Howard University, Ira Aldridge Theater, 2455 Sixth St. NW. $30; seniors, artists and teachers, $25 (advance sales only); college students, $15; children 17 and under, $10. 202-269-1600 or www.danceplace.org . **************Martha’s Table ministry,** which helps feed homeless men, women and families through its McKenna’s Wagon soup kitchen, collects sandwiches and fruit from volunteers. 8:30-11:15 a.m., Washington National Cathedral, Hearst Circle, adjacent to the Wisconsin Avenue parking garage. Free. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . **** **Pennsylvania Avenue: America’s Main Street,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walk and reveals some of the avenue’s lesser-known facts. 10:30 a.m. Sundays, Old Post Office Tower, Benjamin Franklin statue, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. 202-606-8691. **“Ben-Hur,”** a screening of the 1925 silent film about a Jewish prince whose family is wrongly imprisoned then saved by Jesus as he is put on the cross to die; pianist and composer Andrew E. Simpson performs his original score to accompany the rarely seen film. 1 p.m., National Portrait Gallery, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. Free tickets distributed at 12:30 p.m. in the G Street Lobby. 202-633-1000. ******Knitting and crocheting workshop,** join fellow needlers to create items for those in need; instruction, needles and yarn provided. 1 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, fourth floor of the South Tower, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Free. Mila Michael, knitting@cathedralcongregation.org . 202-537-6200. **“Some Like It Hot,”** Billy Wilder’s 1959 comedy film about jazz musicians who witness the St. Valentine’s Day massacre and flee Chicago by dressing up as female jazz band members, starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon. 2 p.m., Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. Free. 202-282-3139. **Four-legged heroes,** a dog walking tour, a National Park Service ranger leads you and a leashed furry friend on a walk around the memorial and tells of the role of canines in wartime; take waste bags and water. 2-4 p.m., National World War II Memorial, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Eddy Kahle, 202-462-6841. **Gallery talk,** artist Tania Karpowitz discusses the works in her exhibit “In Memory of Harry Karpowitz,” exhibit continues through June 28, open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays. Artist talk, 2 p.m., Washington Studio School, 2129 S St. NW. Free. 202-234-3030. www.washingtonstudioschool.org . **“Pyrenees Pilgrimage: Walking Across France,”** L. Peat O’Neil discusses her latest book about her solo walk and discusses travel writing in general. 2:30 p.m., Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th NW. Free. 202-671-3121. **Smooth jazz and Scrabble,** relax to the sounds of many different artists and play Scrabble with an old or new friend. 3-5 p.m., William O. Lockridge/Bellevue Library, Lounge in the Main Meeting Room, 115 Atlantic St. SW. Free. 202-243-1184. **Age-friendly nutrition and wellness for seniors,** registered dietitian Leslie Adams provides tips on grocery shopping, vitamins, exercise and good habits for wellness, and gives copies of healthy recipes. 3 p.m., Takoma Park Library, 416 Cedar St. NW. Free. 202-576-7252. **Cathedral Choral Society in concert,** J. Reilly Lewis leads the ensemble, soloists and orchestra in a performance of two rarely heard cantatas: “Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage,” Beethoven’s 1814 homage to Goethe; and Mozart’s “Davidde Pentitente,” composed for a 1785 benefit for widows and orphans, and Haydn’s “Lord Nelson Mass,” written during the Napoleonic wars; come at 2:30 and hear Lewis discuss the program’s music. 4 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, Front Nave, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $31-$48. 202-537-2228 or www.nationalcathedral.org . **Gay Men’s Chorus in concert,** with guest performer and Tony Award-winner Laura Benanti, a performance of Broadway favorites. 4 p.m., Kennedy Center, Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW. $25-$78. 202-467-4600. **Bluegrass music by Rebecca Frazier,** the singer and songwriter performs. 4 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free; register www.hillcenterdc.org  or 202-549-4172. **Choral concert,** the Chevy Chase Choir and Orchestra perform four coronation anthems written by Handel and commissioned by King George I of England for the coronation of King George II and Queen Caroline in 1727, and Handel’s Concerto for Organ in F Major, a reception to meet the artists follows. 4 p.m., Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church, 1 Chevy Chase Cir. NW. Free- will offering. 202-363-2202. www.chevychasepc.org . **Classical piano recital,** Mícéal O’Rourke performs works by John Field and others. Latecomers not admitted. 6:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, West Building Garden Court, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. ************ ******Knit Wits,** for adults, learn to knit and crochet. 10:15 a.m. Mondays, Parklands-Turner Library, 1547 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-4532. ******Therapeutic yoga classes for cancer patients,** Corrin Bennett and Alaina Sadick lead patients, survivors and caregivers. 10:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m. Mondays, 6-7:15 p.m. Wednesdays, Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St. NW. $25/month. 202-483-8600 or www.smithcenter.org . **********U.S. Botanic Garden lunchtime tour,** museum volunteers lead a tour of plants and discuss what manila folders, Chanel No. 5, vanilla and fossil fuels have in common. Also, a discussion of possible breakthroughs in medicinal plant research. Noon, Mondays and Wednesdays through May 31, U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov . **Voyage of St. Louis,** author Martin Goldsmith and Diane Afoumado, from the National Holocaust Memorial Museum, discuss the 75th anniversary of the voyage of the German transatlantic liner that carried 938 officially “stateless” Jews who fled from the Third Reich during World War II. Noon, Library of Congress, Jefferson Building, Whittall Pavilion, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-9897. **Meet the author, “The Tenement Saga: The Lower East Side and Early Jewish American Writers ,”** Sanford Sternlicht discusses his book. Noon, Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division Reading Room, Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-3780. **“The Streets of Greenwood,”** a screening of the civil rights film, followed by a roundtable discussion on “Mississippi Freedom Summer, 1964: Memory, Legacy and the Way Forward,” featuring Robert Moses of the Algebra Project, Charlie Cobb of Brown University and Wesley Hogan of Duke University. 1-5 p.m., Library of Congress, Madison Building, Montpelier Room, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-1743. **Mental health and HIV confidential group,** ****for people with HIV and mental-health problems. Transportation tokens and refreshments provided, sponsored by MetroHealth. 3:30 p.m. 1012 14th St. NW. Free. 202-638-0750. **“The Verdict ,”** Sidney Lumet’s 1981 film about an alcoholic attorney who accepts an insurmountable medical malpractice case to redeem himself, starring Paul Newman and Charlotte Rampling. 6:30 p.m., National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free ticket, one per person, distributed at 6 p.m. 202-783-3372. ******************************************Chess club,** instruction open to children and teens. 5:30 p.m., Woodridge Library, 1801 Hamlin St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. **Shaw knitting and crocheting circle,** all experience levels welcome, bring needles and yarn to create projects to take home. 6 p.m. Mondays, Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. Free. 202-727-1288. **********************************Knitting and crocheting,** all experience levels welcome. 6:30 p.m. Mondays, Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-4297. **Caring for your pet,** representatives from Friendship Animal Hospital tell you how to manage your pet’s lumps and bumps. 7 p.m., Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Free. 202-727-1488. ******Yoga class,** ****taught by a representative from Yoga Activist, geared toward beginners but all are welcome. 7 p.m. Mondays, Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. 202-282-3080. **************Aerobics for adults,** one-hour sessions. 7:15 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, Capitol View Library, second floor, 5001 Central Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-0755. ******“Children of Eden,”** a semi-staged performance of an inspirational musical about parents, children and faith by Stephen Schwartz, from the book by John Caird, freely based on the story of Genesis, a frank and often humorous examination of the usual conflicts between parents and their children, starring Ron Bohmer, Ashley Brown, Jeremy Jordan and Rebecca Naomi Jones. 8 p.m., Kennedy Center, Eisenhower Theater, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. ************ **“How Could This Happen: Explaining the Holocaust ,”** author Dan McMillan discusses his book about the seemingly incomprehensible, an exploration of a monumental crime, its causes and how a once-progressive society like Germany’s could have carried out the Holocaust. Noon, National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Botanical Garden’s Rose Garden,** rosarian Sharon Hanes leads a tour of the garden and discusses the versatility and timelessness of the rose, America’s national flower; bring sunscreen and water. Noon, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . **“This Nonviolent Stuff’ll Get You Killed: How Guns Made the Civil Rights Movement Possible ,” **Charles E. Cobb Jr. discusses his book. Noon, Library of Congress, Jefferson Building, Whittall Pavilion, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-5510. **The Washington Chorus performs,** Julian Wachner leads the Frederick Hartt 100th anniversary memorial concert. 12:10 p.m., Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Suggested donation, $10. 202-347-2635, Ext. 20. **Yoga for lunch,** bring a mat; instructors from Yoga Activist. 12:30 p.m., Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. Free. Register: erika.rydberg@dc.gov . 202-727-0232. **************Sketching workshop,** bring pencils and a small sketchbook, work with objects on display in the Luce Foundation Center. 2:30-4:30 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Homework help,** for ages 13-19, aid with homework and special projects. 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Francis A. Gregory Library, Teen Space, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-4297. **HIV/STI screening,** ages 13-24, by Metro TeenAIDS with information on how to live a healthy life. 4 p.m., Anacostia Library, Meeting Room 2, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. Free. 202-715-7707 or 202-715-7708. **Chamber music,** presented by the NSO Youth Fellowship program. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Cemetery lecture,** Anne Brockett and Ruth Trocolli, from the D.C. Historic Preservation Office, will discuss “Cemeteries We Have Loved, Lost and Rediscovered.” A reception with wine and cheese follows. 7-9 p.m., Congressional Cemetery, historic 1903 Chapel, 1801 E St. SE. Suggested donation, $5. Register: lmaloy@congressionalcemetery.org. 202-543-0539. ******************************************Yoga for teens and adults,** Doriel Hall teaches a step-by-step program for beginners’ health and well-being. 7 p.m. Tuesdays, Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. Free. 202-724-4752. ******“The New Black,”** Yoruba Richen’s documentary film about how the African American community is managing the gay rights issue in light of the gay marriage movement and the fight over civil rights. 7 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free. Register: www.hillcenterdc.org . 202-549-4172. **Pacifica Quartet concert,** with pianist Marc-André Hamelin performing works by Ornstein, Hamelin and Dvorak. 7:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $32. 202-467-4600. ******Total body workout,** a 10-week class led by Carolyn Gichner, bring a mat and light weights, sponsored by Sibley Senior Association. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Wednesdays and Fridays through June 11, Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, 3401 Nebraska Ave. NW. $90 for one day per week; $170 for two days per week. 202-364-7602. **Genealogy,** archives specialist Rebecca Sharp discusses the use of land records in genealogic research. 11 a.m., National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **********Gallery talk,** a museum staff member discusses “Domestic Affairs,” on fabric, fiber and food storage. Noon, National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. Free. 202-783-5000. ******National Gallery of Art Vocal Ensemble,** a performance of works by Monteverdi; in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute and the Delegation of the European Union to the United States. 12:10 p.m., National Gallery of Art, West Building Garden Court, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **Incredible insects!,** for ages 5-11, entomologist Kay Taub leads an interactive workshop for children that provides an introduction to arthropods (insects and their relatives), focusing on diversity of species and their importance in the ecosystem. 1:30 p.m., Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free, reservations suggested. 202-282-3080. **Train your brain games,** a fun workout for the brain using puzzles, games and other activities that help prolong healthy functioning, learning, memory, creativity and flexibility in thinking. 3 p.m., Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. Free. 202-243-1188. **Flag semaphore,** for teens and tweens to learn a maritime method of communication using flags in celebration of the May 22 National Maritime Day. 3 p.m., Palisades Library, Small Meeting Room, 4901 V St. NW. Free. 202-282-3139. **Lunder Conservation Center behind the scenes,** a staff member discusses how conservators use science, art history and skilled hands to preserve objects. 3 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, third floor, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **“Seam,”** poet Tarfia Faizullah reads from her debut collection of poems. 4 p.m., Library of Congress, Madison Building, Mary Pickford Theater, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-5394. ******Chess for kids,** instruction for all ages. 4 p.m. Wednesdays, Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. 202-282-3080. **Games and puzzles,** for ages 4-12, (age 8 and younger with an adult companion), play competitive board games, cards or do puzzles. 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-4297. **Youth poetry slam team workshop,** for teens to participate in weekly poetry and spoken word workshops that address issues of social justice. 4:30 p.m., Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. Free. 202-281-2583. **“The Historic Waterfront of Washington, D.C.,”** author John R. Wennersten discusses his book that explores the early history of the waterfront and 20th century redevelopment and the challenges facing the Potomac and Anacostia rivers. 5:15 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-1213. **********Teen game night,** for ages 13-19, play board and Wii games. 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-4297. **Chamber music,** students from Woodrow Wilson High School perform. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Chess club,** for all ages and skill levels. 6 p.m. Wednesdays, Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-4297. **Is This art? discussion,** a gallery talk of free-flowing conversation and debate on modern and contemporary art. 6 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Lincoln Gallery, third floor, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Washington and the art of ancient Egypt: a monumental obsession,** Alexander Nagel, curator of the Freer Gallery’s exhibit “The Nile and Ancient Egypt,” discusses the civilization that once thrived along the Nile and how everything from mummies to Egyptian Revival architecture held the interest of Washingtonians, especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 6:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $25. 202-633-3030. ******Mathematics, ancient Egyptian style,** David Reimer, author of the new book “Count Like an Egyptian: A Hands-on Introduction to Ancient Mathematics ,” discusses the ancient system and demonstrates mathematical problems, solving them with the audience. 7 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $25. 202-633-3030. **Meditation class,** for adults, meditators from the Science of Spirituality Center lead sessions on Hyothi meditation. 7 p.m. Wednesdays through June 18, Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. Free. 202-727-0232. **Film screening at St. Mary’s Court,** watch “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” adapted from the 1930 short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Katherine Anne Porter, in celebration of May as Older Americans Month and in partnership with St. Mary’s Court, a nearby residential living facility for seniors. 7 p.m., West End Library, 1101 24th St. NW. Free. 202-724-8707. **Southeast meditation class,** led by David Newcomb, a workshop that demonstrates the most natural and effective techniques of meditation. 7 p.m., Southeast Library, 403 Seventh St. SE. Free. 202-698-3377. **Classical music recital,** violinist Stefan Jackiw and pianist Anna Polonsky perform works by Mozart, Lutoslawski, Saariaho and Brahms, sponsored by Washington Performing Arts Society. 7:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $35. 202-785-9727. www.wpas.org . **Classical organ recital,** Iveta Apkalna performs on the Rubenstein organ. 8 p.m., Kennedy Center, Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW. $15. 202-467-4600. ******“I Heard My Country Calling: A Memoir by James Webb ,”** the former U.S. senator from Virginia, secretary of the Navy, combat Marine and recipient of the Navy Cross, Silver Star and Purple Heart medals discusses his memoir. Noon, National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **World music,** Gerdan, “necklace” in Ukrainian, combines the inspired musicianship of Andrei Pidkivka, violinist Solomia Gorokhivska and Kalin Kiriliv in a concert of the musical traditions of Ukraine. Noon, Library of Congress, Jefferson Building, Whittall Pavilion, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-5510. **Courtyard garden tour,** horticulturists from Smithsonian Gardens lead a tour of the interior plantscape of the Kogod Courtyard, share tricks of the trade that you can use in your own home and provide a plant-care demonstration. 2:30 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, G Street Lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Cathedral gargoyle tour,** a docent shows slides of the building’s whimsical stone gargoyles and grotesques, followed by an outdoor tour; binoculars and cameras welcome. 2 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $15; age 12 and younger, $6. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org. **Sherlock Holmes under the magnifying glass: a Conan Doyle 154th birthday celebration,** biographer, novelist and mystery writer Daniel Stashower teams up with actor Scott Sedar, who will read some of Doyle’s classic works. 6:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $45. 202-633-3030. **“The Keillor Reader ,”** Garrison Keillor, founder and host of “A Prairie Home Companion,” discusses the range of his work and never-before published pieces including the essays “Cheerfulness” and “What We Have Learned So Far.” 7 p.m., National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Chris Botti in concert,** the trumpeter performs a varied program, sponsored by Washington Performing Arts Society. 8 p.m., Kennedy Center, Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW. $25-$85. 202-785-9727. www.wpas.org . **** ** — Compiled by Gerri Marmer  ** **E-mail:** districtlocalliving@washpost.com (attention Gerri Marmer) **   Mail:** Community Events, District Local Living, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20071. **   Details:** Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.

Preserving a fleeting art form: The garden

In 1990, the innovative landscape architects Wolfgang Oehme and James van Sweden trumpeted their efforts at changing the face of the American garden by publishing a book titled “Bold Romantic Gardens.” They showed that dynamic gardens of novel perennials and ornamental grasses sprinkled with shrubs and trees could replace static lawns and clipped hedges. They used this plant palette in all kinds of settings — small urban gardens, big civic projects, seaside landscapes and botanical gardens. Their credo seemed to be: The meek may inherit the earth, but it is the daring who should shape it. A generation later, the D.C. firm they established lives on, but both Oehme and van Sweden have died — and so has much of their original work. Of the 21 landscape projects featured in the book, nine have been lost to time or neglect, or altered to the changing needs or tastes of subsequent owners. Gardens are living creations, and even the best-tended of them change. It is because of this fragility that extra care must be taken to preserve the worthy ones. Raising awareness of these forces was the major impetus behind an exhibition that closes Sunday at the National Building Museum after six months. “The New American Garden: The Landscape Architecture of Oehme, van Sweden” includes photographs of major projects, including the Federal Reserve Board garden; the Slifka beach house in Sagaponack, N.Y.; the seminal Vollmer residence in Baltimore; and the Rosenberg garden on Long Island’s Mecox Bay. This show is ending as another landscape design exhibition at the building museum is in full swing. “Luminous Landscapes” is a survey by photographer Alan Ward of some of our most enduring and culturally significant landscapes, including Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Mass.; Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown; and the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C. Through Ward’s panoramic lenses, they have an immutable quality about them. Viewing both shows in sequence offers remarkable contrasts about how spaces are given different character and how our gardening sensibilities have changed over the past century. It is the tenuousness of Oehme and van Sweden’s creations that spurred the landscape conservationist Charles Birnbaum to stage that show in collaboration with the museum’s curators. As founder and head of the Cultural Landscape Foundation, Birnbaum has been raising concerns for a long time about the constant loss of or threat to important designed landscapes by major landscape architects. In various institutional and civic settings, many of the gardens are aging, their founders out of the picture, and the spaces are being eyed for other uses. If the designed landscapes “haven’t had a level of maintenance, they reach a tipping point, and when they do, there’s pressure to create something new because it’s easier to fund,” Birnbaum said. One such work under threat is Pershing Park on Pennsylvania Avenue two blocks east of the White House, designed by the modernist M. Paul Friedberg with landscape design by Oehme and van Sweden. The central feature, a pond of aquatic plants, has been drained, the hardscape elements have decayed, and the site is earmarked for a World War I memorial. Birnbaum also laments the loss of van Sweden’s own two personal gardens and that of his Georgetown neighbor, the late Evelyn Nef, which van Sweden designed around Nef’s mosaic by Marc Chagall. The mosaic has since been moved (and restored) and can be seen in the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden on the Mall. Oehme’s own erstwhile garden in Towson has faded away. In addition to large images of seminal work, the exhibition includes contemporary artwork that inspired van Sweden, vivid architectural drawings and other artifacts from the firm’s practice. Birnbaum said he hopes the show, which travels next to Pittsburgh and then to Baltimore, will do for Oehme and van Sweden what a 2013 exhibition achieved for the modernist landscape architect Dan Kiley: raise the currency, stewardship and protections for the surviving work. Oehme and van Sweden’s firm thrives and evolves, led by three principals who worked for years with the founders. But the gardens that Wolfgang Oehme and Jim van Sweden directly conceived and planted are aging, as are the residential clients who commissioned them. Kiley’s work is among those captured by “Luminous Landscapes,” which runs until Sept. 5 and includes his seminal Miller Garden, around a house designed by Eero Saarinen in the 1950s in Columbus, Ind. Presented in black and white and surveying highly structured landscapes, Ward’s big images have a starkly different feel from those in the softer Oehme and van Sweden exhibition. The latter is immersive, as if you are sharing in the ebullience of the meadow. Ward’s, by contrast, is objective and cool, with the color removed “to see past what we are used to looking at in a landscape,” said the curator, Susan Piedmont-Palladino, “to probe more deeply into the structure and the light and the texture.” Ward, who is also a landscape architect, said formal, geometric gardens in particular lend themselves to the captured image and are “canonized” by them. “In some ways, certain landscapes can become more powerful because of the way they work within the frame,” he said. We should not forget Ward’s own skill as an artist and technician working through the lens. Ward’s photographic subjects tend to be free of people, which, along with their monotones, gives them a stark and timeless quality. The pictures convey a permanence that makes the Oehme and van Sweden images fleeting. One is spiritual, the other temporal. Ward and Birnbaum caution against reading too much into this juxtaposition, noting that formal, architectural landscapes need maintenance and refreshing. The allées at the Miller Garden have been replaced several times over the decades. The two exhibitions have different objectives but at least one linkage. “They are both highly focused on how individual people are seeing the landscape,” Piedmont-Palladino said. Their contrasts, side by side, heighten the thrill of each one. But hurry. **@adrian_higgins on Twitter ** **More fromLifestyle:** One of a gardener’s greatest joys: The return of birds during nesting season When you love lilacs, but they don’t love you back Everything you need to know to assemble and care for a succulent garden

Exposing plants’ deepest dirty secrets: Their roots

_Wow._ That’s what kids usually say when they first see the long, tangled things at the United States Botanic Garden, said Susan Pell, program manager at the garden. Some are 15 feet long. They look like messy string or an old man’s beard or even Rapunzel’s hair. But they’re actually dried roots that are part of the exhibit “Exposed: The Secret Life of Roots.” And they are at the museum to share a few secrets, including how important they are. “Roots are a usually hidden but critically important part of the plant,” said Pell, who helped design the exhibit. People don’t often think about roots because they’re underground, she said. Through displays of living and dried roots, you can see their strange beauty and learn more about them. And, you can celebrate roots Saturday at a festival with food and crafts. Roots are vital for plants eaten by animals and humans all over the world. They absorb the water and nutrients from the soil that the plant needs to grow. They also anchor or help the plant to stay in one place. At the exhibit, large photos and window stickers show the roots of common plants such as wheat, dandelions and daisies. Some of the pots containing living plants have see-through sections so that you can peer at the roots spreading through the soil. These roots may appear delicate, but you might be surprised when you finger those with “please touch” signs. They’re stronger than they look! And here’s another secret from the exhibit: Some roots are used as food. That carrot and radish in your salad? They’re both roots. In fact, carrots have been around for more than 5,000 years, but the first carrots were white or purple. Humans have been growing the orange variety for about 400 years. Not every underground plant part is a root, though. Irish potatoes are actually tubers, or stems. Garlic is a bulb, or a collection of energy-storing leaves. You can snack on roots and root impostors and learn how to cook, plant and make paint from them at Saturday’s festival, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Healthy roots depend on healthy soil, according to Jerry Glover, a soil scientist featured in the exhibit. Soil also gets little attention, but it’s the “foundation of life,” Pell said. Soil not only enables plants to grow, but it is home to worms, insects and billions of microorganisms. It can be damaged easily by pollution or erosion (the wearing away of soil). The United Nations, an organization that promotes cooperation among countries, made 2015 the International Year of Soils to recognize their importance. After visiting the indoor exhibit, stroll through the gardens. You’ll see the roots of the stilt palm and several other plants, but you’ll also know that the hidden roots of the roses, corn, grasses and bamboo are busy below. One last secret about roots: They can inspire amazing art. Check out Steve Tobin’s enormous sculptures at the entrance. The graceful metal tendrils look like huge versions of the real roots in the exhibit. **What:** “Exposed: The Secret Life of Roots,” in East Gallery through October 13. **Where:** U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Avenue SW. **When:** 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. **How much:** Free. **For more information:** A parent can call 202-225-8333 or visit www.usbg.gov. ● The U.S. Botanic Garden houses plants from all over the world, and it helps rebuild the populations of rare and endangered plant species. ● There are different types of roots. Some plants, like the carrot, have only one big root, called a tap root. Others have many small, fibrous roots. ● Very tall plants can sometimes have very shallow roots. The roots of the 350-foot-tall Redwood tree are only five or six feet long. The trees grow close together and their roots entwine, giving them the strength to hold the giant trees in place. **— Mary Quattlebaum  **

What we’re reading: ‘Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt’

Just a month ago, after visiting our dormant, snow-covered garden in the backyard, my 5-year-old asked, “Mama, what happens to the worms in the winter time?” And though I didn’t have the answer, I knew just what book would: **_Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt_,** by Kate Messner, with art by Christopher Silas Neal– a beautiful book about a garden in every season, above the soil and below. It begins in late winter with the ground still saturated with melted snow and frosty soil, “Down in the dirt, things need to dry out and warm up,” a grandmother tells her granddaughter as they kneel in the mud.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico We follow the two on their journey through the next four seasons as they prepare the garden with compost in a bright red wheelbarrow, plant seeds and gently tend them, pull weeds and water the garden (and each other), watch the plants grow and produce food, and harvest the spoils of their hard work. All the while, we see what goes on both above and below ground, bringing to light the dark mysteries of the underground world and the creatures that are just as important as what we see above ground. Part of what we enjoy most about this book is its full-circle nature; we see the process and harmony of all the creatures in each season as integral to one another’s success. Every ant, grub, worm, bird, and bee have an important job to do in the garden. And the bonus is found at the end of the story with a guide to all the creatures mentioned or drawn in the book — the beneficial as well as the pest variety, including their scientific names and roles they play in the backyard garden. Neal’s illustrations convey the beauty of the garden and all its inhabitants, and could not be more lovely. Check out this book before spring is over to inspire the little gardener in your home. _Lauren Knight blogs atCrumb Bums._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico **LikeOn Parenting on Facebook for more essays, advice and book suggestions. You can sign up here for our newsletter or check us out online here.**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico _You might also be interested in:_    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico Introducing kids to gardening    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico 10 ways to get kids into nature and why you should    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico What we’re reading: The Iridescence of Birds    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico

Overseeing how the garden grows

To most visitors, the U.S. Botanic Garden is a sanctuary for enjoying the sight and fragrance of thousands of exotic plants from around the world. It is that and more. Executive Director Ari Novy, a walking font of plant knowledge, oversees a multitude of programs and exhibits, including a seasonal exhibit, which this year is a display of 33 lighthouses constructed from plant materials, and opens Nov. 27. Novy and about 70 staff members participate in a global strategy to conserve plant species; demonstrate the economic, ecological and cultural importance of plants to our existence; and educate Americans, foreign visitors and Congress on the importance of plants and plant science. Although the nation’s most visited public garden—1.2 million people a year—has the lofty goal of stewarding a museum collection of more than 10,000 plants and keeping alive a handful from the original collection of 200 gathered during a four-year expedition starting in 1838, it also teaches people how to garden at home in environmentally friendly ways. The Landscape for Life program, Novy said, “helps people in a common sense and doable way to manage their own landscapes in a sustainable way.” In addition to being good for health, ergonomics and aesthetics, following the program helps the larger ecosystem by creating a habitat for animals, processing water better, decreasing erosion and increasing biodiversity, he said. It’s an offshoot of another sustainability program aimed at landscape architects, engineers and others who work in land design and development. Along with managing the botanic garden’s programs and operations, Novy likes to give tours to visitors, some of whom are interested in specific plants, but others who are not. Yet somehow they are drawn—or dragged—to the institution. “He has a real knack for what it is that connects people to plants,” said Lee Coykendall, a children’s education specialist. “He has a passion for the plant world along with a background in science.” When Novy talks to the less enthusiastic visitors, he probes them about their hobbies. “So many things are relatable to plants,” he said. “Almost whatever you’re interested in, there’s some connection to plants and it’s really important to help people recognize that,” said Novy, a plant biologist. He started working as a public programs manager at the Botanic Garden in 2012 and became executive director this past June. “There are only certain ways to produce things, three substrates from which things can be produced in the world: mined materials, out of the ocean and from plants,” he said. “They are one of the pillars of materials we use to support our lives.” In giving tours, Novy might pull off a leaf from a camphor tree in a medicinal plants room to teach that the analgesic inhaled as a vapor does not originate from Vicks VapoRub. Or he might swipe the inside of carnivorous Venus flytrap with grass to trigger tiny hairs to close the trap. “Venus flytraps feel so exotic, but they’re from the Carolinas and that’s the only place they’re from,” he said. “We’re bringing into full view things that are already quite at home.” The institution’s most popular attraction by far is the Titan Arum, a stinky plant known as the corpse flower. One such plant in the collection bloomed in July of 2013—for the first time in nearly a decade—attracting more than 130,000 visitors to see and possibly smell it, and another 650,000 views of a live stream. “That is extraordinary,” Novy said. “It was a record-breaking occurrence.” Founded in 1850, the botanic garden is part of the legislative branch and administered by the Architect of the Capitol. Novy likes that the botanic garden is just downhill from the nation’s House and Senate chambers. “To be one of the closest buildings to the seat of legislative power is a particularly salient honor of the U.S. Botanic Garden,” he said. The institution is certified as a museum, a designation not many public gardens achieve. Maintaining a living collection presents inherent difficulties. “It often means planning on a decadal time frame with plants that are unpredictable and susceptible to diseases and all kinds of pressures,” Novy said. “It requires all kinds of expertise.” Novy didn’t always want to be a plant scientist. His grandfather owned a flower shop, but that did not lead him to his current federal position. “I’m sure the seed was planted for an appreciation of plants, but I never considered it as a career,” he said. Rather, while studying Italian literature in Italy as an undergrad, Novy started a gardening club at a Renaissance villa bequeathed to the university. Later, he said, he was offered a job and was guided by a gardener who realized Novy was more interested in plant science than aesthetics. From that experience, he said, “I fell in love with horticulture.” _This article was jointly prepared by the Partnership for Public Service, a group seeking to enhance the performance of the federal government, and washingtonpost.com. Go to http://washingtonpost.com/wp- srv/politics/fedpage/players/ to read about other federal workers who are making a difference._

Observe today’s National Public Gardens Day all weekend long

We observe many unconventional holidays here at the Going Out Guide -- who doesn't love National Taco and Vodka Day? -- but today we celebrate an especially important one: National Public Gardens Day.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University There are plenty of gardens within the city, but if you aren't lucky enough to enjoy one of Washington's green nooks today, never fear. Not only do we have a lovely, early-summer  forecast this weekend, but there are plenty of garden- themed events going on as well. Need more inspiration? Check out our best bets list and our gardens gallery:    *[WSU]: Wayne State University ![](http://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2012/04/09/Weekend/Images/Lilypons Water Gardens3_1333985041.jpg)    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **Smithsonian Garden Fest** Sure, you have seen the museums _indoor_ exhibits, but did you know that the landscaping around Washington's museums is often just as interesting? Learn more about the Smithsonian gardens today until 7 p.m.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **Capitol Hill House and Garden Tour**Take a peek inside the homes and gardens of one of Washington's most historic neighborhoods on Saturday and Sunday.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **Georgetown Garden Tour** Explore the secret gardens of Washington's most wealthy during this tour on Saturday.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **Mother's Day in the Garden**On Sunday, Riversdale House Museum in Prince George's County won't just show your mom around their gardens; they'll let her in free with your paid admission -- a mere $3!    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **Kentlands Home and Garden Tour** The Gaithersburg neighborhood opens its doors to visitors Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **Wings of Fancy Live Butterfly and Caterpillar Exhibit** Brookside Gardens has filled its conservatory with colorful, fluttering creatures. The exhibit is open daily, but you will want to be sure to visit Saturday when the Silver Spring Garden Club sets up its annual sale outside the visitor center.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University

D.C. community calendar, August 13-19, 2015

**Memorials of the Mall** A National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour of America’s front yard. Daily from 10 a.m.-noon and 8-10 p.m. Lincoln Memorial Plaza, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. 202-426-6841. Free. **Tour through a Southern exposure** Gardener Anna Mische John leads a tour designed to take advantage of a microclimate more moderate than the other Botanic Garden outdoor displays, ideal for native plant enthusiasts, limit pushers and small-space gardeners. 10:30 a.m. U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . Free, registration required. **Washington Cathedral behind the scenes** Age 11 and older. See gargoyles and stained-glass windows and climb stairs for a panoramic view of the city. Bring a camera. Weekdays except holidays at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-537-2228. www.nationalcathedral.org . $25, age 11 and 12 $21. **“Ricki and the Flash ” **Jonathan Demme’s film about a woman who dreamed of becoming a rock singer and guitarist, starring Meryl Streep. Call theater for showtimes. 12:15, 2:45, 5:15, 7:45 p.m. Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-966-6000. www.theavalon.org . $11.75, students $9.25, seniors $9, military and age 12 and younger $8.75. **U.S. Air Force Band concert** Singing Sergeants serenade museum visitors. Noon, 1 and 2 p.m. National Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-1000 and 202-767-5658. Free. **“Maker Camp” at Bellevue Library** Ages 8-14 are invited to a weekday camp to work on exciting experiments and projects. Thursday from 1-2 p.m., Friday from noon-1 p.m. William O. Lockridge/Bellevue Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW. 202-243-1184. Free. **Free summer meals** For kids and teens. Weekdays from 1-2:30 p.m. through Aug. 14: Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. 202-698-6373; Lamond-Riggs Library, 5401 South Dakota Ave. NE. 202-541-6255; Martin Luther King Jr. Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-0321; Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. 202-671-3121; Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. 202-243-1188; Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. 202-724-4752; and Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. 202-727-1288. Mondays through Saturdays from 1-2:30 p.m. through Aug. 14: Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-715-7707 or 202-715-7708; Capitol View Library, 5001 Central Ave. SE, 202-645-0755; Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. 202-281-2583. And, Thursdays 1-2:30 p.m. through Aug. 14: William O. Lockridge/Bellevue Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW. 202-243-1184. **Georgetown “Maker Camp”** Ages 8-14 participate in experiments and projects. 2-4 p.m. Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. 202-727-0232. And Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. 202-671-3121. Free. **Benning Library “Maker Camp”** Ages 8-14 learn to do exciting experiments and work on projects. 2:30-4:30 p.m. Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. 202-281-2583. Free. **Petworth Library “Maker Camp”** Ages 8-14 invited to a weekday camp to work on exciting experiments and projects. 2:30 p.m. Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. 202-243-1188. Free. **Parklands-Turner Mini “Maker Camp”** Ages 8-16 are invited to participate in experiments and projects. Thursday-Friday from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Parklands- Turner Library, 1547 Alabama Ave. SE. 202-645-4532. Free. **Chess for kids** Master chess instructor guides you from the basics to advancing your level of skill. 5 p.m. weekly through Aug. 27. Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-282-3080. Free. **Art Signs** A volunteer American Sign Language gallery guide leads conversations about various artworks. 5:30 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, F Street Lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free. **Gallery talk: “Watch This!”** Video artist Rico Gatson leads a gallery tour and discusses “Gun Play,” his socially conscious work in the exhibit and his overall approach to art. 5:30 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, F Street Lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free. **Play chess** All ages and experience levels may learn how to play or improve their game. Thursdays and Tuesdays at 6 p.m. Through Oct. 29. Deanwood Library, 1350 49th St. NE. 202-698-1175. Free. **Zumba** A representative from VIDA Fitness leads a workout. More events at 7 p.m. The Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. 202-289-0111. www.capitolriverfront.org . Free. **U.S. Marine Band concert** A performance of Antonín Dvořák’s “Carnival Overture,” Opus 92, Frank Ticheli’s “Amazing Grace” and “Toccata Marziale” by Ralph Vaughan Williams. 8 p.m. Sylvan Theater, on the Washington Monument grounds near 15th Street and Independence Avenue SW. 202-433-4011. Free. **“The Goonies ” **(PG) Outdoor screening of the film starring Sean Astin and Josh Brolin. 8:05 p.m. Canal Park, 200 M St. SE. 202-544-6051. www.canalparkdc.org . Free. **Fitness in the front** High energy workout with DCBFit. More events at www.capitolriverfront.org . Friday from 6:30-7:30 a.m., Saturday from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. 202-289-0111. Free. **Outdoor yoga class** All experience levels welcome to vinyasa class. Weekly at 9 a.m. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Outdoor Plaza, Seventh Street and Independence Avenue SW. 202-633-1000. Free. **Farmers market** Thirty-one vendors from USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. Most Fridays from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Through Oct. 30. USDA Jefferson Auditorium, 12th Street and Independence Avenue SW. 866-632-9992. Free. **Chess instruction and line dancing for seniors** Age 50 and older. Learn the basics of chess or fine-tune your strategies. Both activities on Fridays at 10 a.m. Woodridge Interim Library, 1790 Douglas St. NE. 202-541-6226. Free. **U.S. Navy Band concert** The Band’s Brass Quintet performs a program of chamber music. 11 a.m. and noon. The Saxophone Quartet performs at 1 and 2 p.m. National Air and Space Museum, Sixth Street and Independence Avenue SW. 202-633-1000 and 202-433-2525. Free. **Fringe music in the library: Mellow Diamond** Cello virtuoso and multi- instrumentalist Janel Leppin shows off another side on “Treaty,” her solo debut as Mellow Diamond; bring a lunch. Noon. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, Great Hall, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-0321. Free. **Jurassic period at the Botanical Gardens** Volunteers discuss the connection of the exotic plant world of yesterday to today’s jungles, deserts and tropical paradises and expected breakthroughs in medicinal plant research. Fridays, Mondays and Wednesdays at noon. Through Aug. 31. U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . Free. **Shhh. . . acting without speaking **An acting workshop that helps tighten your skills without saying a word. 3 p.m. Parklands-Turner Library, 1547 Alabama Ave. SE. 202-645-4532. Free. ******Jazz in the Garden** Brazilian jazz by Origem. 5-8:30 p.m. National Gallery of Art, Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215. Free. **Pop concert** Jeff From Accounting performs. 6:30-8:30 p.m. The Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. 202-289-0111. www.yardspark.org . Free. **Paint and sip art workshop** Step-by-step instruction by teaching artists Ellen Cornett and Sheppard Bear, create your own artwork; snacks and wine served. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. Registration: 202-547-6839. www.chaw.org . $30, includes materials and refreshments. **“Dear Evan Hansen”** Michael Greif directs the contemporary and intimate musical story of hope, heartache and home. Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays-Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Through Aug. 23. Arena Stage, Kreeger Theater, 1101 Sixth St. SW. 202-488-3300. www.arenastage.org . $40-$90, subject to change and based on availability. **U.S. Marines on parade** Silent Drill Team, Drum and Bugle Corps, Color Guard, Silent Drill Platoon and Ceremonial Marchers. Guests with reservations admitted at 7:15 p.m.; visitors must arrive no later than 8 p.m. Parade 8:45 p.m. Weekly through Aug. 28. Marine Barracks, Eighth and I streets SE. 202-433-4011. 202-433-6060. www.barracks.marines.mil . Free, reservations required. **Paths less traveled** A National Park Service ranger discusses where these paths lead. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Paul O’Brian, 202-438-7066. Free. **Walking tour: Mr. Lincoln goes to Washington** National Park Service ranger leads a tour and discusses Lincoln’s life and death in D.C. 10 a.m.-noon. Washington Monument, 15th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Steve Miller. 202-716-5692. Free. **Guided bike ride** About three hours, led by a National Park Service ranger, with stops to discuss various memorials found on the Mall; bring your own bike, water and snacks, helmets required. Saturdays-Sundays from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Through Labor Day. Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. 202-426-6841. Free. **Yoga in Mount Pleasant** Carol and Marjorie lead relaxing, stress-free yoga; all experience levels welcome; wear comfortable clothing, bring water and a yoga mat. Weekly at 10 a.m. Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. 202-671-3121. Free. **Pets in the park: Companions in our American story** A National Park Service ranger leads person+dog pairs on a fun and educational walk through the Mall and memorial parks; dogs should be leashed. 10 a.m. Lincoln Memorial, Plaza, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. 202-426-6841. Free. **Divergent paths: U.S. and Japanese imperialism, 1895-1941** Presentation by a National Park Service ranger. 10-10:30 a.m. and 2-2:30 p.m. National World War II Memorial, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Chip Dewell. 202-426-6841. Free. ******Practice WithLoveDC yoga gathering** Classes that use the beautiful spaces around the District. Weekly at 10:30-11:30 a.m. Through Aug. 29. U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. Free. **Congressional Cemetery** A docent-led introductory tour through the burial place of John Philip Sousa, Civil War photographer Mathew Brady and Marion Barry. Saturdays at 11 a.m. Through November. Historic Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. 202-543-0539. www.congressionalcemetery.org . Free. **Women in War walking tour** National Park Service Ranger Lauren Devore leads a tour of the World War II Memorial, Korea and Vietnam memorials and tells how they encompass the history of women’s involvement through different stages of war. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. National World War II Memorial, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-426-6841. Free. **Gamer Family Festival** Video game play, arts and crafts projects and performances are part of this program inspired by the museum’s collection. 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Kogod Courtyard, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-7970. Free. **Backyard composting basics** Master gardener John Wheeler discusses the benefits of using compost in your garden, different methods of backyard composting and what you can and cannot add to your compost. 1 p.m. Petworth Library, Lower Level Meeting Room, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. 202-243-1188. Free. **Pacific rhythm** Performance of traditional dance and music from Hawaii, Tahiti, New Zealand, Fiji, Cook Islands and Samoa. 2 p.m. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-0321. Free. ******Tango** Learn and practice the Argentine Tango with Bahman Aryana of Rendezvous Tango, all experience levels welcome. Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. through Sept. 26. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-0321. Free. **** ******Palisades farmers market** Locally grown seasonal produce year round, music by Sherier Mountain. Sundays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. 48th Place and MacArthur Boulevard NW. www.palisadesfarmersmarket.com . **Sunday Yoga at the library** Jenny of Yoga Activist leads age 18 and older in a class for beginners, bring your own mat or towel. Sundays at 1:30 p.m. Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. 202-727-1288. Free. **“Frozen” sing-along** Watch the film and sing along with your favorite songs. 2 p.m. Juanita E. Thornton/Shepherd Park Library, 7420 Georgia Ave. NW. 202-541-6100. Free. **Architecture of the Mall** A National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour and discusses the buildings visible from the nation’s front yard, backpacks not permitted. 2-4 p.m. Washington Monument, 15th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Michael Draper, 202-426-6841. Free. **All things French** Lorena Baines discusses “When in Rome, Do as the French Do? The Lure of Italy in Baroque France.” 2 p.m. National Gallery of Art, Ground Floor Lecture Hall, 600 Constitution Ave. NW. 202-737-4215. Free. ******Jazz concert** Sine Qua Non composer, bass player and bandleader Michael Bowie performs with the ensemble. 5 p.m. Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-549-4172. Free. **Joint Service Jazz** Musicians from the U.S. Army Blues, U.S. Navy Commodores and U.S. Airmen of Note perform. 7:30 p.m. Carter Barron Amphitheatre, 4850 Colorado Ave. NW. 202-426-0486. 202-433-2525. www.nps.gov . Free. **Classical organ recital** Organist Josh Boyd performs. 6 p.m. Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Upper Church, 400 Michigan Ave. NE. 202-526-8300. www.nationalshrine.com/music . Donations requested. **Cantaré, Latin American music** An interactive performance in which the audience members play instruments and dance to the music of three cultures that shaped Latin music. 11 a.m. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-0321. Free. **Viniyoga with Robin Glantz** Certified yoga instructor teaches introduction to viniyoga classes for all levels of experience and fitness. Mondays at 11 a.m. Through Aug. 31. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-727-1488. Free. **Hatha yoga** Hatha yoga teacher from Yoga Activist leads a one-hour gentle and slower-paced form of yoga. Mondays at noon, through Aug. 31. Tenley- Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-727-1488. Free. **Create your own superhero** Artist Rejan Sedalia leads a workshop in which participants create a superhero, selecting from a variety of body types, shields, logos, handwear, sleeves, legwear, footwear, accessories and hair styles. 1 p.m. Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. 202-727-1288. Free. **Chess for youths** Learn how to play from an experienced instructor and participate in friendly games against each other. Mondays at 3 p.m. Through Aug. 24. Rosedale Library, 1701 Gales St. NE. 202-727-5012. Free. **Outdoor yoga mortis** All experience levels, led by Alyson Shade; wear comfortable clothing. Mondays at 6 p.m. Historic Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. 202-543-0539. www.congressionalcemetery.org . Donations requested. **U.S. Navy Band concert** The Concert Band performs a mix of marches, patriotic selections and wind band repertoire as part of the Concert at the Capitol series. 8 p.m. U.S. Capitol (west steps). Free. 202-433-2525. **Classical music ZZYZX** Saxophonists Stacy Wilson, Stephen Page, Matt Evans and Dana Booher perform. 12:10 p.m. Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. 202-347-2635, Ext. 20. $10. **U.S. Botanic Garden lunchtime tour** Museum volunteers lead a tour of plants and discuss what manila folders, Chanel No. 5, vanilla and fossil fuels have in common. Also, a discussion of possible breakthroughs in medicinal plant research. Tuesdays at noon, through Aug. 25. U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. Free. **Sketching: Draw and discover** Draw inspiration from artists’ sketches and objects on display in the Luce Foundation, then sketch in the center’s workshop; bring a sketchbook and pencils, other materials provided. Tuesdays from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free. **Where the Andes Meet the Amazon: An Ecological Tour of Peru** Enrique Ortiz, vice president and co-founder of the Amazon Conservation Association, discusses the ecological challenges facing Peru’s coast, desert, mountains and Amazon River and the ways conservationists are working to protect these areas. 6:45-8:45 p.m. S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. 202-633-3030. www.smithsonianassociates.org . $45. **Yoga at your library** For adult and teen beginners, no experienced required; bring a mat. 7:30 p.m. Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. 202-243-1188. Free. **U.S. Navy Band concert** U.S. Navy Concert Band performs a mix of marches, patriotic selections and wind band repertoire. 7:30 p.m. U.S. Navy Memorial, Naval Heritage Center, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-433-2525. Free. **Backstage at the U.S. Botanic Garden production facility** Visit two acres of greenhouses, see unique and unusual plants and gardeners and horticulturists in action; wear comfortable shoes, layered clothing and bring water. 10-11 a.m. U.S. Botanic Garden, Production Facility, Shepherd Pkwy. SW, off I-295 North (Exit 1). 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . Free, registration required. **Gallery talk** Deborah Gaston discusses selections from special exhibition “Super Natural.” Noon-12:30 p.m. National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. 202-783-5000. Free. **All Things French lecture** Justina Yee discusses “Impressionists and the Paris Commune: Lions or Chickens?” 1 p.m. National Gallery of Art, West Building Lecture Hall, 600 Constitution Ave. NW. 202-737-4215. Free. **Games in the afternoon** Children play Uno, Candy Land, Monopoly and others over the summer. 3:30-4:30 p.m. Rosedale Library, 1701 Gales St. NE. 202-727-5012. Free. **Teen gaming** Board and video games for all; bring a friend or meet a new one. 4 p.m. Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-282-3080. Free. **Chess Club** Learn how to play or how to improve your skills, all ages welcome. Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. 202-698-6373. Free. **Zumba** Roshaunda Jenkins teaches all fitness levels. Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. 202-724-4752. Free. **“Number One Fan”** Judith Herry’s tragi-comedy about a beautician who follows a French crooner’s career until a night when he shows up on her doorstep and forever changes her life, in French with English subtitles. 8 p.m. Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-966-6000. $11.75, students $9.25, seniors $9, military and age 12 and younger $8.75. **U.S. Marine Band concert** A performance of works by Morton Gould, John Philip Sousa and John Williams. 8 p.m. U.S. Capitol, west terrace. 202-433-4011. Free. **Face to Face: Luis Muñoz Marín** Curator Taina Caragol leads a face-to- face- conversation about the poet, journalist and first governor of Puerto Rico. Meet at the portrait of Luis Muñoz Marín in Twentieth Century Americans. Noon. National Portrait Gallery, Third Floor, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free. **Bike tour for budding Junior Park Rangers** Children tour sites that help them complete their Junior Ranger folders, tour ends with the awarding of badges and certificates. 2-5 p.m. Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Marisa Solorzano, 571-501-4554. Free. **Take 5! with James Zimmerman Ensemble** The Smithsonian’s James Zimmerman, on vocals, leads a tribute to the artistry of jazz musicians including Oscar Brown Jr., Billy Eckstine, Johnny Hartman, Bill Henderson, Jon Hendricks and Eddie Jefferson, known for their powerful narrative lyrics and evocative songs. 5 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Kogod Courtyard, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free. **Cathedral gargoyle tour** Docents show slides of the building’s whimsical stone gargoyles and grotesques, followed by an outdoor tour; binoculars and cameras welcome. Next Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Aug. 23 at 2 p.m., Aug. 27 at 6:30 p.m. Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. 202-537-6200. www.nationalcathedral.org . $15, age 12 and younger $6. **An American Diary** Artist Roger Shimomura, whose work juxtaposes everyday images with racially charged imagery, confronting Asian-American political and ethnic issues, discusses paintings, prints and experimental theater pieces that span his 40-year career. 6:30 p.m. National Portrait Gallery, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free. **“Guardians of the Galaxy ” **(PG-13) Outdoor screening of the film starring Chris Pratt. 7:55 p.m. Canal Park, Second and M streets SE. www.capitolriverfront.org . 202-544-6051. Free. **U.S. Marine Band concert** A performance of works by Morton Gould, John Philip Sousa and John Williams. 8 p.m. Sylvan Theater, on the Washington Monument grounds near 15th Street and Independence Avenue SW. 202-433-4011. Free. **U.S. Navy Band concert** The U.S. Navy Band Commodores jazz ensemble performs old and new jazz classics. 8 p.m. U.S. Capitol (west steps). Free. 202-433-2525. ** — Compiled by Gerri Marmer  ** **E-mail:** districtlocalliving@washpost.com (to the attention of Gerri Marmer) **** **Mail:** Community Events, District Local Living, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20071. **Details:** Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.

In the galleries: ‘Sculpture Now 2014’ at American University Museum

For decades, the trend in American sculpture has been toward the big and brawny, and often the industrial. Recent showcases by the Washington Sculptors Group have illustrated an alternate path, with lots of delicate, nature-inspired work. That continues in the WSG show “Sculpture Now 2014” — at the American University Museum — which includes pieces that evoke nests, roots and branches. But that doesn’t mean all 17 participants have renounced the power of scale. The selection is arrayed in a relatively small but two-story area that suits towering items such as Carol Brown Goldberg’s “Secret Totem,” a 10-foot-high figure in red-painted bronze whose head whimsically takes the form of an electrical socket. Garrett Strang’s spindly “Nightwatch” is almost as tall, and there’s a large painted-steel root structure by Dalya Luttwak. Among the works that repurpose natural materials: Mike Shaffer’s cage-like assemblage of red-painted branches; Elizabeth Burger’s tumbleweed covered in yellow paper; and Lynda Smith-Bugge’s “English Ivy Cradled in Cherry,” which contrasts raw and shaped wood. Man-made products emulate nature in c.l.bigelow’s “nest #23,” encircled by copper pipe; Julie Zirlin’s “Detail, Waves,” which stacks rounds of elegantly mismatched stoneware; and Joel D’Orazio’s “Wall Urchin,” which appears biomorphic but is made of multihued plastic piping and tubing. Foon Sham’s salt-filled hickory construction is among the many pieces with a nest-like shape, but he calls it a canyon. Goldberg’s “Secret Totem” may be the show’s most imposing entry, but the tallest is “Air Rights,” one of Greg Braun’s two wall-mounted, nearly flat pieces. Using paint, drywall and landscaping fabric, Braun challenges not nature, but painting and architecture. “Air Rights” is striped in orange, red and yellow, suggesting such post-painterly colorists as Frank Stella and Kenneth Noland. In Braun’s intriguing formulation, sculpture is something that defines space but doesn’t necessarily occupy it. **Sculpture Now 2014** On view through Dec. 14 at the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-885-1300. www.american.edu/museum. Local artist Joan Konkel, too, makes low-relief sculpture that has some of the attributes of painting. The works in “Master of Illusion,” at Zenith Salon, actually begin with painted canvas. Atop that, Konkel layers both aluminum and fiberglass mesh, sometimes rumpled or scrunched. Many incorporate brushed-aluminum bands, pushing them further into the realm of sculpture. Yet Konkel also has worked in fashion design, and the suspended elements in her compositions suggest the draping of stylish dresses. And parts of her artworks, she notes, are stitched together. Color has always been important to Konkel’s style, whether painted in place or conjured fleetingly by the way light plays across and through the layers of mesh. Pieces such as “Golden Parachute” are keyed to a single hue, but recently the artist has added more variety. “Ode to Joy” is a dance of bright reds, oranges and yellows, highlighted by paler greens. Such an array is not necessary, however, to make Konkel’s sculptures shimmer. When the light hits them just right, they all generate rainbows. **Master of Illusion: Through the Mediums of Joan Konkel** On view through Dec. 6 at Zenith Gallery Salon, 1429 Iris St. NW. 202-783-2963. www.zenithgallery.com. The idea of “Photobook” seems simple: Display photographs alongside volumes in which they’ve been published. But the seven-artist show, at the Gallery at Vivid Solutions, is more complicated, because the books employ divergent and sometimes unconventional formats. Kristin Gudbrandsdottir’s “Faces of the Fallen,” for example, multiplies a single black-and-white image of Arlington National Cemetery into a complex array of panels, cut and fanned into a 3-D construction. Tatiana Shukhin’s picture of an Italian building is one of many that have been incorporated into “Florentine Pages,” which collages drawings, woodcuts and text with degraded photographic images. And the twinned photos in Leda Black’s “Mimesis,” although not visually altered, have been assembled into an accordion-like foldout book of thick, single-image pages. The other entries take a more traditional approach, at least in printing and binding. Anna Agoston’s “Untitled” consists of macro-lens images of twigs, stems and such. Jay Turner Frey Seawell’s “National Trust” contrasts scenes of Washington’s Greco-Roman temples of democracy with images of reporters and politicians framed by the lights and cameras of mass-media spectacle. With the stark color vignettes of “Briar Patch,” Jordan Baumgarten depicts a west Philadelphia neighborhood that feels potentially violent. Luke Strosnider’s “I Wish You Where Here,” named for an apparently misspelled postcard he found in Amsterdam, contemplates the gaps between traveler and resident, art space and everyday place. His Holland may not be as personalized as Shukhin’s Italy, but all of these photos show a singular viewpoint. **Photobook** On view through Dec. 19 at the Gallery at Vivid Solutions, 1241 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-365-8392. www.vividsolutionsgallery.com. No other rail system in the world looks like Washington’s Metro, yet its distinctive design doesn’t overpower. In fact, it functions as a sort of stage set for everyday life, a quality emphasized by the panoramic photographs of Roberto Bocci’s “Metrorail.” The Heurich Gallery show divides interior and exterior views of the Metro system into panels to showcase horizontal elements — long platforms, multi-car trains — as well as motion and contrast. The train in “Metrorail, Pentagon” shifts from stationary to mobile in the three frames on the right, while “Metrorail, Rosslyn” is divided almost evenly between shadow and light. The Italian-born Bocci, who teaches at Georgetown University, switches to a vertical orientation to portray an escalator at Gallery Place/Chinatown. He also presents a video piece that collages moving and still images, mostly from Gallery Place and Dupont Circle. But the wide-screen panoramas are the most striking and, it seems, the most apt. Their dimensions, after all, resemble those of a train. **Roberto Bocci: Metrorail** On view through Dec. 9 at Heurich Gallery, 505 Ninth St. NW. 202-223-1626. www.downtowndc.org/go/heurich-gallery or www.efronart.com/news. Jenkins is a freelance writer.

National Arboretum revives an innovative garden that ran out of steam

Time is the fourth dimension of gardening, and sets landscape design apart from other art forms. In a new garden, the plants go in young and reach an optimum state of scale and ornament after a few short years. Even with expert care, the original design cannot remain static. When a garden gets old and neglected, its lines are blurred by its disorder. This entropy takes many forms. Trees cast gathering shade, shrubs elbow out lesser plants, some plants die off, and others invade territory. The garden’s architecture — the hardscape — decays. The unfed soil loses its vitality. I have observed this decline at many familiar gardens over the years, including a demonstration garden around the National Arboretum’s Arbor House, a ranch-style structure, formerly a house, now used as a gift shop and offices. The original garden, named the Friendship Garden, was planted in 1991. It was funded by the National Garden Clubs, which also paid for an intern to care for it. But after a decade or two, nature took its course. Several old trees in the one-acre garden came down; some plants petered out while others spread with abandon. The worst was a leafy plant named butterbur, whose botanic name, __ _Petasites japonicus_ variety _giganteus_ __ , gives a clue to its ambitions. It loves boggy areas and it spreads by rhizomes. It became, by default, the dominant perennial, particularly after the trees went and the sunlight flooded in. The butterbur colony required a backhoe to extract, and its runners and roots, once piled on the back of a truck, were so thick they looked like “great big hoses,” Ellen Spencer said. Spencer is the chairman of a $130,000 project by the National Garden Clubs and its local branch, the National Capital Area Garden Clubs, to restore the garden. It was replanted (and re-turfed) last year and dedicated in May. Three large beds radiate from the back of the Arbor House and are full of extravagant sweeps of perennials. Some of them are large plants, or planted in such numbers as to have visual punch. The agastache Purple Haze is a haze of purple; the giant coneflower, with paddle-shaped blue-green leaves, is just revealing the petals of its golden daisies. The handsome and astonishingly underused native plant known as wild quinine is producing clusters of white flowers. The bees can’t wait. The fresh and exuberant display of sophisticated perennials, grasses and shrubs would be reason enough to visit the garden. But what makes the Friendship Garden truly compelling is that it was created to show that the domestic landscape didn’t have to be one of passive lawns, foundation shrubs and bedding plants. The original Friendship Garden and another, built in 1986 on the other side of the Arbor House, were designed by D.C. landscape architects Wolfgang Oehme and James van Sweden to demonstrate their naturalistic approach. They had been recruited by the arboretum’s director, Marc Cathey, who also wanted to move the residential model beyond turf and shrubs. Cathey said he believed that the shift to perennials and grasses could make the garden come alive while reducing the use of pesticides and fertilizers. Oehme and van Sweden were convinced of it, and demonstrated it through their work (prominent clients included Oprah Winfrey) and a series of books. Cathey, a consummate showman, dubbed the initial garden “the New American Garden,” and the name stuck as shorthand for gardens that were inherently more herbaceous, dynamic, multi-seasonal and naturalistic, with romanticized echoes of the prairie. The Friendship Garden was shadier but in its pioneering spirit was much the same. Both gardens “were very important because other than the Federal Reserve [garden], this was one of the early outlets people could come and understand what the New American Garden was,” said Eric Groft, vice president of Oehme, van Sweden & Associates. He worked with arboretum horticulturists in restoring the Friendship Garden. (The firm’s founders have since died, as has Cathey.) As the original garden waned, the innovative idea behind it survived and evolved. The new garden reflects the sunnier site conditions but also the subsequent shifts in horticultural emphasis. It is these differences that make the Friendship Garden particularly interesting. In general, top gardeners today are more ecologically minded, use more native plants and have an aversion to invasive ones such as butterbur. There is a greater emphasis on harboring pollinators and other wildlife. This environmental sensibility is also pushing designers to mix plants in a way not done in the 1980s and 1990s, when the preference was to assemble them in discrete drifts. The advantage is that the Friendship Garden has a more seamless display through the season — the skill is to mix plants that are compatible. In one bed, you find the coneflower Green Jewel mixed in with the grass little bluestem and _Eryngium yuccifolium_. In another, the wild quinine is integrated with switchgrass and giant coneflower. What’s gone from Oehme’s bag of plant tricks? Invasive miscanthus grasses are out, replaced with native switchgrasses and purple moor grass. Sedum Autumn Joy has been replaced with Autumn Fire. Rudbeckia Goldsturm grew sickly (not to mention trite) and is now bettered by the more robust _Rudbeckia fulgida_ var. _deamii_. Oehme loved a clumping bamboo named fargesia, but it was programmed to self-destruct. It is monocarpic: When it bloomed, it died, and no one bothered to replace it. Scott Aker, the arboretum’s head of horticulture and education, said the new garden, like the old, is meant to inspire visitors to try new plants in their home gardens. Did the original vision hold water? “I think so,” he said. “It moved everybody beyond the landscape that was turf, bushes and bedding plants. What this garden and this movement did for perennials is truly amazing.” **@adrian_higgins on Twitter ** **More fromLifestyle:** Why the shade garden is so underrated — and how to create your own Missed the boat on spring gardening? Relax and follow this guide. Whether custards, cobblers or clafoutis, fruit desserts make a perfect finale How gardeners can combat climate change

The Gate: The U.S. Botanic Garden

It’s officially spring. While we wait for the cherry blossoms to peak, a trip to the U.S. Botanic Garden — a “living plant museum” — might help bend our minds toward the warmth and renewal of the season. Established by Congress in 1820, it is one of the oldest botanic gardens in North America. Its mission is to demonstrate “the aesthetic, cultural, economic, therapeutic and ecological importance of plants,” but an afternoon stroll through also just makes you feel good.

D.C. community calendar, July 31-Aug. 7, 2014

**Walking club,** for fitness and better health, co-sponsored by Sibley Memorial Hospital. 8:30-9:30 a.m. Thursdays and Tuesdays, Mazza Gallerie, 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Free, with free parking. 202-364-7602. ******Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Expo,** learn about the latest in renewable energy and energy efficiency from more than 30 companies and organizations, visit a policy forum in Room 334. 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Cannon House Office Building, Caucus Room 345, Independence Avenue and First Street SE. Free. 202-628-1400. www.eesi.org . ******Washington Cathedral behind the scenes,** age 11 and older, see gargoyles and stained-glass windows and climb stairs for a panoramic view of the city. Bring a camera. 10:30 a.m. weekdays, Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $25; ages 11-12, $21. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . **On site: Restless Collective,** co-founders of Restless Collective share stories about their innovative projects and invite everyone to participate in their Save Outdoor Sculpture Instagram Challenge through an Instagram Walk around the museum neighborhood following their talk. Noon-4 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Kogod Courtyard, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. ******U.S. Marine Corps String Quartet concert,** the ensemble performs a 25-minute set in each of three time slots. 12:30, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m., National Museum of American History, Flag Hall, second floor, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Heirloom garden tours,** a horticulturist leads a tour and discusses some of the plants in the museum’s Heirloom garden that were passed down from generation to generation and cultivated in American gardens prior to 1950. 1 p.m. Thursday and Aug. 14 and 28, National Museum of American History, Mall Terrace, Southwest Corner, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-633-1000. ******Beginner computer class,** learn how to create an e-mail account, search the Internet and use online library services. 1-3 p.m. Thursdays, Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. Free. 202-727-1288. **Diabetes support group,** for all ages, no medical referral required. 1:30-3 p.m., Sibley Medical Building, second floor, Conference Room 5, 5215 Loughboro Rd. NW. Free. 202-364-7602. **Reptiles Alive!** learn about snake secrets, laugh at lizard stories and turtle tales, meet a live boa constrictor, tortoise, lizard or other animal. 2 p.m. Thursday, **Southeast Library** , 403 Seventh St. SE. 202-698-3377; and 1 p.m. Saturday, **Chevy Chase Library** , 5625 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-282-0021. Free. **************Memorials on the Mall,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour of a selection of memorials. 2-4 p.m. daily through Aug. 31, Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Free. 202-426-6841. ******Science time at the library,** for all ages to participate in fun experiments. 2:30 pm, Capitol View Library, 5001 Central Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-0755. **Stop-motion video workshop,** for teens who want to create Instagram videos using weird props and do-it-yourself backdrops on their own mobile devices or a library iPad, earn the STEM and Digital DIY badges at this event. 4 p.m., Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. Free. 202-671-3121. **********Origami nights,** for ages 7-12, learn how to create paper cranes, frogs, foxes, ties and other designs using the Japanese art form; beginners welcome. 4:30 p.m. Thursdays and Tuesdays, Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-4297. ******Big Maze late night,** visit exhibitions, navigate the maze and nosh at Hill Country’s Backyard Barbecue. 5-9 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Admission, free. 202-272-2448. www.nbm.org . **Wii dance-off,** for ages 13-19, a weekly competition that uses Wii. 5:30 p.m. Thursdays, William O. Lockridge/Bellevue Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW. Free. 202-243-1184. **Comedy at the Kennedy Center,** actor and comedian James Adomian performs with opener Pete Bladel. Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. ******Anacostia Library chess club,** for ages 10-16. 6 p.m. Thursdays, Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. Free. 202-715-7707 or 202-715-7708. ******FDR’s final year,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the president’s failing health, strenuous 1944 campaign, raging World War II, fourth inauguration and Yalta, which all conspired to sap his strength. 6 p.m., Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Ohio Drive NW. Free. Contact Paul Maisto, 202-426-6841. **Luce design with Meg Murray,** the owner of Thunder Pig Confectionery and Agent Marmalade Jams discusses the art of cake design, reveals some secrets of producing sweet treats and her experiences as a Capitol Hill staffer and ceramics designer. 6:15 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, third floor, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. ******************************************** **************Anacostia Library yoga,** develop your mind, body and spirit. 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. Free. 202-715-7707 or 202-715-7708. **Cathedral gargoyle tour,** a docent shows slides of the building’s whimsical stone gargoyles and grotesques, followed by an outdoor tour; binoculars and cameras welcome. 6:30 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $15; age 12 and younger, $6. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . **Home makeover magic with HGTV’s Don Hirsh,** the former designer on HGTV’s popular “Curb Appeal,” helps you get started, from developing a concept to keeping to your budget, learn how a new paint color can dramatically improve the appearance of your home, and how accenting architectural elements can add character, see before-and-after photos as Hirsch walks you through some of the easy and dramatic ways he has transformed clients’ lackluster homes with spectacular makeovers. 6:45-8:15 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $30. 202-633-3030. ******Meditation and Mindfulness,** a facilitator teaches and leads techniques that help those whose stress response is triggered by a recent cancer diagnosis; cancer patients, their family members and caregivers welcome. 7-8 p.m. Thursdays, Sibley Medical Building, Conference Room 4, second floor, 5215 Loughboro Rd. NW. Free. 202-364-7602. **“Red-Headed Woman,”** director Jack Conway’s 1932 film about a saucy, scheming gold-digger who can still make audiences uncomfortable but is more likely to amuse them, starring Jean Harlow, Chester Morris and Lewis Stone. 7 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free; registration required. www.hillcenterdc.org  or 202-549-4172. **Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Patience or Bunthorne’s Bride,”** members of Capitol Hill Arts Workshop and others perform. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays through Aug. 8, 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays through Aug. 9, Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. $20; matinees, $10. bwashington@chaw.org . 202-547-6839 or www.chaw.org . **U.S. Marine Band concert,** a performance of Gordon Jacob’s “An Original Suite,” Jean Sibelius’s “Lemminkainen’s Return” and John Philip Sousa’s march “On the Tramp.” 8 p.m., Sylvan Theater, on the Washington Monument grounds near 15th Street and Independence Avenue SW. Free. 202-433-4011. **************************************************“Shear Madness,”** a comedy-mystery set in Georgetown, with audience participation to help solve a mock murder. 8 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 6 and 9 p.m. Saturday, 3 and 7 p.m. Sunday, 8 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, Kennedy Center, Family Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $50. 202-467-4600. **********“One Night With Janis Joplin,”** a performance about the life of the blues legend, packed with classic songs such as “Piece of My Heart ,” “Summertime ” and “Mercedes Benz ,” featuring Mary Bridget Davies and Joplin’s band Big Brother and the Holding Company; also featuring Sabrina Elayne Carten as a blues singer who pays homage to the performers who influenced Joplin’s blues-rock style. 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays, continues through Aug. 11, Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. $40-$99, subject to change and based on availability. 202-488-3300 or www.arenastage.org . **U.S. Army Band concert,** the Downrange ensemble performs a combination of pop, rock and patriotic music. 8 p.m., U.S. Capitol (west steps). Free. 703-696-3399. **“Bend It Like Beckham ,”** director Gurinder Chadha’s 2003 film about a girl who must choose between her family and her own super stardom on the soccer field, starring Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Archie Panjabi. 8:30 p.m., Canal Park, Second and M streets SE. Free. www.capitolriverfront.org . **************Seniors line dancing,** age 50 and older. 10 a.m. Fridays, Woodridge Interim Library, 1790 Douglas St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. **Stories with Arianna Ross,** for ages 6-12, the storyteller takes children on a trip around planet Earth using the imagination, voice and body. 10:30 a.m., Woodridge Interim Library, 1790 Douglas St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. **Quantico Marine Corps Jazz Combo concert,** 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., National Air and Space Museum, Sixth Street and Independence Avenue SW. Free. 202-633-1000. **********Helping Our People Engage,** in the spirit of revitalizing the historic cinema theaters of Anacostia, such as the Carver, Anacostia, Naylor and Congress theaters, the Anacostia Neighborhood Library presents weekly movie matinees on Friday mornings, a discussion group follows. 11:30 a.m., Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. Free. 202-715-7707 or 202-715-7708. **“Alive Inside,”** filmmaker Michael Rossato-Bennett’s joyous cinematic exploration of music’s capacity to reawaken our souls and uncover the deepest parts of our humanity by chronicling the astonishing experiences of individuals around the country who have been revitalized through the simple experience of listening to music, how its healing power can triumph where prescription medication falls short and more. Noon, 2 and 6:15 p.m. weekdays, 2 and 6:15 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. $11.50; students, $9; seniors, $8.75; military and age 12 and younger, $8.50. 202-966-6000. **“A Five Star Life ,”** a film about a woman whose job takes her to some of the most stunning cities and opulent hotels, acting as an undercover hotel critic, until an unexpected life change upsets her lifestyle, in Italian with English subtitles. 11 a.m., 1:15, 3:30, 5:45 and 8 p.m., Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. $11.50; students, $9; seniors, $8.75; military and age 12 and younger, $8.50. 202-966-6000. **“Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns ,”** Episode Ten: A Masterpiece by Midnight, in the 1960s, Miles Davis joins forces with rock musicians and creates jazz fusion, jazz is alive, still changing and still swinging. Noon, National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Warren G. Harding’s strange death,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the approaching scandals and circumstances surrounding the embattled president. 1 p.m., Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Ohio Drive NW. Free. Matthew Furman, 202-426-6841. **************Science Friday, let’s watch Bill Nye!** for ages 8-12, watch two episodes of “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” a TV show that makes science fun for kids. 3 p.m. Fridays, Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. Free. 202-281-2583. **Join the STEAM team,** for ages 6-12 with an interest in science, technology, engineering, art and/or mathematics and a desire to design, construct, discover, create and more. 4 p.m. Fridays, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **Jazz in a sculpture garden,** jazz violinist Miles Stiebel performs. 5-8:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **Nam June Paik birthday tribute,** sound artist Steven Vitiello and Michael Mansfield, associate curator of film and media arts, discuss the ways in which the Korean American artist’s work continues to influence media artists today. 5:30 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Lincoln Gallery, Third Floor, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Sixth Annual Washington International Piano Festival,** two nights of its Young Pianist Showcase features both solo and piano ensemble music performed by young pianists living and studying in the area and who are prizewinners of local, national and international piano competitions. 6 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Exhibition opening, “Investigating Where We Live,”** a collection of photographs, writing and artwork that offers unique views of teen life in D.C., a reception follows. 6:30-8:30 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Free. 202-272-2448. www.nbm.org . **Working from the figure,** drop-in figure drawing, work on drawings or paintings in front of a live model in a session without an instructor. Bring drawing materials; easels available. 6:30-9:30 p.m., first and third Fridays, Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. $20; $76 for a four-class pass. 202-547-6839 or www.chaw.org . ******White Ford in concert,** 6:30-8:30 p.m., Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. Free. 202-289-0111 or www.yardspark.org . ******“Shanghai Blues ,”** Tsui Hark’s 1984 screwball comedy film about a love triangle that spans World War II, in Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles. 7 p.m., Freer Gallery of Art, Meyer Auditorium, Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Memorials of the Mall by night,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour of America’s front yard. 8-10 p.m. daily through Aug. 31, Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Free. 202-426-6841. ******U.S. Marine parade,** U.S. Marine Silent Drill Team, Drum and Bugle Corps, Color Guard, Silent Drill Platoon and Ceremonial Marchers; guests with reservations are admitted at 7:15 p.m.; visitors must arrive no later than 8 p.m. Parade, 8:45 p.m., Fridays through Aug. 29, Marine Barracks, Eighth and I streets SE. Free; reservations required. 202-433-4011 or 202-433-6060 or www.barracks.marines.mil . **** **********Ward 8 farmers market,** fresh fruits and vegetables, cooking demonstrations, yoga. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays through Nov. 22, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901 or www.thearcdc.org . **Sumi-E workshop,** teaching artist Jon Leniz explores Chinese ink wash bamboo paintings, where the hand and heart move in unison. 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. $76. 202-547-6839 or www.chaw.org . **Brian Curry, magician,** a morning full of mystery and magic. 9:30 and 11 a.m., National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free ticket, one per person, distributed 30 minutes before each show. 202-783-3372. **We are Shakespeare,** for ages 6-12, explore Shakespeare’s language and find yourself in his words. 10-11 a.m., Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Free. 202-544-7077. **Altered Books for Acceptance and Optimism,** Rebecca Wilkinson and Gioia Chilton use altered books as they explore writing and imagery that transform negative beliefs into more positive and empowering alternatives. 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St. NW. $45. 202-483-8600. www.smithcenter.org . **Lincoln’s war on slavery,** the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia’s John O’Brien and John Elliff discuss the president’s actions during the critical year leading up to the constitutional abolition of slavery in 1865, plan on viewing the Lincoln pew and stained glass window in the church sanctuary, the Emancipation document and Gurley portrait in the Lincoln Parlor and the Lincoln letters and desk set in the John Quincy Adams Room. 10 a.m.-noon, New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1313 New York Ave. NW. Free. 703-360-1265. **Yoga at the library,** for adult and teen beginners with an instructor from Yoga Activist. No experience required; bring a mat or use one from the library. 10 a.m., Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. 202-281-2583; 11 a.m., Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. Free. 202-243-1188. **Architecture 101: art nouveau,** Karin Alexis discusses organic, dynamic forms and curving lines characteristic of the art nouveau movement of the 1880s to 1920s. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. $20; students, $10. 202-272-2448 or www.nbm.org . **********************Cemetery tours,** a docent leads a tour of the cemetery that provides a final resting place for John Philip Sousa and other famous people. 11 a.m.-noon Saturdays through Nov. 1, Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. Free. 202-543-0539. www.congressionalcemetery.org . **************Carillon recital,** carillonneur Edward M. Nassor performs. 12:30 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, Bishop’s Garden and other outdoor areas, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Free. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . **Art lecture,** Dennis Weller discusses “Behind the Smiles: Frans Hals and His Circle.” 1 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday, National Gallery of Art, West Building, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **Marne to the sea,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the German attempt to outflank the Allies on the Western Front during World War I. 2 and 4 p.m., D.C. War Memorial, Independence Avenue between the National World War II and Lincoln memorials. Free. Call Paul O’Brian, 202-438-7066. **** **********Guided bike ride,** about three hours, led by a National Park Service ranger, with stops to discuss moments in American history; bring your bike, water and snacks; helmets required. 2-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, 900 Ohio Dr. SW. Free. 202-426-6841. **********Tango lessons,** for adults, learn and practice the Argentine tango with Rendezvous Tango’s Bahman Aryana, all skill levels welcome. 2 p.m. Saturdays through Sept. 27, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **“The Great Confusion: 1913 Armory Show ,”** Michael Maglaras introduces the film that remembers how Americans got their first look at contemporary European art trends in February and March 1913, bewildering and infuriating many. 2:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, West Building Lecture Hall, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **Murdered Archduke,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour and discusses how the murder of an heir to a throne started World War I and shaped the world of 2014. 3-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Washington Monument, Lodge, 15th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Call Lowell Fry, 202-438-9603. **Full STEAM** **ahead!** for ages 5-12, a fun, inquiry-based, hands-on experiment and literacy workshop to spark interest in science, technology, engineering, arts and math. 3:30 p.m. Saturdays through Aug. 30, Juanita E. Thornton-Shepherd Park Library, 7420 Georgia Ave. NW. Free. 202-541-6100. **** ******Palisades farmers market,** locally grown seasonal produce, music provided by the Sherier Mountain. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays, 48th Place and MacArthur Boulevard NW. www.palisadesfarmersmarket.com  . **Computer basics,** a four-week series of workshops for beginners to learn how to use a mouse and keyboard, navigate the Internet and use e-mail; curriculum and training provided by ByteBack. 1 p.m. Sundays through Aug. 24, Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. Free; registration required. 202-529-3395. ******Knitting and crocheting workshop,** create items for those in need. Instruction, needles and yarn are available. 1 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, fourth floor of the South Tower, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Free. 202-537-6200 or e-mail knitting@cathedralcongregation.org . **Forged in fire: Cathedral ironwork tour,** a docent shows the magic of wrought iron in fantastic creatures, flowers and other unique creations. 1:30 p.m. Sunday, 3 p.m. next Thursday, Washington National Cathedral, welcome desk at main visitor entrance, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $20; children, seniors, military and students $16; reservations suggested. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . **“Dancing in One Language,”** CityDance Ensemble’s exploration of dances from around the world. 2 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Free. 202-272-2448. www.nbm.org . **“The Way We Dance ,”** director Adam Wong’s 2013 film about Hong Kong’s thriving street-dancing scene, in Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles. 2 p.m., Freer Gallery of Art, Meyer Auditorium, Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Operatic gala,** sopranos Huanhuan Ma, Caroline Gibson and Jessica Stecklein, tenor Yingxi Zhang, bass-baritone Alvy Powell and pianist Kai-Ching Chang perform arias and ensembles by Mozart, Bellini, Verdi, Puccini, Massenet and Gershwin, sponsored by the Organization of Chinese American Women. 2 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $35. 202-467-4600 ******Join the STEAM team,** for ages 6-12 with an interest in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics and a desire to design, construct, discover and create. 2 p.m. Sundays, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-1278. **Fizz, Boom, Read!** the library’s summer program to explore and get creative with STEAM-related crafts. 2:30-4 p.m. Sundays through Aug. 24, Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. Free. 202-282-3139. **Liberators of Latin America,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour and discusses the revolutionary ideas that link the memorials to the liberators of Latin America. 3-6 p.m. Sundays through Aug. 31, Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro station, 2301 I St. NW. Free. Mike Balis, 202-438-9710. **Board games in the afternoon,** for age 10 and older, play board games with friends or learn to play chess. 3 p.m. Sundays, Northwest One Library, 155 L St. NW. Free. 202-939-5946. **************Zumba kids,** for ages 4-13, dance to peppy music and follow kid-friendly moves. 3:30 p.m. Sunday and the second and fourth Sunday of every month, Capitol View Library, 5001 Central Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-0755. **“In the Shadow of the Light,”** Chris Teerink’s documentary about Jonas Mekas, Lithuania-born, avant-garde luminary and Anthology Film Archives founder. 4 p.m., National Gallery of Art, West Building Lecture Hall, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **************Organ recital,** Benjamin LaPrairie performs. 6 p.m., Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Upper Church, 400 Michigan Ave. NE. Free; donations accepted. 202-526-8300 or www.nationalshrine.com  or muslit@bnsic.org **Baby Bry Bry in concert,** presented by Listen Local First, D.C. band featuring the group’s original lounge-punk music. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **************Symposium: Sudanese author Tayeb Salih,** three panels of scholars discuss the author of “The Season of Migration to the North ,” “The Wedding of Zein” and others; a musical and theatrical program focusing on Salih’s work and Sudanese traditional culture follows at 7 p.m. in the Coolidge Auditorium. Symposium, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Library of Congress, Madison Building, Montpelier Room, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-7311. **Therapeutic yoga classes for cancer patients,** Corrin Bennett and Alaina Sadick lead patients, survivors and caregivers. 10:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m. Mondays, 6-7:15 p.m. Wednesdays, Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St. NW. $25/month. 202-483-8600 or www.smithcenter.org . ******U.S. Botanic Garden lunchtime tour,** museum volunteers lead a tour of plants and discuss what manila folders, Chanel No. 5, vanilla and fossil fuels have in common. Also, a discussion of possible breakthroughs in medicinal plant research. Noon, Mondays and Wednesdays through Aug. 27, U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov . **Yoga at West End,** Smita Kumar from Yoga District teaches a weekly class, bring a mat or use one of the library’s. 12:30 p.m. Mondays, West End Interim Library, 2522 Virginia Ave. NW. Free; registration required: teresa.sakon@dc.gov  or 202-724-8698. **************Mental health and HIV confidential group,** ****for people with HIV and mental-health problems, sponsored by MetroHealth. Transportation tokens and refreshments provided. 3:30 p.m. 1012 14th St. NW. Free. 202-638-0750. ******Woodridge Checkmates,** for ages 7-19, learn how to play and win. 4:30 p.m. Mondays, Woodridge Library, 1801 Hamlin St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. ******Shaw knitting and crocheting circle,** all experience levels welcome, bring needles and yarn to create projects to take home. 6 p.m. Mondays, Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. Free. 202-727-1288. **Nigerian art and culture,** presented in cooperation with the Embassy of Nigeria. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **“Love in the Afternoon ,”** ** **Billy Wilder’s 1957 romantic comedy film about a cello student who falls for a middle-aged playboy who is fascinated with the daughter of a private detective, starring Audrey Hepburn, Gary Cooper and Maurice Chevalier. 6:30 p.m., National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free ticket, one per person, distributed 30 minutes before each show. 202-783-3372. ******************Yoga for adults,** led by a teacher from Yoga Activist, mats provided. 6:30 p.m., Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. Free; registration requested. 202-645-4297. **Knitting and crocheting,** all experience levels welcome. 6:30 p.m. Mondays, Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-4297. ******Zumba class,** taught by certified instructor Christine, no experience necessary, all participants must sign a waiver. 7 p.m. Mondays, Southeast Library, 403 Seventh St. SE. Free. 202-698-3377. **Yoga for beginners,** taught by an instructor from Yoga Activist. 7 p.m. Mondays, Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. 202-282-3080. **Yoga at Georgetown Library,** taught by Yoga Activist. 7:15 p.m. Mondays, Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. Free; registration required. erika.rydberg@dc.gov  or 202-727-0232. ******Screen on the Green: “Key Largo,”** John Huston’s 1948 film drama about a war hero who stands up to a sadistic gangster when he comes to pay his respects to the family of his slain comrade, starring Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Lauren Bacall, Lionel Barrymore and Claire Trevor. Dusk, the Mall, between Seventh and 12th streets NW. Free. 877-262-5866. ******************Yoga at noon,** led by traditional yoga teacher and therapist Heather Ferris; bring a mat. Noon Tuesdays, Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. Free. 202-727-1288. **U.S. Air Force Band’s String Orchestra concert,** a performance of works by Wolf, Dag Wiren and Tchaikovsky (“Serenade for Strings” Op. 48). 12:10 p.m., Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Suggested donation, $10. 202-347-2635, Ext. 20. **Cathedral tour and tea,** a docent-led tour of the highlights of the cathedral, its history, architecture and artworks — plus a traditional English tea and a scenic view of the city from the cathedral tower. 1:30 p.m. Tuesday- Wednesday, Washington National Cathedral, Docent Station at the Rear Nave, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $30; reservations required. 202-537-8993, www.allhallowsguild.org  or e-mail misbister@cathedral.org . **Sketching workshop,** bring pencils and a small sketchbook, work with objects on display in the Luce Foundation Center. 2:30-4:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **************************************D.C. Youth Slam Team poetry,** for ages 13-19, a poetry workshop. 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free; registration required. Jonathan Tucker, 202-787-5279. **Silk Road Dance Company,** a performance of dances from Central Asia, Iran, the Middle East, South Asia, the Caucasus and other locations. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. ******Yoga in the evening,** one-hour lesson, all skill levels welcome, mats provided. 6:30 p.m. most Tuesdays, Northwest One Library, 155 L St. NW. 202-939-5946; 7 p.m. Tuesdays, Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. 202-282-3080; 7 p.m. Tuesdays, Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. Free. 202-724-4752. ******“Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye ,”** a librarian leads a discussion of the David Ritz biography; some of Gaye’s recorded music will be played. 7 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Room 221, 901 G St. NW. Free. margaret.gilmore@dc.gov  or 202-727-0321. **Petworth purls knit and crochet club,** a fiber arts club for anyone who wants to knit and crochet with talk and tea. 7:30 p.m., Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. Free. 202-243-1188. ************************ **************************Job readiness training,** James Kendlin assists with constructing a résumé and discusses interviewing skills and general job readiness. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesdays through Aug. 27, Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. Free. 202-715-7707 or 202-715-7708. **Introduction to genealogy,** staff members at the National Archives teach basic genealogical research techniques using federal records. 11 a.m., National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Phil Wiggins and Friends blues concert,** a performance of acoustic blues and dance from the Chesapeake region of Maryland. Noon, Library of Congress, Coolidge Auditorium, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-5510. **Portraits Alive!** D.C., Virginia and Maryland teens lead a theatrical tour that brings the Portrait Gallery’s collection to life through an original student-written play that takes visitors on a journey to a variety of portraits as the students perform biographical portrayals of the people represented in various photographs, paintings, drawings, sculptures or prints. Noon and 2 p.m. Wednesday-Aug. 8, National Portrait Gallery, F Street Lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. ******Carnivorous plants demonstration,** staff members show the diversity of the collection of plants and discuss how they have adapted to their environments, includes sundews snacking or flytraps trapping. 1 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . ******STEAM Team,** for ages 6-18, explore science, technology, engineering, arts and math with hands-on activities. 2 p.m. Wednesdays through Aug. 20, Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. Free. 202-671-3121. **Fizz! Boom Wednesdays!** for age 5 and older, participate in a science experiment, activity or craft each week. 3 p.m., Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. Free. 202-282-3139. ******Pennsylvania Avenue: America’s Main Street,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walk and reveals some of the avenue’s lesser-known events, places and people. 3:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Old Post Office Tower, Benjamin Franklin statue, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. 202-606-8691. **********Fizz! Boom Read!** for age 5 and older, participate in a science activity each week. 4 p.m. Wednesdays, Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. Free. 202-727-1288. ******HIV/STI testing,** for ages 13-24, hosted by Metro TeenAIDS. 4:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday and the first Wednesday of every month, Parklands-Turner Library, 1547 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-4532. **Chess for kids,** instruction for all ages. 4 p.m. Wednesdays, Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. 202-282-3080. **********Teen game night,** for ages 13-19, play board and Wii games. 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-4297. **Phil Wiggins and Friends in concert,** the all-star blues and dance group performs. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Curator exhibit tour: “Modern American Realism,”** chief curator Virginia Mecklenburg leads a tour of the exhibit that highlights works that underscore the range and styles of American realism. 6 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, meet in the G Street Lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Chess club,** for players of all ages and abilities. 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-4297. **U.S. Marine Band concert,** 8 p.m., U.S. Capitol (west terrace). Free. 202-433-4011. **************“Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger ,”** documentarian Joe Berlinger’s film about the true crime story of gangster James “Whitey” Bulger, who terrorized Boston for years with more than a dozen murders but who seemingly got a free pass from law enforcement. 8 p.m., Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. $11.50; students, $9; seniors, $8.75; military and age 12 and younger, $8.50. 202-966-6000. www.theavalon.org . ******Grains of Wisdom: Botany, Evolution and the History of Cereal Crops,** science education volunteer Todd Brethauer discusses how humans have used the various members of the grass family and how they have changed the plants over thousands of years. Noon, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free; registration required. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . **Laugh café,** take your favorite jokes, humorous stories, riddles or personal tales to provoke others to laughter. Memorization not required; bring your lunch; coffee and dessert served. Noon-1 p.m., Sibley Memorial Hospital, Level G, Private Dining Room 3, 5255 Loughboro Rd. NW. Free; registration requested. 202-364-7602. **Victory garden tour,** a horticulturist leads a tour of the garden and discusses some of the vegetables and flowers in the museum’s recreated WWII- era Victory garden. 1 p.m. Thursday and Aug. 21, National Museum of American History, Welcome Desk, Constitution Avenue Entrance, first floor, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Sounds of summer,** Justin Trawick and the Common Good perform Americana/bluegrass/folk music favorites; bring a blanket or cushion, sunscreen and water. 5-7 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, National Garden Lawn Terrace, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free; registration required. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov . **Game show power hour,** for ages 10-19, an hour of competition based on ideas from “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?” “Jeopardy,” and other TV game shows. 5:30 p.m., Rosedale Library, 1701 Gales St. NE. Free. 202-727-5012. **Charanjit Singh in concert,** the Indian multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger performs raga to a disco beat, featuring several variations on Indian classical music. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Evening with Gloria Swanson,** a screening of three silent films starring the iconic actress, sponsored by Southeast Library. 7 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free; registration required. www.hillcenterdc.org  or 202-549-4172. **Poetry reading at the library,** two poets will read from their work. 7 p.m., Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. Free. 202-727-0232. **“Hope,”** a film about record-setting cyclist Maria Parker’s fight against her sister’s terminal brain cancer by taking on an infamous 3,000 mile race across the continent, proceeds go to “3000 Miles to a Cure” and its partnership with “Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure.” 8:15 p.m., Goethe-Institut, 812 Seventh St. NW. $35. 202-289-1200. https://dchopescreening.splashthat.com/. **“Rudy ,”** director David Anspaugh’s 1993 film about a boy who defies his worst critics by getting into Notre Dame, getting on Ara Parseghian’s football team and getting his one shot at gridiron glory, starring Sean Astin and Jon Favreau. 8:30 p.m., Canal Park, Second and M streets SE. Free. www.capitolriverfront.org . ******** ** — Compiled by Gerri Marmer  ** **E-mail:** districtlocalliving@washpost.com (attention Gerri Marmer) **   Mail:** Community Events, District Local Living, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20071. **   Details:** Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.

Free and Easy: ‘Noir at the Bar,’ SoundSHAPE DC, ‘Tattoo Design and Symbolism’

_The Going Out Guide recommends free things to do for every day of the week._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday **MONDAY**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday Screen on the Green    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday The 15th season of D.C.’s Screen on the Green kicks off with 1984’s “Karate Kid,” the story of a bullied high school student who learns karate from a martial arts master/handyman after moving from New Jersey to Southern California.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday _7 p.m. On the Mall, between Seventh and 12th streets.www.friendsofscreenonthegreen.org._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday **TUESDAY**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday Gardening demonstration for kids    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday The new chef of Pinstripes Georgetown, Ryan Ross, leads a gardening demonstration for kids in the restaurant’s outdoor garden. Bring your kids out to play in the dirt, pick up a few gardening skills and plant a seed to take home as a souvenir. _10 to 11 a.m. Pinstripes Georgetown, 3222 M St. NW. 202-625-2800.www.pinstripes.com. Reservations required._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday **WEDNESDAY**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday Sounds of Korea    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday Enjoy an evening of Korean dance, percussion and chamber music with artists from the Korean Performing Arts Center in New York, an organization that promotes Korean art and culture. _6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600.www.kennedy-center.org._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday **THURSDAY**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday 'Wayne's World'    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday You know what time it is? It's party time, excellent. If that line rings a bell, you'll want to catch this outdoor screening of "Wayne's World," the 1992 film starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as best buds Wayne and Garth. The movie, the first in the City Paper Summer Cinema series at Heurich House, begins at dusk. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets. _7 p.m. Heurich House Museum Garden, New Hampshire Avenue and 20th Street NW. 202-429-1894. www.heurichhouse.org._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday **FRIDAY**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday 'Tattoo Design and Symbolism'    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday In conjunction with the “Ubuhle Women: Beadwork and the Art of Independence” exhibition at the Anacostia Community Museum, artist Jay Coleman will talk about the role of tattoos in culture and then lead a drawing workshop in which participants can design their own South African-inspired tattoos. All materials will be provided. _2 to 4 p.m. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820.www.anacostia.si.edu. Registration required._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday **SATURDAY**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday SoundSHAPE DC    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday Head to the Mall for a day of fitness, music and art. The first SoundSHAPE festival, which aims to bring awareness to the Anti-Bullying Campaign, will include zumba and yoga classes, a Brazilian jiu jitsu seminar from Pedro Sauer, a one-mile Freedom Walk and much more. _2 p.m. On the Mall, 900 Ohio Dr. SW.www.getsoundshaped.com._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday **SUNDAY**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday ‘Noir at the Bar’    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday In the first D.C. “Noir at the Bar" gathering, 10 crime-fiction authors will sign and read from their books. First held in Philadelphia in 2008, "Noir at the Bar" events are popping up across the country, with crime-noir writers networking and sharing their stories. The writers being featured Sunday include Nik Korpon (“Stay God, Sweet Angel”), E.A. Aymar (“I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead”) and short story writer Art Taylor. _8 p.m. Wonderland Ballroom, 1101 Kenyon St. NW. 202-232-5263.www.thewonderlandballroom.com._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday

D.C. community calendar, Aug. 1 to 8, 2013

******Woodridge Checkmates,** chess instruction for ages 2-6. 10:15 a.m. Thursdays, Woodridge Library, 1801 Hamlin St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. **National Garden tour,** education technician Alex Torres discusses the diversity of American plants, drawing inspiration from the environments of the mid-Atlantic region; take sunscreen, protective clothing and water. 10:30 a.m. Thursdays through Aug. 29, U.S. Botanic Garden, National Garden Lawn Terrace, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov. **Behind the scenes cathedral tour,** for age 11 and older, see gargoyles and stained-glass windows and climb a lot of stairs for a panoramic view of the city; take a camera. 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. most weekdays, Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $15. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org. **Short films,** “Elisha and the Cacao Trees” (2010), about the role of chocolate in the world; and “From the Ikpeng Children to the World” (2002), four Ikpeng children introduce their Brazilian village to kids in Sierra Maestra, Cuba. 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays through Aug. 31, National Museum of the American Indian, Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW. Free. 202-633-1000. **“There’s Nothing to do on Mars,”** a staff member reads Chris Gall’s book about a family that moves to the red planet and must look for adventures, a hands-on activity follows. 11 a.m. Thursday-Friday, 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Saturday, National Air and Space Museum, Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight Gallery, Sixth Street and Independence Avenue SW. Free. 202-633-1000. **U.S. Capitol history,** art historian Debra Hanson discusses representations of Daniel Boone in the art of the U.S. Capitol and what they reveal about the changing interpretations of western expansionism in American history. Noon, Veterans of Foreign Wars Building, Ketchum Hall, 200 Maryland Ave. NW. Free, reservations recommended. 202-543-8919, Ext. 38, or www.uschs.org. **Cooking demonstration: late summer bounty,** gardening specialist Adrienne Cook and nutritionist Danielle Cook discuss tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and late squash. Noon-1:30 p.m. Thursday and Aug. 15, U.S. National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave. NE. Free. 202-245-4521. or www.usna.usda.gov . **Early diplomacy lecture,** Kluge Fellow Uranchimeg Tsultem discusses “Prior to Lenin: U.S. Diplomacy and Western Explorers in Early 20th-century Mongolia.” Noon, Library of Congress, Jefferson Building, Whittall Pavilion, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-0213. **Colonialism and piracy lecture,** Library of Congress Kislak Fellow Patricia O’Brien discusses “English Colonialism and Piracy from the Atlantic to the Pacific.” Noon, Library of Congress, Room 113, Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-0213. **Forged in fire: Cathedral ironwork tour,** a docent shows the magic of wrought iron in fantastic creatures, flowers and other unique creations. 3 p.m. Thursday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Washington National Cathedral, Welcome Desk at main visitor entrance, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $10, reservations suggested. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org. **Albus Cavus: Bicycle Design,** for ages 13-19, examine design and technology to know what makes them run, learn about metal parts and composite frames, gears and chains, and study how the world’s craziest bikes were built. 4 p.m., Southeast Library, 403 Seventh St. SE. Free. 202-698-3377. **Washington International Piano Festival,** solo and piano ensemble music performed by young area artists who are prizewinners of local, national and international piano competitions. 6 p.m. Thursday-Friday, Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Cuisine of Laos, Seng Luangrath, ** the head chef of Bangkok Golden Thai Restaurant, in Falls Church, discusses how food is prepared in her native Laos and invites participants to sample several of her creations. 6 p.m., Textile Museum, 2320 S St. NW. $25, registration required. 202-667-0441, Ext. 64 or www.textilemuseum.org . **Food in the garden,** tastes, tours and talks in conjunction with the “FOOD: Transforming the American Table 1910-2000,” exhibit with local gardeners, practitioners and researchers discussing what we eat and how we grow it, includes two cocktails and features Green Hat Gin, WildCraft Soda and food from local farms. 6-8 p.m. Thursdays through Aug. 15, National Museum of American History, Victory Garden at the corner of 12th Street and Constitution Ave. NW. $20. 202-633-1000 or http://americanhistory.si.edu/events/food- garden. **Know your neighborhood: Eureka and Green Willow parks,** Patsy Fletcher, D.C. Historic Preservation Office, discusses the black amusement parks east of the Anacostia when public recreation was restricted by color and African American entrepreneurs saw an opportunity to operate parks. 6:30 p.m., Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. Free. 202-715-7707 or 202-715-7708. ******“The Pirates of Penzance,”** the Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera in two acts. 7 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays, 3 and 7 p.m. Saturdays, continues through Aug. 10, Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. $20, evenings; $10, matinees. 202-547-6839 or victor@chaw.org or www.chaw.org. ******U.S. Marine Band concert, **7:30 p.m., Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. Free. 202-433-4011. **“Shear Madness,”** performance of a comedy-mystery set in Georgetown, with audience participation to help solve a mock murder. 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 6 and 9 p.m. Saturdays, 3 and 7 p.m. Sundays, Kennedy Center, Family Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $48. 202-467-4600. ******“The Rocky Horror Show,”** a horror-comedy musical by Richard O’Brien, based on the movie, starring Mitchell Jarvis as Dr. Frank N. Furter, 8 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 7 p.m. Sundays through Aug. 4, Studio Theatre, Metheny Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. $40-$45, discounts for students, seniors and military. 202-332-3300 or www.studiotheatre.org. **U.S. Army Concert Band **, a performance of classic tenor arias, a medley of songs from Bernstein’s “West Side Story,” and several excerpts from the classic movie scores of John Williams. 8 p.m. Thursday-Friday, U.S. Capitol (west steps). Free. 202-399-7993. **“The Avengers,”** the 2012 action-adventure film, starring Robert Downey Jr.; coolers, friendly leashed dogs and picnic cooler welcome, bring a blanket. 8:20 p.m., Canal Park, Second and M streets SE. Free. www.capitolriverfront.org . **“Salome,”** the Oscar Wilde play about the beguiling princess who danced for King Herod and got her wish: the head of John the Baptist on a platter. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays, continues through Aug. 18, Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. $20-$40. 202-399-7993. ** ** ****** ** ************************************************ **************Architecture on the Nation’s Front Lawn,** urban studies lecturer Bill Keene discusses the 1791 plan for the Mall, the influential 1902 McMillan Plan and what we see today, including what happened to the museum park, the railroad station and its tracks, why the Mall does not align with compass directions and other little-known facts. 8:30-11:15 a.m., meet at the Smithsonian Metro Blue/Orange line exit, 1200 Independence Ave. SW. $35. 202-633-3030 or www.smithsonianassociates.org. **Pipe organ recital,** classical organist Charles Miller performs works by J.S. Bach, Hollins, Clark and Mendelssohn. 12:15-1 p.m., National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Cir. NW. Free, donations welcome. 202-797-0103. **Secrets of the Washington Monument grounds,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walk and discusses the fascinating and hidden history. 2-4 p.m., meet at the refreshments stand at the Paddle Boat parking lot, near the intersection of Maine Avenue and 15th Street SW. Free. Michael T. Kelly. 202-359-2662. **Museum Jazz in the garden,** keyboardist and vocalist Brian Simms performs. 5-8:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **D.C. Youth Orchestra concert,** beginning and intermediate-level students perform excerpts from Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” and other works. 6 p.m., Eastern High School, 1700 East Capitol St. NW. Free. 202-698-0123 or www.dcyop.org. **Reggae concert,** a performance by Sam O. 6:30-8:30 p.m., Yards Park, Third and Water streets SE. Free. 202-289-0111 or www.yardspark.org. **“Days of Being Wild,”** Wong Kar-wai’s 1991 film, set in 1960 Hong Kong, about an aimless young man who searches for his birth mother when he discovers that he was adopted; in Cantonese with English subtitles. 7 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Freer Gallery of Art, Meyer Auditorium, Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW. Free. 202-633-1000. **U.S. Marine Parade,** U.S. Marine Silent Drill Team, Drum and Bugle Corps, Color Guard, Silent Drill Platoon and Ceremonial Marchers; visitors with reservations are admitted at 7:15 p.m.; attendees must arrive no later than 8 p.m. Parade, 8:45 p.m. Marine Barracks, Eighth and I streets SE. Free, reservations required. 202-433-4011, 202-433-6060 or www.barracks.marines.mil. ******** **************************************************AARP driver safety course,** for age 50 and older, certificate issued upon completion of the course, light refreshments served. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Washington Hospital Center, Siegel Auditorium, 110 Irving St. NW. $14, registration requested; parking included. 202-877-6213. **Shake up your Saturdays: Fun at Folger,** family workshops that explore Shakespeare’s life and language; learn about the world he inhabited. 10 a.m., Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Free. 202-544-7077. **Elizabethan garden tours,** docent-led tours of the library’s knot garden, featuring Shakespeare-inspired statues by Gregg Wyatt. 10 and 11 a.m., Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Free. 202-544-7077. R ** ugs from the Kerman area,** collector Colin England discusses the diversity of weaving from the area around Kerman in South Central Persia, focusing on antique carpets and demonstrating how designs evolved in the 20th century. 10:30 a.m., Textile Museum, 2320 S St. NW. Free. 202-667-0441, Ext. 64. **“16 Elm Street: Within These Walls,”** a 30-minute play based on the story of five residents who made the house their home, performed by a visiting theatrical group from Ipswich, Mass., and an exhibition that explores 300 years of its history. 12:30 and 2 p.m., National Museum of American History, Second Floor, West Wing, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **“Sunset Boulevard,”** Billy Wilder’s classic 1950 film about a cynical screen writer who hides from repo men in the home of a long-forgotten silent film star, starring William Holden, Gloria Swanson and Erich von Stroheim. 2 p.m., Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Free. 202-727-1488. **Tango lesson,** Bahman Aryana, of Rendezvous Tango, teaches all experience levels and shows how to practice the dance. 2 p.m. , through Sept. 21, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **Transatlantic tales: Martin Luther King Jr.,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the link between Ghana’s independence and the African American struggle for equality. 2-4 p.m., Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Free. Tessy Dunoboh, 202-629-6820. **Worth marching for: A civil rights tour,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the historical significance of the March on Washington. 2-3:30 p.m., Washington Monument, 15th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Enimini Ekong, 202-658-8620. **Guided bike ride,** about three hours, led by a National Park Service ranger, with stops to discuss the nation’s national treasures; take your own bike, water and snacks, helmets required. 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Ranger Station, 900 Ohio Dr. SW. Free. 202-426-6841. **Ballets Russes,** rare interviews and dance footage in a compelling portrait focusing on the filmed history of Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. 2:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building Concourse, Auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-842-6799. **Jazz night at Fort Dupont,** performances by the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Army Field Band Jazz Ambassadors. Gates open 4:30 p.m. Concert, 6 p.m. Fort Dupont Park, 3600 F St. SE. Free. 202-426-7723 or www.nps.gov/fodu. **New Orleans music,** Mardi Gras Indians Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and the Golden Eagles perform a program rooted in African and Native American traditions. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. ************ **********Pennsylvania Avenue: America’s Main Street,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour in the footsteps of politicians and protesters, revealing some of the avenue’s famous and lesser-known events, places and people. 10:30 a.m., through Aug. 25, Old Post Office Tower, Benjamin Franklin statue, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. 202-606-8691. **Art gallery lecture,** Maryanna Ramirez discusses “Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner: Little Dancers after Degas.” 2 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215 **Children of the Gospel Choir concert,** 2 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Free. 202-272-2448 or www.nbm.org . **Film series: “The Hitchcock 9,”** a silent film, “The Pleasure Garden,” the director’s first solo production, the story of the muddled romantic lives of two chorus girls; Andrew Simpson accompanies the screening. 4:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building Concourse, Auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-842-6799. **Irvine Classical Players concert,** on its 10th anniversary, a program of works by J. S. Bach, Biber, Vivaldi, Sarasate, Chopin and Brahms. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **** ******Stories by hand,** for ages 6-12, storyteller Kathy MacMillan uses American Sign Language in her interactive program. 10 a.m., **Lamond-Riggs Library** , 5401 South Dakota Ave. NE. 202-541-6255; 1 p.m., **Deanwood Library** , 1350 49th St. NE. 202-698-1175; and 4 p.m., **William O. Lockridge/Bellevue Library** , 115 Atlantic St. SW. 202-243-1184. Free. **Botanic Garden lunchtime tour,** museum volunteers lead a tour and discuss what manila folders, Chanel No. 5, vanilla and fossil fuels have in common. Also, a discussion of possible breakthroughs in medicinal plant research. Noon, Mondays and Wednesdays through Aug. 28, U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov. **“Lady and the Tramp,”** Walt Disney’s classic 1955 animated film about Lady, a pampered cocker spaniel, and her romance with Tramp, a freedom-loving mutt. 1:30 p.m., Lamond-Riggs Library, 5401 South Dakota Ave. NE. Free. 202-541-6255. **Teenage journaling workshop,** for ages 13-19, a librarian encourages the once-a-week writings to express thoughts and feelings; all supplies provided. 5 p.m., Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. Free. 202-724-4752. **Board game night,** for ages 4-12 and an accompanying adult, bring your own games or use the library’s. 5:30 p.m., Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-4297. **Woodridge Checkmates,** Vaughn Bennett teaches children and teens winning chess strategies. 5:30 p.m. Mondays, Woodridge Library, 1801 Hamlin St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. **Shaw Knitting Circle,** all experience levels welcome, introductory instruction available, training materials provided, take your own needles and yarn. 6 p.m., Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. Free. 202-727-1288. **Game night for teens,** play a variety of Wii video games or a board game. 6:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. Free. 202-724-4752. **“The Flight of the Phoenix,” **a 1965 film about survivors of a Sahara Desert plane crash, starring James Stewart, Peter Finch, Ernest Borgnine and George Kennedy. 6:30 p.m., National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free tickets distributed 30 minutes before each show. 202-783-3372. **“Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde,”** a staged reading of the Moises Kaufman courtroom drama dealing with Wilde’s relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas. 7 p.m., Warehouse Theater D.C., 645 New York Ave. NW. $25; in advance, $20. 202-399-7993. **Taffety Punk at Folger Theatre: Love’s Labor’s Lost,** an entire Shakespeare play rehearsed and performed in one day. 7 p.m., Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Free. 202-544-7077. **Yoga class,** 7 p.m. Mondays through Aug. 26 and 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Aug. 28, Yards Park, Third and Water streets SE. Free. 202-289-0111 or www.yardspark.org. **U.S. Navy Concert Band performance,** on the west steps. 8 p.m., U.S. Capitol (west steps). Free. 202-433-2525. **Screen on the Green:** “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” the 1971 film adaptation of the book by Roald Dahl, starring Gene Wilder and Jack Albertson. 8:30 p.m., the Mall, between Seventh and 12th streets NW. Free. 877-262-5866. **** **************** **Tudor Place history and horticulture,** a staff member discusses “witness” trees, heirloom plants, flowers and English boxwood on the grounds and how Tudor Place reflects changes in land use from the Federal period to recent decades. 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., Tudor Place, 1644 31st St. NW. $10. Register at www.tudorplacehistoricandgrowing.eventbrite.com. 202-965-0400. **U.S. Army Band Strings concert,** violinist Christina Wenzel joins a program of works by J.S. Bach, Alec Wilder, William Schuman, Alex Shapiro and Henryk Gorecki. 12:10 p.m., Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Suggested donation, $10. 202-347-2635, Ext. 20. **Teen journaling workshop,** for ages 13-19, express your thoughts and feelings through writing at least once a week; all supplies provided. 5 p.m. Monday and Aug. 19, Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. Free. 202-724-4752. ** ** **Conscious Moves chess club,** for ages 10-16, learn the game or improve your skills. 6 p.m., Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. Free. 202-715-7707. www.dclibrary.org. **Chaabi music,** the passion and soul of the Algerian Casbah performed by El Gusto, an Algerian orchestra consisting of the students of the first music class led by El Anka, the founder of chaabi music. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Eisenhower Theater, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **********Library film about Africa,** “Invictus,” about the newly elected President Nelson Mandela and his belief that he can bring his people together using the universal language of sports and rallying South Africa’s underdog rugby team and its unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup Championship match, starring Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman. 6 p.m., Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. Free. 202-727-0232. **** ****** ** **Stories by hand,** for ages 6-12, storyteller Kathy MacMillan uses American Sign Language in her interactive program. 11 a.m., **Anacostia Library,** 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-715-7707 or 202-715-7708; and 1:30 p.m., **Capitol View Library,** 5001 Central Ave. SE. 202-645-0755; and 4 p.m., **Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library,** 3935 Benning Rd. NE. Free. 202-281-2583. **The Brotherhood Singers,** the Kentucky gospel group performs four-part harmony “jubilee” music. Noon, Library of Congress, Coolidge Auditorium, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-5510. **Gallery talk: Faith Ringgold,** associate educator Anna Allegro discusses “American People, Black Light: Faith Ringgold’s Paintings of the 1960s.” Noon, National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. Free. 202-783-5000. **U.S. Capitol history,** author Mark N. Ozer discusses his book “Washington Metroland,” about the origins of the existing and projected Metro lines in the roadways, the rail systems that preceded them and more. Noon, Veterans of Foreign Wars Building, Ketchum Hall, 200 Maryland Ave. NW. Free, reservations recommended. 202-543-8919, Ext. 38, or www.uschs.org. **Ballets Russes — dances on film,** “Petrushka” and “Afternoon of a Faun,” performances originally premiered by Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes shown in conjunction with the exhibit “Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes, 1909-1929: When Art Danced with Music.” 12:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building, Large Auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **What the Tower Sees,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the city’s geography, architecture and history; take a camera. 3:30 p.m., through Aug. 28, Old Post Office Tower, Observation Deck, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. 202-606-8691. **Hip-hop workshop with Lewis Ford,** for ages 13-19 to learn about the positive power of hip-hop as the voice for the oppressed and an alternative view of your world. 3:30 p.m., Juanita E. Thornton-Shepherd Park Library, 7420 Georgia Ave. NW. Free. 202-541-6100. **The Brotherhood Singers,** the a cappella gospel group from Kentucky specializes in four-part harmony “jubilee” style. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Luce design with Bits of Thread,** Bits of Thread Sewing Studio owner Allison Lince-Bentley shares her love of sewing and discusses a variety of projects. 6:15 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, third floor, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **“Magic Hour,”** a Greek film comedy showing the surrealist side of a personal crisis, and contrasts the beauty of the Greek landscape with the ugliness of the economic crisis; in Greek with English subtitles. 8 p.m., Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. $11; students, $9; seniors, $8.25; age 12 and younger, $8. 202-966-6000. **U.S. Marine Band concert,** a performance of works by Steven Bryant, Frank Ticheli and John Philip Sousa. 8 p.m., U.S. Capitol, west terrace. Free. 202-433-4011. **“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,”** George Roy Hill’s 1969 film starring Robert Redford, Paul Newman and Katharine Ross; coolers, children and leashed dogs welcome. Opens 7 p.m. Film. 8:10 p.m., NoMa Summer Screen, Second and L streets NE. Free. 202-289-0111 or www.nomabid.org . **************** **Slim Harrison and the Sunnyland Band,** for ages 5-12, a celebration of American music guaranteed to get children up and moving. 10:30 a.m., West End Library, 1101 24th St. NW. Free. 202-724-8707. **“There’s Nothing to do on Mars,”** a staff member reads Chris Gall’s book about a family that moves to the red planet and must look for adventures, a hands-on activity follows. 11 a.m. Aug. 8-9, 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Aug. 10, National Air and Space Museum, Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight Gallery, Sixth Street and Independence Avenue SW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Puerto Rican migration,** Elena Martinez of City Lore, a New York-based cultural heritage and folklife nonprofit organization, presents “I’d Still Be Puerto Rican, Even if Born on the Moon: Documenting Puerto Rican Migration and Community through the Arts.” Noon, Library of Congress, Madison Building, Mary Pickford Theater, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-1743. **Mini golf at the National Building Museum,** barbecue and drinks available. 5-9 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. $5 per course per person, or $3 per course per person with full-price admission: $8; youth, students and seniors, $5. 202-272-2448 or www.nbm.org. Ar ** t Signs: Gallery Talk (American Sign Language),** a volunteer American Sign Language gallery guide leads conversations about various artworks. 5:30 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, F Street Lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Mike Horton and the N’ Time Band,** the jazz saxophonist and flutist leads a performance of old and new jazz in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. 6 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Great Hall, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. ******Films of Nam June Paik,** curator Michael Mansfield introduces a series of film and video works by Paik and his contemporaries. 6:30 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. ******U.S. Marine Band concert,** a performance of works by Steven Bryant, Frank Ticheli and John Philip Sousa.7:30 p.m., Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. Free. 202-433-4011. **“The Dark Knight Rises,”** the 2012 an action-adventure film starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Gary Oldman; coolers, friendly leashed dogs and picnic cooler welcome, bring a blanket. 8:10 p.m., Canal Park, Second and M streets SE. Free. www.capitolriverfront.org . ** — Compiled by Gerri Marmer  ** **E-mail:** districtlocalliving@washpost.com (to the attention of Gerri Marmer) **   Mail:** Community Events, District Local Living, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20071. **   Details:** Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.

National Park Service arranges a festive bouquet

An exhibition of plant drawings, paintings and photographs might not seem the ideal way to mark the centennial of the National Park Service. Mountains, canyons and geysers have more blockbuster appeal than flowers and vines. But “Flora of the National Parks” celebrates something shared by all the Park Service properties, from wild Western expanses to tidy D.C. squares. Also, the show is at the United States Botanic Garden, which has a certain affinity for flowers and vines. The display is divided into seven zones, from the National Capital Region to Alaska. It includes many meticulous nature drawings and paintings of the sort naturalists used to make before macro-lens photography. But there are also photographs, scratchboard illustrations, a quilted fabric piece and an example of kirigami, the Japanese cut-paper technique. Some of the artworks take a wider view, whether to observe a bucolic scene in the middle distance or a grove of redwoods from a neck-craning perspective. Even a few fauna have infiltrated the display, although they’re strictly from the pollinator class. While the goal is to charm rather than challenge, not all the artists are strict realists. A few emphasize natural textures that verge on the abstract, whether the striped trunks of birch trees (in Judd Patterson’s photo) or the mottled ones of ponderosa pines (in Suze Woolf’s watercolors). Other pieces feature extreme color contrasts, stylized renderings or — in the case of Addison Eaton’s illustration of red snow plants against a turquoise backdrop — both. The subject matter may be the chief inspiration, but some of the artists also draw on art-historical styles. There’s a glimmer of art nouveau in Stephanie Ryan’s views of Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, and Mary Ruden recalls Henri Rousseau with her large and appropriately fecund watercolor of Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve. Pamela Shelksohn’s bold ink-and-watercolor depiction of a prickly pear cactus at Saguaro National Park is more Warhol than Audubon. The organizers were wise to include such variety: It makes for a livelier selection and indirectly represents the diversity of the American landscape. Still, some of the most fascinating works are precise renderings of small and everyday things, whether a lily, lichen or a suite of West Coast pine cones. The artists’ attention to detail compels you to try to look as closely as they did. _Upcoming events include “Meet the Artists,” April 2 at 1 p.m., and a children’s program on the art and science of the cherry blossom, April 3 at 1:30 p.m._ Conservatory West Gallery, United States Botanic Garden,   100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. usbg.gov/floraofthenationalparks. **Dates:** Through Oct. 2. **Admission:** Free.

Art review: ‘Patrick McDonough: brightveridiansentinelevents’

Patrick McDonough’s art is not infrequently called playful. The Washington artist’s 2010 installation at Flashpoint Gallery, “reck room,” included a foosball/table tennis hybrid that was designed to be used by gallery visitors (and, in fact, was used, by downtown lawyers on their lunch break). His current show at the American University Museum, “brightveridiansentinelevents” features a punningly titled sculpture, “133006-mussels two ways (muscles two ways).” It’s made from exercise equipment and discarded mussel shells from the D.C. restaurant Marvin. Yet even he acknowledges that this lighthearted description may not be the best one for his work, which is often as earnest — not to mention as enigmatic — as it is cheeky. “I admittedly ask a lot of people,” says McDonough, whose art, while visually provocative, is also at times perplexing, inviting viewers to puzzle out more hidden connections than they may be used to. In addition to work evoking mussels/muscles, the A.U. show includes: a sculpture made from Hemcrete (a concretelike building material made from hemp); found photographs of activist Ralph Nader, naturalist John Muir and environmentalist Aldo Leopold; video of the artist tossing golf balls made from cast aloe vera gel at a metal gong; a high-tech sculpture that uses photocatalytic paint to remove nitrogen oxide from the air; and detritus from two recent art actions in which McDonough painted a series of lawns in Rosslyn white. Are you still with him? “I probably lose some people along the way,” McDonough says of the somewhat arduous conceptual path that his work invites viewers to walk. Don’t worry. The artist has planted clues along the way to tie all this together. I’m going to help you find some of them. The first clue is in the title. “Veridian,” a homophone for “viridian” (or green), is the unifying concept, which has to do with sustainability and the environment. That’s underscored in the museum’s outdoor sculpture garden, where you’ll find an array of such drought-tolerant plants as salvia and fescue, growing in cast-off containers that have been turned into planters. (Hemp is also drought-tolerant.) Why the deliberate misspelling of viridian? “Ver,” which evokes the root of the Latin word for truth, is one likely reason. Again and again, the show hints at the idea of falsehood, as in the case of one sculpture that features a bank of tanning-booth light bulbs. There’s also a kind of television studio set featuring a green screen of the kind used by weathermen to create fake video backdrops. How did we get onto the weather? We never really left. Remember those drought-tolerant plants? McDonough wants viewers to think about global warming. His white-painted grass is a simulacrum of snow, of which the artist (who’s from Wisconsin) is afraid we might start seeing less and less. As for “sentinel events,” that connects back to the mussels (there are lots of them in the show): Due to their sensitivity to pollutants, biologists consider the shellfish a “sentinel” species for its ability to warn of environmental degradation. The allusion to muscles suggests that any solution to the problem of climate change is going to involve heavy lifting. And that any faith in a quick fix is a delusion. Which takes us back to the idea of truth. Okay, okay. So McDonough is waving his hands like a maniac, warning of the dangers of climate change and climate-change denial. Well, not exactly. If “brightveridiansentinelevents” is a cautionary tale, it’s an oblique one. McDonough’s work is subtle and complex. He’s also, for example, interested in aesthetics. Although his sculptures can be ugly, as in the case of the Hemcrete lumps, the artist wants us to question what we find beautiful, and why. Although some people find solar panels and wind turbines to be eyesores, those judgments, McDonough argues, are learned behaviors. And they can be unlearned. None of this, of course, hits you over the head while you’re walking through the show. Rather, it is questions we’re left with at the far end of “brightveridiansentinelevents,” not answers. That makes for the kind of art that’s troubling, in the best sense of the word. Be sure to visit the sculpture garden before you leave “brightveridiansentinelevents.” There, green-minded gardeners will find not only ideas for plants that don’t require a lot of watering, but also a pair of artworks that actually air-condition the great outdoors. One features an electric air filter, with a motor powered by a solar panel. It briefly comes on automatically, every 20 minutes or so. The other pieces work more quietly, using panels that have been coated with special paint that bonds with noxious chemicals. When activated by sunlight, those atmospheric pollutants are broken down into harmless organic compounds, including water and carbon dioxide. If it sounds like a sermon or an industrial demo, Patrick McDonough denies that he is either a preacher or a salesman. He fully realizes the futility of trying to scrub the Earth of smog through paint. His piece may be green, at least figuratively, but in the end, McDonough says, it’s also “just a painting.” **— Michael O'Sullivan**

There are 30,000 species of orchids. See some of the most unusual varieties in D.C.

The luxuriantly long winter orchid show on display at the National Museum of Natural History offers a familiar story in the West’s tango with this exotic flower. A fellow named Nathaniel Ward came up with a way to ship them live in terrariums in the 19th century; wealthy collectors built greenhouses and got explorers to gather the tree-dwelling flora. Then the orchid captured the public imagination, first with the fine and dandy corsage and today with the cheap and cheerful phalaenopsis or moth orchid. In an age when Amazonia is no longer an uncharted abstraction of richly imagined beauty, danger and natural wonder to the average Westerner — when a $12 moth orchid awaits the impulse shopper at the checkout — is it still possible to find magic in this plant? The answer, happily, is yes. This might be as miraculous as the flower itself, given that the propagation technology of tissue culture has created the moth orchid conveyor belt. With a flowering plant from scratch in as little as three years, growers produce so many varieties that they don’t even bother to name them. The orchids might have numbers. Folks, even marigolds have names. People whose lives are steeped in orchids don’t seem too worried about this. The moth orchid proliferation “doesn’t take away from how lovely they are,” said Sarah Hedean, an orchid grower at the Smithsonian, as she took me around the exhibition, “Interlocking Science and Beauty.” The mitigation is that the orchid world is so diverse — some 30,000 species and even more human-bred hybrids — that different and unusual orchids are never far away. Even within the realm of the moth orchid, you will find novel varieties bred by and for connoisseurs. (On Sunday, the National Capital Orchid Society hosts an auction at Behnke Nurseries in Beltsville, starting at 10 a.m.) More to the point, some of the mass-market, commodity moth orchids are devastatingly beautiful. At the exhibit, one is tucked behind filler foliage, its spray presenting a chorus line of dainty blooms that are white- flecked with maroon patterns. I’d tell you to get one, but it doesn’t have a name. The show spans the season, ending on faraway April 26, which means that with 350 or so on display at any one time, you need legions of other orchids in the wings ready to be switched in. Some, such as the cattleyas, can sustain such energy-sapping blooms for only a week or so. But another reason for the constant changes — every Tuesday and Thursday — is that the museum’s interior exhibition space lacks levels of natural light, warmth and humidity that many of the orchids want. You need a large collection to keep it so fresh; fortunately Hedean and her colleague Melanie Pyle have one of the largest around. The show draws from the Smithsonian’s permanent collection of 8,500 orchids and the U.S. Botanic Garden’s 7,000 or so. I asked Hedean to show me some of her favorites, and she made a beeline to a lone, low but outrageously large hybrid of the cattleya tribe with ruffles of pale yellow and rich peach. The variety is Ojai Verde, and it was pumping out fragrance. The first time I smelled it, it recalled a pungent lemon. The second time, I thought I had my face in a bowl of fruit punch. Nearby was a little flock of solid magenta dendrobiums (Regina Beauty Hawaii), fluttering in front of a split-leaf philodendron that never looked so regal. Perhaps the most elegant flower was that of a ground-dwelling, slipper type, this one named Phragmipedium Fritz Schomburg. It is coral pink, and glowing. “It can tolerate low light conditions,” said Hedean, and its species parent “typically grows along streambeds.” Next to it sat an eye-catching clump of stout slipper orchid hybrids, with bulbous flower parts, awash in glossy maroons and speckled markings. There is something of the triffid about them. One of the reasons the moth orchid has proliferated is its tolerance of the tough conditions found in homes, where it is dark and dry. It can also bloom for weeks with a little bit of care. It still has a way to go before matching a wiry, tall, but undoubtedly fussier orchid named Psychopsis, which doesn’t stop blooming. “These have been blooming for two years,” Hedean said, examining the brown speckled, yellow flower. If you want an even bigger winter orchid fix, you might venture a couple of hours north to Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pa., for an annual show within the grand and light-filled setting of its Conservatory. Approximately 3,500 orchids are on show, including displays in the opulent, marble-floored Exhibition Hall. One of the stars of the “Orchid Extravaganza” exhibition is a moth orchid named Sogo Yukidian V3. Grown masterfully in Taiwan, its sprays are perfectly formed arcs of paired white blossoms. Longwood has a dozen of these on display for the first time. “We have wanted to get the plants here for years,” said Lee Alyanakian, an orchid specialist who helped stage the show. “We have seen them in the shows overseas.” One thing you won’t find at either show is the abominable blue moth orchid, achieved by injecting dye into its vascular system. If you want to see a naturally blue orchid, look for the azure vandas on show at Longwood. “As close to blue as you can get,” Alyanakian said. Without a bottle of pigment, that is. **More from The Washington Post** How to keep a moth orchid alive For the seed-loving gardener, spring starts now Heuchera is a popular perennial. Here are 10 of the best. Picking the perfect heuchera perennials

D.C. community calendar, April 24-May. 1, 2014

**Walking club,** for fitness and better health, co-sponsored by Sibley Memorial Hospital. 8:30-9:30 a.m. Thursdays and Tuesdays, Mazza Gallerie, 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Free, with free parking. 202-364-7602. **Courtyard Garden Tour,** Smithsonian Gardens horticulturists lead a tour of the interior plantscape of the Kogod Courtyard, tells some of the tricks of the trade for use at home and conducts a plant-care demonstration. 10:30 a.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, G Street Lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **********Garden tour and kids in “snugglies,”** for infants, volunteers lead parents and care providers with one child in an infant carrier for a tour of the conservatory. 10:30 a.m. U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free; registration required. 202-225-8333 or _www.usbg.gov  _. **************************Washington Cathedral behind-the-scenes tour,** age 11 and older. See gargoyles and stained-glass windows and climb stairs for a panoramic view of the city. Bring a camera. 10:30 a.m. weekdays, Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $25; age 11 and 12, $21. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . **Curator talk,** Janneken Smucker, assistant professor of history, West Chester University, discusses her insights into the content and themes in the exhibit “Workt by Hand: Hidden Labor and Historical Quilts.” 11:30 a.m., National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. Free with museum admission: $10; age 65 and older and students, $8. 202-783-5000. **Cooking demonstration,** gardening and cooking writer Adrienne Cook and her sister, nutritionist and cooking instructor Danielle Cook, demonstrate how to cook asparagus and peas. Noon and 1:30 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . **Managing stress and improving well-being,** a discussion led by Al Zara, sponsored by Sibley Senior Association. Noon, Sibley Medical Building, Conference Room Four, 5215 Loughboro Rd. NW. Free; suggested donation $55 for eight weeks. 202-364-7602. **Beginner computer skills class,** ****learn how to create an e-mail account, search the Internet and use online library services. 1-3 p.m. Thursdays, Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. Free. 202-727-1288. **Meditation and mindfulness,** Al Zara leads participants practicing their sitting meditation techniques, co-sponsored by Sibley Senior Association. 2-3 p.m., Sibley Medical Building, Conference Room Four, 5215 Loughboro Rd. NW. Free; suggested donation $50-$75 for eight weeks. 202-364-7602. ******************************************************************Crafty Thursdays,** age 5 and older; all materials provided. 4 p.m., William O. Lockridge/Bellevue Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW. Free. 202-243-1184. **HIV/STI testing,** ages 13-24, hosted by Metro TeenAIDS. 4:30-7:30 p.m., Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library, meeting room two, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. Free. 202-281-2583. **“Remember This: Walking with Jan Karski,”** a staged reading of Derek Goldman and Clark Young’s play that celebrates the legacy of Karski, the late beloved Georgetown professor and Polish underground courier portrayed by David Strathairn; an ensemble of Georgetown students will be part of the event. 5 p.m., Georgetown University, Healy Building, Gaston Hall, 37th and O streets NW. Free; tickets required. performingarts.georgetown.edu  or 202-687-2787. www.eventbrite.com . **William Randolph Hearst and his life with art,** author Mary L. Levkoff discusses how the media tycoon chose his works of art, how they were displayed and how he lived with them during more than 80 years of an extraordinary lifetime. 5:30-7:30 p.m., Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. $20; students, $7. 202-686-5807 or www.hillwoodmuseum.org . **Conversations at Lincoln’s Cottage,** a lecture about our 16th president by John Taliaferro, author of “All the Great Prizes: The Life of John Hay, from Lincoln to Roosevelt .” Come at 6 p.m. and mingle with the author during a cocktail reception. Lecture, 6:30 p.m., President Lincoln’s Cottage, 140 Rock Creek Church Rd. NW. $10, lecture only; $20, lecture and reception; reservations requested. 202-829-0436, Ext. 31232, or smiraminy@savinplaces.org . **Intersections: Western and Chinese music,** NSO cellist Yvonne Caruthers and Shanghai-born composer Du Yun discuss the structures, instruments and purposes of Chinese music, live performances by the presenters illustrate aspects of both Chinese and Western music, from classic pieces to contemporary works. 6:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $42. 202-633-3030. **Steinbeck Onstage: The Grapes of Wrath at 75,** the National Steinbeck Center honors the cultural effects of John Steinbeck’s work by inviting readers to rediscover the novel and the writer who created this odyssey of Depression-era America. Actress Lois Smith; Michael Donald Edwards, artistic director of Florida’s Asolo Repertory Theatre; and Steinbeck scholar Susan Shillinglaw discuss how the powerful portraits of human perseverance in “The Grapes of Wrath ” found their theatrical reflections. 7-8:30 p.m., Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Ring Auditorium, 700 Independence Avenue SW. $25. 202-633-3030. **NSO concert,** Osmo Vänskä leads the orchestra and clarinetist Martin Fröst in a performance of works by Sibelius, Aho and Mendelssohn, a discussion follows the performance. 7 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Saturday, Kennedy Center, Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW. $10-$85. 202-467-4600. **Jazz diplomacy,** John Edward Hasse, author, curator, biographer of Duke Ellington and founder of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, leads a discussion focusing on efforts by the U.S. Information Agency, the Voice of America and the State Department to use jazz as a diplomatic tool during the Cold War. 7 p.m., National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. ******“Elling,”** Kasi Campbell directs the play based on a play by Ivgvar Ambjornsen about oddly matched roommates who must cope with everyday life. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, through May 18, Undercroft Theatre, Massachusetts Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Friday and Saturday evenings, $50; Thursdays and matinees, $40; seniors, $10 discount; students, half price. 240-582-0050. **********************************“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee ,” **for age 12 and older, a musical based on the Rachel Sheinkin book, with music and lyrics by William Finn, the story of six awkward adolescents navigating their way through a spelling contest; contains coarse language. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays (except May 2 and 9), 7:30 p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays, continues through May 17, Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. $18-$77.65. 800-982-2787. www.fords.org. **Foghorn Stringband performance,** the gold standard for American stringband music plays the old fashioned way, gathering around one microphone on the stage. 7:30 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. $20, in advance; $15 at the door. 202-549-4172 or www.hillcenterdc.org . **“Peter Pan” ballet,** the Washington Ballet performs a new production of Septime Webre’s coming-of-age tale that pits Peter and the Lost Boys against Captain Hook and his pirates. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 1:30 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Kennedy Center, Eisenhower Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $25-$125. 202-467-4600. **“Hair,”** for mature audiences, Mark A. Rhea and Susan Marie Rhea direct the tribal love-rock musical. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, Andrew Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. $42; students and seniors, $37. 703-892-0202 or boxoffice@keegantheatre.com,  www.keegantheatre.com . **********************************“Shear Madness,”** a comedy-mystery set in Georgetown, with audience participation to help solve a mock murder. 8 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 6 and 9 p.m. Saturday, 3 and 7 p.m. Sunday, 8 p.m. Tuesday- Wednesday, Kennedy Center, Family Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $50. 202-467-4600. **********************“Camp David,”** a play about President Jimmy Carter and the attempt to create peace in the Middle East. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays, through May 4, Arena Stage, Kreeger Theater, 1101 Sixth St. SW. $110, subject to change and based on availability. 202-488-3300 or _www.arenastage.org  _. **********************Brad Mehldau Trio in concert,** sponsored by Washington Performing Arts Society. 8 p.m., Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW. $35. 202-785-9727. www.wpas.com. **Classical music concert,** cellist Daniel Müller-Schott and pianist Simon Trpčeski perform works by Beethoven, Brahms and Chopin. 8 p.m., Library of Congress, Coolidge Auditorium, 10 First St. SE. Free tickets available by phone, with a $2.80 service charge per ticket. 202-397-7328 or 202-707-5502. ******Earth day festival,** Botanic Garden staff members, volunteers and others chat with visitors, demonstrate cooking techniques with seasonal produce and help visitors plant a pot to take home and grow. 10 a.m.-2 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Terrace, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . **Seniors line dancing,** ****for age 50 and older. 10 a.m., Woodridge Interim Library, 1790 Douglas St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. **“A Great Day in Harlem” (1994),** a documentary film that brings to life a remarkable moment in the history of American music, an unexpected gathering of dozens of America’s jazz legends and the photograph that would become emblematic of the golden age of jazz. Noon, National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Arthritis support group,** this month’s topic: “Your Pain and You.” Sponsored by Sibley Senior Association. Noon, Sibley Renaissance Building, Meeting Room 2, 5255 Loughboro Rd. NW. Free. 202-364-7602. **Persian lecture,** “The Persian Book of Kings: Vicissitudes of a Foundational Text in Iranian Culture,” a lecture by the University of Maryland’s Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak. Noon, Library of Congress, AMED Reading Room, Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-4518. **********Pipe organ concert,** organist Michael Britt and baritone George K. Bareford perform works by William Walton, George C. Baker, Paul Halley, Edwin H. Lemare and Georges Bizet. 12:15-1 p.m., National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Cir. NW. Free; donations welcome. 202-797-0103. **Jazz concert,** a performance by the U.S. Air Force Band’s Jazz Combo with the Airmen of Note. 3-4:30 p.m., National Museum of American History, Flag Hall, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-767-5658. ******Join the STEAM team,** for ages 6-12 with an interest in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics and a desire to design, construct, discover and create. 4 p.m. Fridays, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **Meet the author,** “My Life in Middlemarch ” author Rebecca Mead discusses her book with Hanna Rosin, national correspondent for the Atlantic, and Margaret Talbot, staff writer for the New Yorker. 7 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free; registration requested. 202-549-4172 or www.hillcenterdc.org . **Art exhibit opening,** for “(in)Visible & (dis)Embodied: Repositioning the Marginalized,” a collection of works by Andrea Chung, Ivan Forde, Ramiro Gomez, Dafna Steinberg and Jason Edward Tucker. Opening reception. 7-9 p.m. April 25; Panel discussion. 6 p.m., May 14; Gallery talk, 5 p.m. June 1, D.C. Arts Center, 2438 18th St. NW. Free. 202-462-7833. **Can you ID a tree?,** author and teacher Melanie Choukas-Bradley leads a workshop and tree ID session, teaching tree ID basics specific to our native and cultivated tree populations. 6:30-8:30 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Classroom, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. $25. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov. **KC Jazz Club,** vocalist Kevin Mahogany performs a blues-heavy set in celebration of his 20-year career. 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Gallery, 2700 F St. NW. $26-$30. 202-467-4600. **Brain lecture,** Jeff Lichtman, a Harvard University professor, discusses “Connectomics: Mapping the Brain’s Wiring Diagram,” sponsored by the Philosophical Society of Washington. 8:15 p.m., Cosmos Club, John Wesley Powell Auditorium, 2170 Florida Ave. NW. Free. 703-370-5282. **National Symphony Orchestra concert,** Osmo Vänskä leads a performance of Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 in which the first half of the program illuminates this masterpiece that will be performed in the second half. 8 p.m., Kennedy Center, Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW. $10-$85. 202-467-4600. **“Botanica,”** performed by Momix, a company of dancer-illusionists, sponsored by Washington Performing Arts Society. 8 p.m., George Washington University, Lisner Auditorium, 730 21st St. NW. $28-$48. 202-785-9727. www.wpas.org . ******Painters in Provence: From Van Gogh to Matisse,** art historian Bonita Billman looks into the inspiration that places like Avignon, Arles, Aix-en- Provence, St. Remy, St. Tropez, and Nice provided for the brilliantly colored works produced by 19th and early-20th century painters. 9:30 a.m.-4:14 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $130. 202-633-3030. **Wrecks, Rescues and Mysteries: Air and Sea Disasters,** historian and author Andrew Jampoler recounts four dramatic incidents of bravery and tragedy spanning two centuries: Bligh and the HMS Bount, Death on the Amphitrite, The Enduring Mystery of Amelia Earhart, The Rescue of Alfa Foxtrot 586. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $130. 202-633-3030. **Keyboard Sonatas and Trios of Joseph Haydn,** scholar and performer Kenneth Slowik takes a close look at a number of the sonatas and trios and the instruments for which they were written, assisted by violinist Ian Swensen and cellist Elisabeth Reed, performances on the clavichord, harpsichord, and fortepiano included. 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., National Museum of American History, Warner Brothers Theater, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. $100. 202-633-3030. **Genealogy: immigration records,** archivist Claire Kluskens discusses how to improve your archival research skills in immigration records, all skill levels welcome. 10 a.m., National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Yoga at the library,** for adult and teen beginners with an instructor from Yoga Activist. No experience required; bring a mat or use one from the library, 10 a.m., Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. 202-281-2583; 11 a.m., Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. Free. 202-243-1188. **Free flow movement,** Cynthia Word teaches free expression, stress-release and harmony between body and soul to those who are living with or recovering from cancer. 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St. NW. $15 per session; $40 for three sessions. 202-483-8600. www.smithcenter.org . **Georgetown University jazzfest,** bring a blanket for a day of great music from local and Grammy Award-winning artists. Noon, Georgetown University, White-Gravenor Patio/Copley Lawn, 37th and O streets NW. Free. 202-687-2787. ******Carillon recital,** carillonneur Edward M. Nassor performs. 12:30 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, Bishop’s Garden and other outdoor areas, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Free. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . **Film viewing,** “Eroica ,” Andrzej Munk’s 1957 film, a satire on the theme of personal courage, shown with English subtitles. 12:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building Auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **Design Apprenticeship Program II,** final presentation, future designers participating in a “Little Free Libraries” program share how their library designs uniquely represent a local community. Old City Farm & Guild, City Blossoms, Common Good City Farm and Wangari Gardens are among the recipients. Attendees are encouraged to bring a book to donate. 1-3 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Free. 202-272-2448. www.nbm.org . **Portrait Story Days: Benny Goodman,** listen to a story about the “King of Swing,” American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader, and create a piece of art inspired by his life and portrait. 1-4 p.m., National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **“Me and My Shadow,”** for age 4 and older, Australia’s renowned Patch Theatre performs using a combination of light and shadow, paper and water, fantastical imagery and intriguing sounds to reveal the perplexities and pleasures of friendship. 1:30 and 4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Kennedy Center, Family Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $20. 202-467-4600. **********“Frank: The Voice,”** author James Kaplan discusses his biography of singer and actor Frank Sinatra. 2 p.m., National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Yoga class,** a prenatal partners workshop to learn how to use yoga during pregnancy and labor, no experience necessary, recommended for women in the first, second and third trimester. 2-4 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. $80 per couple. Register: www.hillcenterdc.org . 202-549-4172. **Design challenge,** children accompanied by an adult, open workshop inspired by the Maker Space movement, create products and prototypes to make an everyday task into something extraordinary by adding your creativity as you consider a design challenge. Timed entry at 1, 2 or 3 p.m., closes at 4:30 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. $25 per child; accompanying adults, free. 202-272-2448. www.nbm.org . ******Art exhibit opening,** “Black and White and In Between,” a juried all- media exhibition. Reception, 5-7 p.m; exhibit continues 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Fridays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays, through May 31, Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. Free. 202-547-6839 or www.chaw.org  or www.caphillartleague.org . ******Band concert,** the U.S. Air Force Band’s Airmen of Note perform. 5-7 p.m., Pershing Park, 1400 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. 202-767-5658. **Body, Soul, and Spirit in Archetypal Psychology,** a lecture by Michael Lerner, Smith Center co-founder and board chairman. 6 p.m., Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St. NW. 202-483-8600 or www.smithcenter.org . **********American Sign Language,** gallery guide leads conversations about various artworks in ASL. 1 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, F Street Lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Luce artist talks with Emily Biondo and Bradford Barr,** local artists discuss a museum work and explain why it inspires them. 1:30 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, Third Floor, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Cathedral gargoyle tour,** a docent shows slides of the building’s whimsical stone gargoyles and grotesques, followed by an outdoor tour; binoculars and cameras welcome. 2 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $15; age 12 and younger, $6; reservations suggested. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . **Art lecture,** Princeton University’s Anthony Grafton discusses “Past Belief: Visions of Early Christianity in Renaissance and Reformation Europe” and “Relics and Ruins: Material Survivals and Early Modern Interpretations.” 2 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building Auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **Afternoon Asanas,** for age 50 and older, tone and stretch as you practice yoga using chairs, tailored to those with limited mobility and a doctor’s consent, liability waiver signature required. 3 p.m. Second and fourth Sundays, Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. Free. 202-243-1188. **Scottish ceremony,** “Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan,” the St. Andrew’s Society of Washington and about 100 society members march into the cathedral with accompanying bagpipers and drummers. Scottish music and Highland dancing follows the program at the All Hallows Amphitheater on the cathedral grounds. 3:30 p.m., National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Free; donations requested; free garage parking. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . **Finland films,** “Helsinki, Forever,” Peter von Bagh’s 2008 film portrait of Finland’s capital and an essay on Finnish culture, and “Station,” von Bagh’s 1989 film portrait of the legendary Helsinki central railway station. 4 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building Auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **“Herblock: The Black and the White,”** a George Stevens Jr. documentary film about the late Washington Post cartoonist with special guests Judy Woodruff of PBS, producer George Stevens Jr. and Washington Post editorial cartoonist Tom Toles, to support the theater. Hors d’oeuvres reception, 5 p.m. Sunday. Film, 6:30 p.m. Panel discussion, 8:15 p.m., Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. $250; screening and discussion only, $50. 202-966-6000. www.theavalon.org . **Choral Arts Society of Washington concert,** Scott Tucker leads a performance of works by Ginastera, a sacred a cappella motet, “Misa Tango,” a Mass with tango rhythms and the iconic sounds of the bandoneón, and a second half with singers and dancers performing the tango. 5 p.m., Kennedy Center, Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW. $15-$75. 202-467-4600. **Emerson String Quartet concert,** a performance of works by Shostakovich and Schubert. 6-8 p.m., National Museum of Natural History, Baird Auditorium, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. $67. 202-633-3030. **What makes it great?,** former National Public Radio music commentator Rob Kapilow unravels and explores Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” movements “Spring” and “Summer” with the audience and then listens to the Peabody Chamber Orchestra perform it, sponsored by Washington Performing Arts Society. 6 p.m., George Washington University, Lisner Auditorium, 730 21st St. NW. $20. 202-785-9727. www.wpas.org . **Duo guitarists in concert,** Eliot Fisk and Paco Peña perform classical and Flamenco repertoire for two guitars. Latecomers not admitted. 6:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, West Building Garden Court, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. ******** **Therapeutic yoga classes for cancer patients,** Corrin Bennett and Alaina Sadick lead patients, survivors and caregivers. 10:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m. Mondays, 6-7:15 p.m. Wednesdays, Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St. NW. $25/month. 202-483-8600 or www.smithcenter.org . **Italian conversation,** have coffee as you practice conversational Italian with native speaker Anna Nicolosi, new members welcome, sponsored by Sibley Senior Association. 11 a.m.-noon, Sibley Medical Building, Conference Room 5, 5215 Loughboro Rd. NW. Free. 202-364-7602. **Cathedral earthquake damage update,** James Shepherd, director of Preservation and Facilities at the Washington National Cathedral, shows photos of fallen pinnacles, cracked flying buttresses and other damaged items and discusses that status of repairs to the building, light refreshments served. Noon, Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, 3401 Nebraska Ave. NW. Free. 202-363-4900. ******U.S. Botanic Garden lunchtime tour,** museum volunteers lead a tour of plants and discuss what manila folders, Chanel No. 5, vanilla and fossil fuels have in common. Also, a discussion of possible breakthroughs in medicinal plant research. Noon, Mondays and Wednesday, U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov . **Comeback Club for stroke survivors and their caregivers,** includes weather-permitting outdoor activities, validation for free parking provided. 1 p.m., MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, first-floor Teleconference Room, 102 Irving St. NW. Free. Terresa Ward, 202-877-1957. **Knitwits knitting group,** sponsored by Sibley Senior Association. 1-4 p.m., Sibley Memorial Hospital, Private Dining Room 3, 5255 Loughboro Rd. NW. Free. 202-364-7602. **It’s only money,** Thomas Cook, client representative for Help Unlimited, answers seniors’ questions about disputes with vendors, and ways to simplify finances and save money. 3:30-5 p.m., meet in a back room of Ping Pong Dim Sum, 1 Dupont Cir. NW. $10. Register: lindajkh@mac.com . 202-234-2567. **Mental health and HIV confidential group,** ****for people with HIV and mental-health challenges. Transportation tokens and refreshments provided, sponsored by MetroHealth. 3:30 p.m. 1012 14th St. NW. Free. 202-638-0750. **HIV/STI testing,** for ages 13-24, hosted by Metro TeenAIDS. 4:30 p.m., William O. Lockridge/Bellevue Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW. Free. 202-243-1184. **********************Chess club,** instruction open to children and teens. 5:30 p.m., Woodridge Library, 1801 Hamlin St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. ******************************Knitting and crocheting,** all experience levels welcome. 6:30 p.m. Mondays, Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-4297. **“Cool Hand Luke” (1967),** Stuart Rosenberg’s film about life inside an American prison, starring Paul Newman, George Kennedy and Strother Martin. 6:30 p.m., National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free ticket, one per person, distributed 30 minutes before each show. 202-783-3372. **Yoga class,** ****taught by a representative from Yoga Activist, geared toward beginners but all are welcome. 7 p.m. Mondays, Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. 202-282-3080. **************Aerobics for adults,** one-hour sessions. 7:15 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, Capitol View Library, second floor, 5001 Central Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-0755. ************ ************ **Poetry national finals,** 53 high school champions from across the country match skills in reciting classic and contemporary poetry, competing for $50,000 in prize money. 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday, 7-9:15 p.m. Wednesday, George Washington University, Lisner Auditorium, 730 21st St. NW. Free. 202-682-5606 or arts.gov/partnerships/poetry-out-loud . **Strength and balance,** led by Tonya Walton, a full-body strength and balance class with no floor work, sponsored by Sibley Senior Association. 10-11 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, through June 10, Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, 3401 Nebraska Ave. NW. $90 for a one-day-per-week class; $170 for a two-days-per-week class. 202-364-7602. **Pennsylvania Avenue: America’s Main Street,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walk and reveals some of its lesser-known events, places and people. 10:30 a.m., Old Post Office Tower, Benjamin Franklin statue, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. 202-606-8691. **Baroque duo concert,** violinist Marlisa del Cid Woods and harpsichordist Elena Tsai perform sonatas for violin and harpsichord by J.S. Bach and music of his contemporaries. 12:10 p.m., Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Free; suggested donation, $10. 202-347-2635, Ext. 20. ******Getting ready for healthy summer,** sponsored by Sibley Senior Association. Dietician Jodie Hofacre discusses the latest information about getting and staying healthy through food choices, by reading labels correctly, identifying locally sourced food and determining which foods are best to eat. 1 p.m., Sibley Renaissance Building, Meeting Room 2, 5255 Loughboro Rd. NW. Free. 202-364-7602. **Cathedral tour and tea,** a docent-led tour of the cathedral, its history, architecture and arts — plus a traditional English tea and a scenic view of the city from the cathedral tower. 1:30 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, Washington National Cathedral, Docent Station at the Rear Nave, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $30; reservations required. 202-537-8993, www.allhallowsguild.org or misbister@cathedral.org . ******Sketching workshop,** bring pencils and a small sketchbook, work with objects on display in the Luce Foundation Center. 2:30-4:30 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Homework help,** for ages 13-19, aid with homework and special projects . 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Francis A. Gregory Library, Teen Space, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-4297. **Labyrinth walk,** an evening of contemplative practice on the last Tuesday of each month. 6-8:45 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, Nave, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Free; donations appreciated. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . **********************Classical piano recital,** Igor Lebedev, a pianist and professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia, performs sonatas by Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, sponsored by Washington International Piano Series. 6 p.m., Catholic University of America, Ward Recital Hall, 620 Michigan Ave. NE. Free. 202-319-5414 or piano.cua.edu . **********Burma, vacation hot spot,** Donald Stadtner, a specialist in Burmese history, arts and archeology, gives a virtual tour of Burma’s golden Buddhist temples, floating markets and lush landscapes previously seen by few from the Western world, and explores Burma’s complicated politics, its history and compelling culture, and reveals the secret ingredient in Burmese women’s face cream. 6:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $42. 202-633-3030 or smithsonianassociates.org . **Yoga for teens and adults,** Doriel Hall teaches a step-by-step program for beginners’ health and well-being. 7 p.m. Tuesdays, Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. Free. 202-724-4752. **************************Classical piano recital,** Benjamin Grosvenor performs works by Mendelssohn, Schubert, Schumann, Mompou, Medtner, Ravel and Strauss. Sponsored by Washington Performing Arts Society. 7:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $49. 202-785-9727. www.wpas.org . **CUA Wind Ensemble concert,** John Mitchell and Michael Smith conduct works by Malcolm Arnold, Henry Fillmore and Robert Sheldon, and will feature “Pele” by Brian Balmages with soloist Rob Craven. 7:30 p.m., Catholic University of America, Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center, 620 Michigan Ave. NE. Free. smithmv@cua.edu  or 202-319-5414. ******Genealogy lecture,** National Archives specialist Nancy Wing shows how to navigate www.archives.gov for genealogy research. 9:30 a.m., National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Meet the author,** “Tia Isa Wants a Car ” author Meg Medina presents her story in conjunction with Children’s Day. 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., Library of Congress, Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-1950. **Total body workout,** a 10-week class led by Carolyn Gichner, bring a mat and light weights, sponsored by Sibley Senior Association. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Wednesdays and Fridays through June 11, Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, 3401 Nebraska Ave. NW. $90 for one day per week; $170 for two days per week. 202-364-7602. ******Gallery talk,** a museum staff member discusses “Equal Exposure: Anita Steckel’s Fight Against Censorship.” Noon, National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. Free. 202-783-5000. **Classical piano recital,** Ann Schein performs works by Chopin, Debussy, Liszt and Ravel. 12:10 p.m., National Gallery of Art, West Building Lecture Hall, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. ******Lunder Conservation Center behind the scenes,** a staff member discusses how conservators use science, art history and skilled hands to preserve objects. 3 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, third floor, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. ******Chess for kids,** instruction for all ages. 4 p.m. Wednesdays, Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. 202-282-3080. **Ashley’s Meditation and Mindfulness,** Ashley Nunn practices her techniques, then invites questions and experiences. 4-5 p.m., Sibley Medical Building, Conference Room 5, 5215 Loughboro Rd. NW. Free. 202-364-7602. **Teen game night,** for ages 13-19, play board and Wii games. 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-4297. **************Is This Art?** a guided tour by a staff member, focusing on modern and contemporary works. 6-7 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Lincoln Gallery, third floor, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **“What Do You Buy the Children of the Terrorist Who Tried to Kill Your Wife?”** author David Harris-Gershon discusses his amazing journey to healing by understanding his enemy, rethinking his assumptions about the Israeli- Palestinian conflict and eventually sitting down with the family of the terrorist who tried to kill his wife. Q&A; and book signing to follow. 6:30 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free. Reservations: dcmetro@jstreet.org. 202-727-0321 or 202-248-5868. **The national parks through a photographer’s eyes,** photojournalist Ian Shive shows some of his stunning images and video footage and discusses more than a decade of remarkable work that has taken him to parks across the continent and in Hawaii, shaping his technical and creative approach to capturing nature. 6:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $42. 202-633-3030. **Grandparenting 101,** Neva Powers, a registered nurse and perinatal instructor, leads a workshop on current trends in infant care and safety, how to be (and not be) helpful to the new parents, how to navigate changing family dynamics, how to be a long-distance grandparent and how to equip your home to encourage visits. 7 p.m., Washington D.C. Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW. $57. miriams@washingtondcjcc.org  or 202-777-3263. **A Celebration of Rameau, Part I: The Salon,** Opera Lafayette performs in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of Jean-Philippe Rameau’s death, French harpsichordist Olivier Baumont is featured in a solo suite and joins violinist and artistic director Ryan Brown in one of the composer’s Pièces de clavecin en concert, performing transcriptions from Les Indes Galantes with harpsichordist Andrew Appel, a quartet of vocal artists join to perform Rameau’s “Canons and Airs.” 7:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $60. 202-467-4600. **Shisa dogs and Taiko drums: A Japanese journey,** for age 5 and older, musicians and colorfully costumed dancers from the Chin Hamaya Daiko Culture Center use drums, chant, song and dance to sweep you into the spirit of celebrations from Japan’s Ryukyu Islands. 10:15 and 11:30 a.m., National Museum of Natural History, Baird Auditorium, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. $8; ages 2-16, $6; 1 and younger, $3. 202-633-8700 or www.discoverytheater.org . **Laugh cafe,** bring your favorite jokes, humorous stories, riddles or personal tales. Bring a sack lunch, coffee and dessert provided. Sponsored by Sibley Senior Association. Noon-1 p.m., Sibley Memorial Hospital, Private Dining Room 3, 5255 Loughboro Rd. NW. Free with one joke; registration required. 202-364-7602. **Civil War murder,** a National Park Service Ranger discusses how President Lincoln allowed General Jefferson Davis to get off scot free for the heinous murder of his fellow general, William Nelson. 1 p.m., Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Free. Matthew Hornberger, 202-426-6841. **“The Great Gatsby,”** a librarian leads a discussion of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. 1:30 p.m., Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. Free. 202-282-3139. **Memorials on the National Mall,** a National Park Service Ranger leads a walking tour and shows a selection of the memorials that remind us of our history. 2-4 p.m. daily through May 31, Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Free. 202-426-6841. **Cathedral symbols and iconography,** a docent leads a tour of the cathedral’s stone, stained glass and fabric art and demonstrates how to read the art’s stories by decoding the meanings of the symbols. 3 p.m. May 1, 1:30 p.m. May 4, Washington National Cathedral, West End Docent Station, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $20; children, seniors, military and students, $16; reservations suggested. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . **Bob Klein’s Photography Exhibit in Brookland,** offers a window into the world with images from the U.S., Norway, Costa Rica, Austria, Cuba, India, Ecuador, Tanzania, Montenegro and Borneo. Reception. 6 p.m. Thursday. Gallery open Thursdays-Fridays 6-8 p.m., Saturdays noon-4 p.m., Studio 21, Arts Walk at Monroe Street Market, 716 Monroe St. NE. Free. 202-269-1600. **Genius Loci: the public art of Raymond Kaskey,** the D.C.-based sculptor whose work includes architectural sculptures for the National WWII Memorial discusses his artistic process and the collaborative nature of large-scale public projects with the Museum’s executive director, Chase Rynd, in conjunction with the exhibit “Cool & Collected: Recent Acquisitions,” arrive early for a visit before the talk. 6:30 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. $20; students, $12. Free. 202-272-2448. www.nbm.org. **Marlo Thomas on the Power of Reinvention,** the actress, producer, writer and activist discusses her new book “It Ain’t Over . . . Till It’s Over ,” a look at how more than 50 women have defined and realized the possibilities of taking on new roles and fulfilling new opportunities including getting a PhD, traveling the world, launching a business, following a creative impulse, making a family recipe famous and more. 6:45 p.m., National Portrait Gallery, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. $42. 202-633-3030. **U.S. Marine Band concert,** “The President’s Own” performs music by J.S. Bach, Mendelssohn, Richard Rodgers and others. 7 p.m., National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Musicians from Marlboro III,** a performance of works by Haydn, Berg and Dvorak. 7:30 p.m., Freer Gallery, Meyer Auditorium, Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW. Free tickets available by phone, with a $2.75 service charge per ticket. 202-397-7328 or www.ticketmaster.com. ** — Compiled by Gerri Marmer  ** **E-mail:** districtlocalliving@washpost.com (to the attention of Gerri Marmer) **   Mail:** Community Events, District Local Living, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20071. **   Details:** Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.

2017 spring home and garden tours and events in the D.C. area

_With spring here and Mother’s Day right around the bend, now is the time to get outdoors and enjoy the warm weather by visiting some of the Washington area’s most interesting, beautiful and historic homes and gardens. This year’s roundup includes a mixture of elegant gardens, family-friendly embassy events and a handful of plant sales._ The **Friends of Carlyle House’s Annual Garden Day Herb and Craft Sale** features live music, a bake sale and tours of the Carlyle House, the site of the Mansion House Hospital featured in the PBS period medical drama “Mercy Street.” Saturday **** 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Free for Friends of Carlyle House or with the purchase of an Alexandria Garden Day ticket. novaparks.com. Admission to the Carlyle House museum $5, children $3. Purchase trees, shrubs and plants, all grown within the estate’s greenhouse, along with gardening books, tools and heirloom seeds at the **Mount Vernon Historic Plant and Garden Sale**. Gardening experts will also be available to answer your plant-related questions Wednesday-Sunday 1- p.m. Runs Saturday-May 21, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy., Alexandria. 703-780-2000. mountvernon.org. Free. The **Falls Church-Arlington Home and Garden Tour** includes four 100-year-old holly trees, mature boxwoods, a garden of Victorian-era plants and two homes that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Part of the **Garden Club of** **Virginia’s Historic Garden Week** , which spotlights more than 250 gardens, homes and landmarks across Virginia. Wednesday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Historic Garden Week runs Saturday through April 29. vagardenweek.org. In advance $30, day of tour $40; other Historic Garden Week tours $15-$50. Shop for traditional and rare plants, including eight types of Cypripedium orchids, at the **Garden Fair and Plant Sale** , sponsored by Friends of the National Arboretum. April 28, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (members only) and 1-4 p.m. (general public), and April 29, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave. NE. 202-544-8733. fona.org/gardenfair. Free. The **Georgetown House Tour** features some of the neighborhood’s oldest and most prestigious homes. The event is once again being led by Jill and Scott “Scooter” Altman, a former NASA astronaut who appeared in the blockbuster “Top Gun.” Tickets include admission to a parish tea in Blake Hall at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 3240 O St. NW. 202-338-2287. georgetownhousetour.com. April 29 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $50, day of tour $55; group tickets (10 or more) $40. The ****Garden Club of** **Virginia’s** Washington tour **includes four private homes and the gardens of the Inn at Little Washington. Part of **Virginia’s Historic Garden Week** , which spotlights more than 250 gardens, homes and landmarks across Virginia. April 29, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. vagardenweek.org. In advance, $35, day of tour $40. The **Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage** includes stops in Anne Arundel, Carroll and Baltimore counties on select days and times. April 29-May 13. 410-821-6933. mhgp.org. In advance $30, day of tour $35. The Four Rivers Garden Club will hold their annual **72nd Flower Mart** in downtown Annapolis, selling prearranged baskets of flowers and custom arranged baskets near City Dock. April 30 10 a.m.-2p.m. 410-757-5867. Washington National Cathedral’s **2017 Flower Mart** features flower and gift vendors, live music, festival food, tours of the gargoyles and the bell- ringing chamber, rides on the antique carousel, children’s games and more. May 5-6. allhallowsguild.org/flower-mart/flower-mart. Free. Visit more than 20 embassies during the **Around the World Embassy Tour**. Cultural highlights include karate demonstrations, sari wrapping lessons and henna demonstrations. May 6, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Various locations in Northwest Washington. culturaltourismdc.org. Free; photo ID may be required. This year’s ****self-guided **Takoma Park House and Garden Tour** spotlights unusual and historic homes in the neighborhood surrounding Spring Park. May 7, 1-5 p.m. 240-393-6060. historictakoma.org. In advance $22, day of tour $25. Visitors get the rare opportunity to step inside the embassies of 28 European Union countries during the **Sho** **rtcut to Europe: European Union Embassies’ Open House**. May 13, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. euopenhouse.org. Various Northwest Washington locations. Free; photo ID may be required. **Georgetown Garden Tour** includes eight private gardens in some of the neighborhood’s most historic locations, including the elegant gardens of historic Tudor Place. May 13, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. georgetowngardenclubdc.org/tour. $35 before May 1, $40 after. The **Tuckahoe Elementary School Home & Garden Tour** will highlight eight newly renovated homes in Arlington. Funds raised will support the Discovery Schoolyard program at Tuckahoe Elementary School in Arlington. May 13, noon-5 p.m. tuckahoetour.org. In advance $25, day of tour $30. Hundreds of healthy plants, donated by club members, will be available for purchase at the **Great Falls Garden Club’s Plant Sale**. May 13, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. gfgardenclub.org. Free. Pick up perennials, herbs, heirloom tomatoes, hanging baskets, houseplants and more at Silver Spring Garden Club’s annual **Garden Mart** fundraiser. May 13, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. South terrace of the Visitors Center at Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton. 301-962-1400.  montgomeryparks.org/brookside. Free. The **Capitol Hill House and Garden Tour** features homes on East Capitol Street, Fifth Street, A Street and more, as well as Naval Lodge No. 4 on Pennsylvania Avenue in Southeast. May 13, 4-7 p.m., and May 14, noon-5 p.m. 202-543-0425. chrs.org. In advance $35, tour weekend $40. The **CCWC Homes Tour, Marketplace & Silent Auction** features guided tours of three homes in Clifton and Fairfax, including a home inspired by Twelve Oaks, Ashley Wilkes’s home in Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone With the Wind,” plus a silent auction and marketplace at the Clifton Presbyterian Church, May 18, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. 703-609-3479. cliftoncwc.org. In advance $25, day of tour $30; one home tour $10; silent auction entry free. The Garden Club of Frederick and Celebrate Frederick lead the **Beyond the Garden Gates Garden Tour** in downtown Frederick and Baker Park, featuring nine of Frederick’s finest gardens. May 20-21, 1-5 p.m. celebratefrederick.com. 301-600-2844. In advance $25, day of tour $30. The **Historic Hyattsville House Tour** highlights several homes of historical and architectural interest. Tour starts at Hyattsville’s Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin St. May 21, 1-5 p.m. 301-699-5440. preservehyattsville.org. In advance $10, day of tour $15. Cash or check only. The **Shepherd Park Garden Tour** spotlights gardens in the Shepherd Park, Colonial Village and North Portal Estates neighborhoods of Northwest Washington, May 21, 2-5 p.m. shepherdpark.org. $15, Shepherd Park Citizens Association members $7. This year’s **Secret Garden Tour** will take visitors through a variety of private gardens in the historic district of Annapolis. June 3-4, noon-5 p.m. hammondharwoodhouse.org. In advance $30, day of tour $35. Proceeds benefit the Hammond-Harwood House. ****

How does this garden grow? With help from a Web site and pretty pictures.

Sure, the cherry blossoms are nice — a fleeting profusion of delicate pinkness — but aren’t they a bit tyrannical? When it comes to Washington flowers, the cherry blossoms tend to suck all the oxygen out of the room. **Susan Harris** wants to spread the oxygen around. “People just assume after spring there’s nothing to see,” said Susan, a retired garden writer and the organizing force behind DCGardens.com, a new Web site that promises to show what’s in bloom in the Washington area at various times throughout the year. “The tag line is ‘Beyond the cherry blossoms,’ ” said Susan, who lives in Greenbelt (after gardening for years in Takoma Park). DCGardens.com debuted last week. The site focuses on a dozen “destination gardens,” including such well-known spots as the National Arboretum, Dumbarton Oaks and Brookside Gardens, and lesser-known places such as the Franciscan Monastery and the Smithsonian’s collection of gardens. When the Web site is totally built out, it will have photos from each garden for every month. “The idea is that if your mother’s coming to visit in September, here are things she might like to see,” Susan said. The site will also list garden-related lectures and other activities. Susan said Washington’s gardens get short shrift. “In the East, the Philadelphia area is considered the mecca of American gardening, with Longwood and all the things the Duponts did,” she said. “Well, in D.C., we have gardens that compete with theirs.” The problem, as Susan sees it, is that our gardens have to compete with so many other attractions — all those museums. Even many locals aren’t familiar with them. “I think our gardens stack up amazingly well,” she said. “The real advantage — and shock to people from out of town — is that ours are free.” The Web site is a work in progress and a largely volunteer effort. They still don’t have photos or videos of every garden for every month, something they’ll be busily compiling this year. (They’ve launched an IndieGoGo campaign in the hopes of raising $25,000 to hire a freelancer to keep the site updated.) Susan knows from gardening. Growing up near Richmond, she watched as her grandmother and mother both coaxed beauty out of the raw earth. The DCGardens.com project has taught her a little something about marketing — and about the sort of photography her Web site needs to lure people. “Close-ups don’t attract people to gardens,” she said. “We’re telling [photographers] don’t give us that stuff. What attracts people to gardens are longer shots that give you a sense of space. Showing visitors in the shots is a very positive thing.” Susan found her photographers using a very simple method: Whenever she was in a garden and saw someone taking a picture with a big, expensive camera mounted on a tripod, she walked up and tried to recruit them. That’s how she found **Damien Harvey** , whose day job is making TV ads for politicians. Susan conscripted Damien in the fall after pouncing on him at the National Arboretum. Damien told me he got into flower photography after getting sick of taking pictures of monuments. “You can only take so many of those,” he said. The Upstate New York native was drawn to the Arboretum because he needed a dose of autumn. “Because I’ve always lived downtown in D.C., I never had a sense of fall, just kind of concrete and steel,” he said. Floral photography is “a wonderful way to get outside and to enjoy nature.” Damien prefers tight close-ups of flowers, the kind of macro photography that reveals odd structures and abstract whirls of color. “I have an older brother who’s a professional photographer,” Damien said. “He shoots in a journalistic style. If I asked him to take a picture of a flower, he’d barf.” Damien is tasked with photographing Mount Vernon and Green Spring Gardens in Fairfax County. He knows he’ll have to change his painterly style. “The hardest part is to take pictures that give the viewer a sense of what it looks like in its entirety,” he said. “That’s the thing that I’m working on this year with these pictures: How do you give a sense of perspective of a garden? How do you show someone a picture that makes it so interesting that they want to be there?” And after all, that’s the whole point. Looking at a photo can only approximate the garden experience. With our long winter hopefully behind us, now’s the time to start planning a trip to Eden. Twitter: @johnkelly For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/johnkelly.

April brings a shower of house and garden tours to Washington region

A sure sign of spring — the annual crop of house and garden tours — will be popping up next month in the Washington region. You can explore a showplace in the District transformed by top local designers. You can admire lush, enchanting gardens across Virginia. And you can view dozens of private homes, farms and historic sites throughout Maryland. Here is a list of April’s events: ● **2014 D.C. Design House,** 4600 Linnean Ave. NW, April 13 through May 11. See how interior designers transform 29 spaces throughout this estate, which was built in 1929 and has been in the Marshall B. Coyne family for more than 60 years. Open weekends noon to 5 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed Mondays. Tickets are $25 and available at  _www.dcdesignhouse.   com_ and at the door. The event benefits the Children’s National Health System. ● **Georgetown House Tour** , April 26. This annual tour includes nine houses. Open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are available for $50 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 3240 O St. NW, on April 24 and 25, and online before 5 p.m. April 24 at  _www.   georgetownhousetour.com_ . Tickets are available the day of the tour for $55 at the church. An afternoon tea in Blake Hall at the church is included. The event benefits St. John’s Church and its nonprofit programs. ● **Historic Garden Week,** April 26 through May 3. This multi-tour offering includes 155 private homes and gardens and 61 public sites throughout Virginia. Produced by the Garden Club of Virginia, the event, established in 1929, is the oldest and largest statewide house and garden tour in the nation. Thirty-one tours take place over eight consecutive days, with 3,300 volunteers involved. In Northern Virginia, private homes and walled gardens in Old Town Alexandria will be featured April 26; private residences and grounds in Clarke County-Winchester will be open April 26 and 27; grand hunt-country estates will be on view April 27 and 28 in Middleburg; and private homes and gardens in Fairfax County can be toured April 29. The tickets — which average $30 and $175 for statewide passes — are available at  _www.vagardenweek.org_ . The event benefits the restoration and preservation of Virginia’s historic and public gardens, including Mount Vernon and Monticello. ● **Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage**, April 26 through May 31. Whether you love history or enjoy touring homes and gardens, the annual Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage has something for you. A tradition for 77 years, the tour this year includes about 50 private homes, gardens, farms and historic sites in Prince George’s, Baltimore, Talbot, Calvert and Kent counties. The Prince George’s tour, which takes place April 26, focuses on the War of 1812 and follows part of the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail and Scenic Byway. Among the 15 attractions is Darnall’s Chance, an 18th-century home on the National Register of Historic Places as well as the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Trail. During the War of 1812, John Hodges of Darnall’s Chance was asked by local residents to take custody of imprisoned British soldiers and exchange them for U.S. citizens. He was arrested for his actions and tried for treason, but found not guilty. He is the only known person to be tried for treason in the War of 1812. Advance tickets are $30 at  _www.   mhgp.org_ . The event benefits preservation projects in each host community. **Trish Donnally** is freelance writer. Freelance writer Michele Lerner contributed to this report.

Hardy citrus trees take root in local suburbs

There are clues to John Saia’s passion for pushing the plant envelope in the front yard of his otherwise comfortably congruous suburban home in the Potomac Falls neighborhood of Sterling, but his wonderfully alien world deserves a closer look. In the entrance bed you will find the hardy orange variety named Dragon Lady, a citrus that is the toughest species we have, and grows well north of Washington in spite of its exotic and fearsomely spiny appearance. Its little orange-yellow orbs are ripening as we speak. (Take one fruit and, to sweeten, add eight pounds of sugar). Nearby, you will find the dwarf palmetto, _Sabal minor_ , a common native palm south of Virginia but an oddity in these parts. Next comes a eucalyptus species called the Omeo gum tree, well on its silvery way to establishment if not maturity. A little farther down, a windmill palm named _Trachycarpus fortunei_ grows from a foundation bed where others might raise nandina or azaleas. The palm, the books say, is safe up to the Carolinas, but here, under the flight path of Dulles International Airport, it is almost eight feet across. Walk down by the gate and you find another eucalyptus, the snow gum. “It’s fun coming out here when it snows,” Saia said, for a spectacle that “doesn’t make any sense.” Let’s cut to the chase, because amid all his palms, eucalyptus, bananas and other examples of his “tropicalesque plants,” Saia is growing a mystery citrus tree outdoors that now reaches to his second floor. It is bearing 20 fruits (up from three last year) that will turn orange in November. If last year’s experience is repeated, the fruit will reach the size of a golf ball or bigger, shift to its ripe color and exhibit a sweet flavor in flesh and rind. Surprisingly, quite a few citrus plants will grow in a Washington garden — among them the hardy orange, a hybrid called the hardy grapefruit or citrumelo, and a species named _Citrus ichangensis_ — but Saia’s orange tree has a sweetness lacking in the others. The citrus lover who grows plants in large pots and has a bright, cool place to keep them in winter has a rich choice to hand. Common summer patio-winter conservatory fare includes Meyer lemons, calamondin oranges, ponderosa lemons, kumquats, limes and much more. But for Saia and fellow members of the Virginia Palm Society, this enigmatic plant holds the promise of bringing an outdoor citrus experience to our region enjoyed by gardeners in states such as Florida and California. Saia and tropical plant buddy Joseph “Boca Joe” Seamone acquired the plant from Dave Klemm, another tropical plant devotee who picked it up at the annual Southeastern Citrus Expo in 2006. Saia planted it as an eight-inch transplant the following spring. Klemm said he bought it from a South Carolina nurseryman who received it, in turn, from a Florida citrus grower who was unloading plants raised as rootstock. Fruit trees are commonly grafted onto a rootstock to improve performance. The nurseryman thought it might be a seedling from a rootstock developed by the Agriculture Department — a cross between the hardy orange and, possibly, a hardy mandarin named Changsha. Because its seedlings differed so much from the parent plant, its value to rootstock growers was diminished. “It was hard for them to reproduce it on a large scale,” said Klemm, who lives in Annandale. “It’s Zone 7 hardy and [Saia] claims it’s edible; hopefully I’ll get a chance this fall to sample it.” Its fruit is not much bigger than a golfball. “If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought it was a mandarin from the grocery store,” said Seamone, a Germantown-based designer of tropical landscapes. Saia’s tree grows in the lee of the house, but in a garden that still gets the chill of the outer suburbs. Citrus guru Tom McClendon, in his book “Hardy Citrus for the Southeast,” lists an amazing number of species and hybrids that in theory have a chance of surviving in a Washington garden, especially if sheltered. He lists six species or crosses that are hardy below 10 degrees, and another dozen than could probably take temperatures down to that threshold. These include the Ten-Degree Kumquat, which is a hybrid of _Fortunella japonica_ , and the Juanita Tangerine ( _Citrus reticulata_ ). Saia has both in pots and is working up the courage to plant them in garden beds. Hardy citrus, palms and eucalyptus are best planted in the spring, so they can establish themselves before their first winter. Seamone doesn’t ascribe their success to climate change, saying it is tied to the genetics of a given plant. Fans of these outliers say their survivability is linked to how well they are grown, their locations, their age and the nature of the freezes that threaten them. My instincts tell me that they would do best in an east-facing bed sheltered from winter sun and winds, and planted in soil that drains freely, not wet clay. With some imagination and adventure, and the blending of hardy and tender tropical type plants (such as bananas, taros, caladiums, coleus and cannas), it is possible to create a garden that has all the hedonistic feel of a Caribbean landscape; break out the rum punch, put on the calypso music (in a neighborly way, please) and let the rush hour melt away. “I want to be different,” Saia said. “If you drive down the typical suburb here you see Knock Out roses, some azaleas, rhododendrons, arborvitae. To me there’s no knockout factor. I know cold-hardy tropical gardening isn’t for everybody, but it’s something I have liked.” As I left his garden, Seamone pointed out a couple of stout trees. “Live oaks, they grow fine around here.” And, yes, hanging from one was some Spanish moss. **@adrian_higgins on Twitter**

D.C. community calendar, July 18 to July 25, 2013

******Space-age family activities,** hands-on activities and special film screenings in conjunction with the display in the Public Vaults exhibit depicting the space program under presidents Nixon and Ford. 10 a.m.-2 p.m., National Archives, Boeing Learning Center, Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Science spectacular with Eric Energy,** for ages 5-12, the wacky scientist performs experiments in weather and matter; audience members can volunteer. 10:15 and 11:30 a.m. Thursday-Friday, Discovery Theater at S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $8; ages 2-16, $6; 1 and younger, $3. 202-633-8700 or www.discoverytheater.org. **Pacific rhythm family dance troupe,** a performance that brings the Polynesian Islands cultures to life. 10:30 a.m., Deanwood Library, 1350 49th St. NE. 202-698-1175; 1 p.m., Rosedale Library, 1701 Gales St. NE. 202-727-5012; and 4 p.m., Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. 202-281-2583. Free. **Blue Sky Puppet Theater,** for ages 3-12, featuring “The Time Capsule,” part of the Dig into Reading summer reading program. Free. 10:30 a.m., West End Library, 1101 24th St. NW. 202-724-8707; and 1:30 p.m., Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. 202-727-1288 or www.dclibrary.org. **National Garden Tour,** education technician Alex Torres discusses the diversity of American plants, drawing inspiration from the environments of the Mid-Atlantic region; take sunscreen, protective clothing and water. 10:30 and 11:15 a.m., through next Thursday, U.S. Botanic Garden, National Garden Lawn Terrace, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov. **Behind the scenes cathedral tour,** for age 11 and older, see gargoyles and stained-glass windows and climb a lot of stairs for a panoramic view of the city; take a camera. 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. most weekdays, Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $15. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org. **Gen. “Black Jack” Pershing and World War I,** a National Park Service ranger discusses World War I and how Pershing and other diplomats reshaped the world. 11 a.m., Pershing Statue at 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW; another session 11 a.m. Next Thursday. Free. Joseph Mohr, 202-426-6841. **Designing for texture: beyond flowers,** horticulturist Adam Pyle discusses the nature of foliage compared with flowers and their appropriateness for gardens. Noon, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free, registration required. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov. **Storyteller Sharon Gaston,** for ages 3-8, stories about character building. 1 p.m., Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-4297 or www.dclibrary.org. **Albus Cavus: Urban Microworld,** a workshop in which the microscopic structure, topography and anatomy of well-known and rare members of urban fauna and flora will be analyzed and sketched. 5:30 p.m., Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. Free. 202-727-0232. **Classical music concert,** participants in the National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute perform. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **The Looms of Southeast Asia,** weaver and educator Deb McClintock discusses the simple looms and techniques used by village weavers and royal courts alike in Southeast Asia to create and store intricate patterns, comparing models from Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, northwest Vietnam and Burma, how contemporary artists such as Carol Cassidy are using traditional vertical heddle pattern equipment principally found in the Hua Phan province to create brilliantly colored and intricately patterned fabrics and custom reeds and handmade heddles, demonstrating the khao nyai loom. 6 p.m., Textile Museum, 2320 S St. NW. $25, registration required. Register: 202-667-0441, Ext. 64. **Cathedral gargoyle tour,** a docent shows slides of the building’s whimsical stone gargoyles and grotesques, followed by an outdoor tour; binoculars and cameras welcome. 6:30 p.m. Thursday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $10; age 12 and younger, $5, reservations suggested. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org. **“Apples & Oranges,” **for age 13 and older, a romantic comedy by deaf playwright Jessica Willoughby, part of the Capital Fringe Festival, features Sandra Mae Frank and Lance Hall. 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 4 and 7 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, 7 p.m. Wednesdays, through July 28, Gilbert C. Eastman Studio Theatre, Gallaudet University — Elstad Annex, 800 Florida Ave. NE. $17. 866-811-4111 or www.capitalfringe.org. ******U.S. Marine Band concert, **7:30 p.m., Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. Free. 202-433-4011. **“Shear Madness,”** performance of a comedy-mystery set in Georgetown, with audience participation to help solve a mock murder. 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 6 and 9 p.m. Saturdays, 3 and 7 p.m. Sundays, Kennedy Center, Family Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $48. 202-467-4600. **“Rabbit Hole,”** Keegan Theatre production of David Lindsay-Abaire’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play about a suburban husband and wife whose lives are shattered by the loss of their child. 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, Church Street Theater, 1742 Church St. NW. $35; students and seniors, $30. 703-892-0202, boxoffice@keegantheatre.com or www.keegantheatre.com. **“The Rocky Horror Show,”** a horror-comedy musical by Richard O’Brien, starring Mitchell Jarvis as Dr. Frank N. Furter, choreography by Michael Bobbitt. 8 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 7 p.m. Sundays, continues through Aug. 4, Studio Theatre, Metheny Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. $40-$45, discounts for students, seniors and military. 202-332-3300 or www.studiotheatre.org. **U.S. Army Band concert,** on the west front plaza. 8 p.m., U.S. Capitol. Free. 202-399-7993. **“Thor,”** the 2011 action-adventure film starring Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth. Coolers, friendly leashed dogs and picnics welcome, bring a blanket. 8:30 p.m., Canal Park, Second and M streets SE. Free. www.capitolriverfront.org. ****** ** ************************************************ **************AARP Driver Safety course,** 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Iona Senior Services, 4125 Albemarle St. NW. $14. Registration: 202-362-0704. **American Flavors Tour,** curator Bill McLaughlin leads an outdoor walk that includes a surprising number of food and flavor plants native to our continent; take sunscreen and water. 10:30 a.m.-noon, U.S. Botanic Garden, meet on the Terrace in front of the Conservatory 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333. **“Still Mine,”** a film based on true events, about a couple in their twilight years and their struggle to build a more suitable house despite local building codes and bureaucratic officials, starring James Cromwell and Genevieve Bujold. Call theater for show times, Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. $11; students, $9; seniors, $8.25; age 12 and younger, $8. 202-966-6000 or www.theavalon.org. **Summer stones cooking demonstration,** gardening specialist Adrienne Cook and nutritionist Danielle Cook Navidi create a sweet and savory menu using the stones from plums, apricots, peaches, nectarines, cherries and other fruits from the kitchen of the Cook sisters. Noon, U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333. **U.S. Air Force Band concert,** members of the Concert Band perform. 12:30 p.m., National Air and Space Museum, Sixth Street and Independence Avenue SW. Free. 202-633-1000 or 202-767-5658. **Living Earth Festival,** a celebration of indigenous contributions to environmental sustainability, knowledge and activism; farmers market offering produce, meat and traditional American Indian foods, chef competition, sculpting workshop, pottery demonstration, live music by Quetzal Guerrero, She King and Grammy-award winning artist Ozomatli. 1-5:30 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, National Museum of the American Indian, Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW. Free. 202-633-1000. ******Museum Jazz in the Garden,** euphonium jazz and rock fusion by Euphonasia. 5-8:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. ****Celtic rock music,** **a performance by 40 Thieves. 6:30-8:30 p.m., Yards Park, Third and Water streets SE. Free. 202-289-0111 or www.yardspark.org. **“Watershed: Exploring a New Water Ethic for the New West,”** a film that highlights Jeff Ehlert, a fly fishing guide in Rocky Mountain National Park, and six others living and working in the Colorado River basin, and how we balance the interests of cities, agriculture, recreation, wildlife and indigenous communities with rights to the water. 7 p.m., National Museum of the American Indian, Rasmuson Theater, Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW. Free. 202-633-1000. **“Advise and Consent,”** Otto Preminger’s 1962 film about a U.S. Senate investigation of the President’s Secretary of State nominee and secrets from the past, starring Henry Fonda, Franchot Tone, Lew Ayres, Walter Pidgeon and Charles Laughton. 7 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free. 202-549-4172 or www.hillcenterdc.org. **“A Chinese Ghost Story,” **Ching Siu-tung’s 1987 film based on a famous Pu Songling tale, a supernatural fantasy starring Leslie Cheung as a traveling tax collector who meets and falls in love with a beautiful woman who is a ghost, in Cantonese with English subtitles. 7 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Freer Gallery of Art, Meyer Auditorium, Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW. Free. 202-633-1000. ******************U.S. Marine Parade,** U.S. Marine Silent Drill Team, Drum and Bugle Corps, Color Guard, Silent Drill Platoon and Ceremonial Marchers; visitors with reservations are admitted at 7:15 p.m.; attendees must arrive no later than 8 p.m. Parade, 8:45 p.m. Marine Barracks, Eighth and I streets SE. Free, reservations required. 202-433-4011, 202-433-6060 or www.barracks.marines.mil. ******** ************************************************B **right Star Theatre - Greece Lightning!,** From Athens to the Olympics, zany experts lead kids on a hysterical exploration of Greece! 9:30 and 11 a.m., National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free ticket, one per person, distributed 30 minutes before each show. 202-783-3372. **Hillwood tour: Fabulous Flowers and Fabrics,** an exclusive tour of the orchid house with an expert who will reveal the many secrets of these fabled flowers followed by lunch and a tour of the mansion with a focus on the textiles. 9:45 a.m., Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. $60, registration required. 202-667-0441, Ext. 64. **Elizabethan garden tours,** docent-led tours of the library’s knot garden that feature Shakespeare-inspired statues by Gregg Wyatt. 10 and 11 a.m., Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Free. 202-544-7077. **Architecture 101: Miesian,** a staff member discusses the architecture of and influence by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe that is characterized by large expanses of plate glass, steel framing and minimal structural decoration. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. $20; students, $12. 202-272-2448. www.nbm.org. **Build Your Own Terrarium,** Sarah von Pollaro, the founder of Urban Petals Floral Design, leads a workshop that will teach you how to create a miniature indoor garden for your home with rocks, plants, and moss, how to bring plants into all facets of your life, and how to care for them; wear clothes that may get a little dirty without worry. 1-4 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $90. 202-633-3030. **“Anatomy of a Murder,”** Otto Preminger’s 1959 adult film about a small- town lawyer who must defend an Army officer accused of murdering a man who assaulted his wife, starring James Stewart and Lee Remick. 2 p.m., Tenley- Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Free. 202-727-1488. **Guided bike ride,** about three hours, led by a National Park Service ranger, with stops to discuss the Mall and the city; take your own bike, water and snacks, helmets required. 2-8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, 900 Ohio Dr. SW. Free. 202-426-6841. **Portrait Story Days: Roberto Clemente,** listen to a story about the Puerto Rican-born baseball player who played his entire 18-year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. 1-4 p.m. Saturday, 2-5 p.m. Sunday, National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Gallery360: Mequitta Ahuja,** the visual artist discusses her techniques and works in which she appears as a character in a mythic drama in “Portraiture Now: Drawing on the Edge.” 2 p.m., National Portrait Gallery, Room S124, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Nam June Paik birthday tribute,** digital video artist Takeshi Murata discusses how Paik’s work inspired his own career and what influences he draws from the “father of video art.” Guests are invited for Paik cake following the gallery talk. 6 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Lincoln Gallery, Third Floor Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **The Tale of Abraham and George,** a National Park Service Ranger discusses the two iconic monuments that dominate the National Mall and the similarities that characterize their greatness. 6-8 p.m., Washington Monument, Lodge, 15th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Call Lowell Fry, 202-438-9603. **********Pennsylvania Avenue history,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walk and discusses the avenue’s lesser-known history. 10:30 a.m., Old Post Office Tower, Benjamin Franklin statue, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. 202-606-8691. **********Art signs: gallery talk,** ****a volunteer guide leads conversations about artworks in American Sign Language. 1 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, F Street Lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000 orwilsoncl@si.edu. **Liberators of Latin America,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the revolutionary ideas that link the memorials to the liberators of Latin America. 6-8 p.m., Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro station, 2301 I St. NW. Free. Mike Balis, 202-438-9710. **** ******Blue Sky Puppet Theater,** for ages 3-12, featuring “The Time Capsule,” part of the Dig into Reading summer reading program. 10 a.m., Lamond-Riggs Library, 5401 South Dakota Ave. NE. 202-541-6255; 2 p.m., Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. 202-243-1188; and 6 p.m., Mt. Pleasant Library, 3162 Mt. Pleasant St. NW. Free. 202-671-3121. **Botanic Garden lunchtime tour,** museum volunteers lead a tour of plants and discuss what manila folders, Chanel No. 5, vanilla and fossil fuels have in common. Also, a discussion of possible breakthroughs in medicinal plant research. Noon, Mondays and Wednesdays through July 29, U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov. ******Teens journal workshop,** for ages 13-19, a librarian encourages the once-a-week writings to express thoughts and feelings, all supplies provided. 5 p.m., Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. Free. 202-724-4752. ******Remembering the Holocaust walking tour,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the thanks owed to World War II veterans. 6-8 p.m., National World War II Memorial, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Call Lowell Fry, 202-438-9603. **Founders and religion,** a National Park Service ranger leads a bike ride and discusses the Founding Fathers’ positions on religion; take a bike and water; helmets required. 2-5 p.m., Thomas Jefferson Memorial, 900 Ohio Dr. SW. Free. Call Jan Buerger, 202-497-1397. **Travel necessities,** a representative from the Village Live and Learn program leads a discussion of preparation for and during travel including health insurance, trip insurance, navigating airports, cellphone operations abroad and travel for the disabled. Suggestions and questions welcome. 3:30-5 p.m., Human Rights Campaign, Conference Rooms A and B, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW. $10. Reservations: 202-234-2567 or lindajkh@mac.com. **John Barry: U.S. Navy founder,** a National Park Service ranger discusses how John Barry established the service branch. 6-8 p.m., John Barry Memorial, Franklin Square, 13th and K streets NW. Free. Mike Balis, 202-438-9710. ** ** **“Harvey,” ** ** the classic movie about a man whose imaginary friend, a 6-foot tall white rabbit, helps him see the world as it should be, starring James Stewart, Josephine Hull and Jessie White **. 6:30 p.m., National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free tickets distributed 30 minutes before each show. 202-783-3372. **********Yoga class,** 7 p.m., Mondays through Aug. 26, and 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Aug. 28, Yards Park, Third and Water streets SE. Free. 202-289-0111 or www.yardspark.org. **********U.S. Navy Concert Band performance,** 8 p.m., U.S. Capitol (west steps). Free. 202-433-2525. **Screen on the Green: “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” **Steven Spielberg’s 1982 film about a stranded alien who gets help from a fatherless boy, starring Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore and Dee Wallace. 8:30 p.m., the Mall, between Seventh and 12th streets NW. Free. 877-262-5866. **** **************Summer Storytime and Sing-Along,** for ages 2-4, a staff member leads interactive readings, songs and play in the mansion’s shaded gardens. 10 a.m., Tudor Place, 1644 31st St. NW. $5 per child and adult pair. Register: http://tudorplacetuesdaytoddlers.eventbrite.com/. 202-965-0400. **The Magical Worlds of Jack Julius,** for ages 5-12, come prepared to participate in the show in which magic and art come to life. 10:15 and 11:30 a.m. Tuesday through July 26, Discovery Theater at S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $8; ages 2-16, $6; 1 and younger, $3. 202-633-8700 or www.discoverytheater.org. **************Classical music concert,** Armonia Nova performs 13th century works by de Machaut. 12:10 p.m., Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Suggested donation, $10. 202-347-2635, Ext. 20. **** **Blue Sky Puppet Theater,** for ages 3-12, featuring “The Time Capsule,” part of the Dig into Reading summer reading program. 1:30 p.m.,  ** Southwest Library **, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. 202-724-4752; and 4:30 p.m., **William O. Lockridge/Bellevue Library** , 115 Atlantic St. SW. 202-243-1184. Free. www.dclibrary.org. **********Library of Congress lecture on China,** Kenneth Pomeranz discusses “Resisting Imperialism, Resisting Decolonization: Making ‘China’ from the Ruins of the Qing, 1912-1949.” 4 p.m., Library of Congress, Room 119, Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-0213. **Krar Collective in concert,** the Ethiopian ensemble performs hypnotic dance music centered on the traditional krar instrument (stringed harp). ********6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Conscious Moves chess club,** for ages 10-16, learn the game or improve your skills. 6 p.m., Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. Free. 202-715-7707 or www.dclibrary.org. **Gilbert Stuart across the Atlantic,** Courtauld Institute of Art lecturer Maureen Cross discusses the portraits painted during his stay in Great Britain; National Gallery of Art paintings conservator Joanna Dunn discusses her experiences with his portraiture in America, both focusing on how these works affect current conservation research and approaches to the future preservation. 6 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Woven Art from the Navajo Loom,** textile historian Cecilia Anderson discusses the origins and history of the Navajo weaving tradition, the signature designs and the techniques that distinguish these iconic textiles. 6:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $42. 202-633-3030. **********U.S. Navy Band concert,** ****the Navy Ceremonial Guardperforms. 7:30 p.m., U.S. Navy Memorial, Naval Heritage Center, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. 202-737-2300 or www.navymemorial.org. **** **** ****** ** **Blue Sky Puppet Theater,** for ages 3-12, featuring “The Time Capsule,” part of the Dig into Reading summer reading program. 10 a.m., Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. 202-282-3080. **Stories by hand,** for ages 6-12, storyteller Kathy MacMillan uses American Sign Language in her interactive program. 10:30 a.m., Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. 202-727-0232; and 1:30 p.m., Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-727-1488. Free. **“Ring of Fire: An Indonesian Odyssey,”** Volume 4, “Dream Wanderers of Borneo,” part of a series documentary about a 10-year voyage of filmmaker brothers Lorne and Lawrence Blair across the world’s largest and least-known archipelago. Noon, Textile Museum, 2320 S St. NW. Free. 202-667-0441, Ext. 64. **Gallery talk,** Elizabeth Keaney, assistant educator discusses “American People, Black Light: Faith Ringgold’s Paintings of the 1960s,” the 20-painting series in a style that synthesizes post-cubist Picasso, pop art and traditional African sculpture. Noon, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Information Desk, 1250 New York Ave. NW. Free. 202-783-5000 or www.nmwa.org. **“Prohibition Gangsters: The Rise and Fall of a Bad Generation,”** Marc Mappen discusses his book that gives a generational perspective to a group of immigrants born between 1880 and 1905, who came to power with the 18th Amendment, which outlawed the “manufacture, sale, or transport of intoxicating liquors.” Noon, National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Art workshops,** for children and their families, learn drawing techniques and all about African art, then practice drawing in the galleries. 1-3 p.m., National Museum of African Art, 950 Independence Ave. SW. Free, reservations required. 202-633-4632. **Stories by hand,** for ages 6-12, storyteller Kathy MacMillan uses American Sign Language in her interactive program. 1:30 p.m., Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Free. 202-727-1488. ******Storyteller Sharon Gaston,** for ages 3-8, listen to high-energy stories about character building. 1:30 p.m., Chevy Chase Library, 5625 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-282-0021; and 4:30 p.m., Juanita E. Thornton-Shepherd Park Library, 7420 Georgia Ave. NW. Free. 202-541-6100. **What the Tower Sees,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the city’s geography, architecture and history; take a camera. 3:30 p.m., Old Post Office Tower, Observation Deck, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. 202-606-8691. **Mini golf at the National Building Museum,** barbecue and drinks available. 5-9 p.m., Wednesdays through Sept. 2, National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. $5 per course per person, or $3 per course per person with full-price admission: $8; youth, students and seniors, $5. 202-272-2448. www.nbm.org. **Casuarina in concert,** the Brazilian group, one of the top groups of Rio de Janeiro’s new samba and choro scene, performs original music. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Luce design with Melanie Ouellette Karlins,** the local printer discusses the letterpress process and the inspiration for her work. 6:15-7 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **“The World is Funny,”** Shemi Zarhin’s film, a multilayered, tragicomic exploration of past traumas and catharsis set in provincial sunny Tiberias, in Hebrew with English subtitles. 8 p.m., Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. $11; students, $9; seniors, $8.25; age 12 and younger, $8. 202-966-6000. **U.S. Marine Band Concert,** on the west terrace. 8 p.m., U.S. Capitol. Free. 202-433-4011. ****** ** **“True Grit,”** the Coen brothers 2010 version of the classic western film starring Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges; coolers, children and leashed dogs welcome. Opens 7 p.m. 8:25 p.m., NoMa Summer Screen, Second and L streets NE. Free. 202-289-0111 or www.nomasummerscreen.com. **“Shirley Jones: A Memoir,”** the Oscar-winning actress discusses her book, her legendary Hollywood co-stars and her interactions with the cast of the TV sitcom “The Partridge Family,” including her rock star stepson David Cassidy. 12:30 p.m., National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Gen. “Black Jack” Pershing and World War I,** a National Park Service ranger discusses World War I and how Pershing and other diplomats reshaped the world. 11 a.m., Pershing Statue at 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Free. Joseph Mohr, 202-426-6841. **U.S. Marine Band concert,** 8 p.m., Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. Free. 202-433-4011. **“The Dark Knight,”** the 2008 action-adventure film starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Heath Ledger; coolers, friendly leashed dogs and picnic baskets welcome, bring a blanket. 8:25 p.m., Canal Park, Second and M streets SE. Free. www.capitolriverfront.org. ** — Compiled by Gerri Marmer  ** **E-mail:** districtlocalliving@washpost.com (to the attention of Gerri Marmer) **   Mail:** Community Events, District Local Living, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20071. **   Details:** Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.

Reviving the Bishop’s Garden at Washington National Cathedral

In a corner of the Bishop’s Garden below the Washington National Cathedral, a yew tree is growing back from the shock of its life: Now just four feet tall and covered in fresh growth, it offers little apparent evidence of the trauma it faced in September 2011 when a crane toppled and smashed the yew and a great deal more. The crane had been called in to make emergency repairs to the cathedral, badly damaged in a rare earthquake the week before. Now clothed in scaffolding, the Gothic landmark will take several years to repair. But for the garden, long cherished as one of the capital’s gentlest horticultural enclaves, the yew offers a symbol of recovery. This spring, three reworked subgardens were unveiled, including a space that had been lost for years to overgrown shrubbery; a key entrance was rebuilt; and the gardeners started replacing tired plantings. The earthquake did little damage to the garden itself, but when the crane turned turtle days later, the boom smashed the Norman arch entrance and destroyed the old border trees that gave the garden its uppermost enclosure. The crane’s counterweights became airborne and landed on stone pillars and took out an old magnolia tree. The boom also smashed into Herb Cottage, formerly a gift shop for the garden’s stewards, the All Hallows Guild. It was weeks before Joe Luebke, director of horticulture, and his crew could get into the garden. When they did, they found a landscape whose character had changed dramatically. No longer a place of enclosure and shelter, the Bishop’s Garden seemed to carry the whole weight of the battered cathedral now towering above it. The crane calamity capped a series of setbacks in the Bishop’s Garden, which was built and planted in the early 20th century as a private enclave for the bishop but soon opened to the public. Its designers, principally Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and Frances Bratenahl, wife of the first cathedral dean, employed English boxwood and yew as green architecture and used early architectural elements, sculptures and other artifacts donated by George Gray Barnard, a medievalist whose collection furnished the Cloisters Museum and Gardens in New York. The Bishop’s Garden has been a favorite of professional gardeners and landscape designers for a long time, because its intricate network of paths, resting points, framed views and changes of elevation combine all the attributes that make for a good garden. If you are looking for inspiration to rework your own outdoor space, the Bishop’s Garden is the place to go, even in its afflicted state. Light, shade, mystery, enclosure, vistas, circulating paths — all these essential elements of garden design are here to please and instruct. The use of medieval structures and forms could become something ersatz, but they manage to rise above that. One of the sweetest corners of the garden is the Norman Court, whose intimate beauty includes a new stone-carved plaque of thistles in honor of the Scottish gardener here from 1961 to 1992, Peter McLachlan. When I asked landscape architect Michael Vergason to reflect on the powers of the Bishop’s Garden, he gave me a list: “age, intricacy, detail, and there’s a certain ruinous quality about it. It has an ancient feel.” To me, it has an ageless sense of early Christianity. But old gardens need revitalizing, even without the trauma that visited this garden. A few years ago, the original yew trees on the south side of the rose garden began to decline. This was a bit of a shock, because in the English churchyards that helped inspire the Bishop’s Garden, yews can live a thousand years. Then the boxwood that form the bones of the garden declined, too. English boxwood is valued for its billowing form, fine texture and sense of age, but it can be notoriously difficult and sickly, especially when planted in a hot, sunny site. As hedges died back, Luebke had the soil tested and found high levels of a root pest called a nematode that was attacking the stressed shrubs. In 2010, Snowmageddon dumped tons of snow on the garden, breaking up more of the boxwood. And for good measure, the garden’s long and showy perennial border was reaching the end of its natural life and in need of wholesale replanting. Then came the earthquake and the toppling crane. “The Furies are here,” thought Luebke. But the calamaties served as a catalyst for a rejuvenation that was already in an early stage: The cathedral and guild had engaged Vergason to rework the rose garden, whose rectangular lawn forms the central spine of the whole garden. At one end stood a medieval-style herb garden around an ancient font. At the other was a contemporary 1960s sculpture named “The Prodigal Son.” Members of the guild’s garden committee wanted to replace the sculpture with a 9th-century English cross — a wayside shrine for pilgrims — that had been placed near the perennial border. In designing the move, Vergason and colleague Melissa Gildea reworked the bed receiving the cross to better define its floor plan, which mirrors the curved east end of the cathedral, the apse. Moving a tall, ancient carving required special bracing and another crane for its safe relocation. “You can imagine the angst of moving it,” said Peggy Steuart, chairman of the garden committee. As she saw it sway beneath the crane, “my blood pressure went up.” “The Prodigal Son” was moved to a lower terrace, in a cozy corner sheltered by a large cherry tree that survived the misfortunes of a counterpart above that was felled by the crane. One of the biggest changes to the Bishop’s Garden is an area once called the Memory Garden and rechristened as the Finial Garden. The snow has smashed the boxwood that filled this space: Vergason devised a small, stepped hillside enclave defined by a lawn. The focal point is the beaten-up finial that stood on the southwest corner of the Central Tower, toppled in the quake. As Vergason points out, if the Memory Garden needed something to remember, the quake presented it. Luebke said he hopes to start the replanting of the perennial border this fall. Meanwhile, he has replaced ailing English boxwood with modern varieties developed to look like the classic box but with more vitality. One of his favorites is called Green Beauty, an English box lookalike that grows to five feet after 20 years. He also replaced the huge old American holly near the Norman Court with a large specimen that itself was toppled in a storm last summer. It has since been replaced with a smaller American holly that will be allowed to develop a good root system before it grows large. The unremitting calamities might force observers to think that Providence had it in for the Bishop’s Garden. The cathedral vicar, Jan Naylor Cope, says she visits the garden when she can to decompress and soak up its meditative qualities. Rather than view the setbacks as a curse, she thinks of the events of 2011 as a kind of miracle. “If the earthquake had lasted 10 more seconds, the damage would have been monumental,” she said. “There were 300 people in the cathedral who got out.” No one was seriously injured when the 500-ton crane fell over. The damage to the Bishop’s Garden “was like having a family member wounded,” she said. The battering, she said, reminds us of the imperfections of the world, but the destruction could have been far worse. “I consider all of that a miracle,” she said. As all gardeners know, the act of gardening is an exercise in the future and, sometimes, a lesson in the limits of one’s own powers. As Luebke said, “It’s about faith, ultimately.” **@adrian_higgins on Twitter**

Free and Easy: Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Rope,’ March on Washington Film Festival and Mission South

_The Going Out Guide recommends free things to do for every day of the week._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **MONDAY**   Film screening: 'Rope'   An Alfred Hitchcock fan? The National Theatre's summer film series features a screening of his 1948 film "Rope," about two roommates who kill their college classmate, then invite his family and friends to dinner.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University _6:30 p.m. National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-628-6161.www.thenationaldc.com._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **TUESDAY**   Town hall on artistry, creativity and civil rights   Aug. 28 marks the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. To celebrate that anniversary and in conjunction with the March on Washington Film Festival, the National Museum of Women in the Arts will host a town hall discussion featuring artists Faith Ringgold and Avis Collins Robinson and filmmaker Keith Beauchamp.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University _7 p.m. National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. 202-783-5000.www.marchonwashingtonfilmfestival.org. Reservations_   _required._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **WEDNESDAY**   Listen Local First: Mission South   Listen Local First aims to put the spotlight on Washington's homegrown musicians. One such group is the soul-rock trio Mission South, whose members have known each other since the fourth grade. See them at the Kennedy Center's Millenium Stage.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University _6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Millenium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600.www.kennedy-center.org._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **THURSDAY**   Heirloom garden tour   Summer is the perfect time to wander through the Heirloom Garden on the terrace at the National Museum of American History. On this tour, join a horticulturalist and learn about plants that have been passed down from generation to generation, such as moonshine yarrow, butterfly weed and Alaska shasta daisy. The museum offers this tour every other Thursday.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University _1 p.m. National Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-1000.www.americanhistory.si.edu._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **FRIDAY**   'The Comedy of Errors'   Pack up a lawn chair or blanket and see Shakespeare performed under the stars. As part of Olney Theatre's summer festival, the Olney Theatre National Players stages one of the Bard's early comedic plays.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University _8 p.m. Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd., Olney. 301-924-3400.www.olneytheatre.org._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **SATURDAY**   Nam June Paik birthday tribute   As part of the "Nam June Paik: Global Visionary" exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, digital video artist Takeshi Murata will discuss Paik's work and how it inspired his career. The exhibit runs through Aug. 11.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University _6 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-8490.www.americanart.si.edu._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **SUNDAY**   Living Earth Festival   The National Museum of the American Indian's Living Earth Festival begins Friday and concludes Sunday with family activities, a farmers market, Marimba music, dancing, sculpting workshops and more. The annual festival highlights environmental sustainability, knowledge and activism.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University _10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. National Museum of the American Indian, Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW. 202-633-6644.www.nmai.si.edu._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University - Macy Freeman

TV highlights: The ‘American Country Countdown Awards’ on Fox

_(All times eastern)_ The special **“Saving My Tomorrow”** (HBO at 7 p.m. and 7:30) looks at the wonders of the natural world and is a call from kids to fellow kids to help take care of the planet. The special will continue in 2015 as a four-part series on HBO beginning on Earth Day, April 22. The special features readings from Tina Fey and Liam Neeson. Presented live from Nashville’s Music City Center, **“American Country Countdown Awards”** (Fox at 8) honors the year’s best country music, with Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard playing hosts and performances from Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood. A fresh set of families from Dallas, San Antonio, Jacksonville, Fla., and more show off their greatest holiday decorations this year for a chance to win $50,000 on **“The Great Christmas Light Fight”** (ABC at 8). Max and Caroline obtain a bank loan so they can mass-produce their T-shirts and sell them at high-end boutiques on **“2 Broke Girls”** (CBS at 8). **“Antiques Roadshow”** (MPT and WETA at 8) appraises items ranging from a 1898 Mardi Gras invitation to the copper pans Julia Child used in the 1960s. Jane and Rafael uncover one of Petra’s big secrets and Xo meets her idol at an awards show on **“Jane the Virgin”** (CW at 9). **SERIES PREMIERE:** The three-part series **“Ascension”** (Syfy at 9) is about the descendants of a group of American colonists who’ve been traveling on a secret spaceship launched toward the stars 50 years ago, during the Kennedy administration, amid fears of nuclear annihilation on Earth. **SERIES PREMIERE:** The three-part series **“The American Revolution”** (American Heroes Channel at 9) combines interviews and reenactments of some of the lesser-known heroes of the War of Independence. President Payton questions Nick Vera after part of the convoy attack report is leaked to the public on **“State of Affairs”** (NBC at 10). Matt Damon narrates this latest chapter in PBS’s “Journey to Planet Earth” series, **“Extreme Realities: Severe Weather, Climate Change and Our National Security”** (WETA at 10), in which the threats to national security posed by climate change are investigated. Media proprietor and “Selma” actress and producer Oprah Winfrey comes to **“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”** (NBC at 11:35), with musical guest Idina Menzel. Actress Emma Stone and rock-and-roller Bob Seger are on the **“Late Show With David Letterman”** (CBS at 11:35). Actors Emily Blunt and Lee Pace stop by **“Jimmy Kimmel Live”** (ABC at 11:35), along with music from Alt-J. **— Rachel Lubitz  **

Wild gardens that grew out from Washington

Washington doesn’t export a lot of aesthetic ideas, and the exceptions only prove the rule. Yes, the city can lay claim to the Washington Color School, more than a half-century ago, but that always feels a bit like the region’s claim to culinary fame, the crab cake: predictable, ubiquitous and uninspiring. But what has become known as the “New American Garden” did indeed take root in Washington before going viral, and its larger impact is so pervasive that it almost goes unnoticed. The National Building Museum has devoted an exhibition to the local design firm founded by Wolfgang Oehme and James van Sweden, which popularized the New American Garden, a loose but luxurious style of landscape design, full of layers and texture, and an abstract sense of color, shape and topography. Beginning mainly with private clients in the 1970s — and eventually taking commissions from major public gardens, federal buildings and commercial entities — the firm became one of the busiest and most influential in the country. Van Sweden died in 2013 and Oehme in 2011, but the office continues under its new name: Oehme, van Sweden OvS. The exhibition underscores the local roots of the company with a painting borrowed from the National Gallery of Art: Pieter de Hooch’s “A Dutch Courtyard,” from 1658-60. Also included is a large-scale reproduction of Helen Frankenthaler’s 1973 “Nature Abhors a Vacuum,” also in the National Gallery. These are two very different works of art, separated by centuries and a revolution in visual culture. The de Hooch is a serene, formally structured image of people relaxing in a courtyard of wood and brick. The Frankenthaler is a watery abstraction of earth tones and secondary colors, suggesting a deep vista into a wide-open landscape. Yet taken together they reveal several of the productive tensions in the work of Oehme and van Sweden, between enclosure and openness, artifice and informality, the hard line and the permeable interface. The de Hooch courtyard recalls a typical Oehme and van Sweden feature, outdoor “rooms” defined by tall plantings that create intimate bounded spaces; and an open door in the painting, with a hint of trees behind it, alludes to the sense of “mystery” and narrative unfolding that the designers hoped would draw people through their gardens. These defined spaces, often deployed near a house, eventually give way to more open areas and more fluid plantings — a more “Frankenthaler sense” of space — that yield views to natural features that define the property. Even in gardens that are relatively small, undulating layers of plants at subtly different heights create the illusion of a larger space, as if an extensive landscape has been gathered and compressed into a small frame. For centuries before Oehme and van Sweden, gardens were designed to become more “wild” as they flowed out from a central architectural feature; the difference in the New American Garden is that the sense of the wild wasn’t always forest but often a prairie, a seemingly endless expanse of flowing grasses. The exhibition has been organized in part to mark the 25th anniversary of a book the two designers authored with Susan Rademacher, “Bold Romantic Gardens.” The word “romantic” is apt, even if the exhibition curators argue “their style evolved from the modernist tradition.” Almost every project they touched could go both ways, as much E.M. Forster (heavy curtains of green coddling resilient enclaves of civilization) as James Joyce (unbridled torrents of seemingly formless visual stimulation). But all of it is highly structured, contrived and almost dogmatically artless. Nature has never looked so perfectly WASPish in its mix of buttoned-down calculation and meticulous imperfection, the pattern of the necktie (just so slightly open) clashing (ever so pleasingly) with the shirt, jacket and aggressively bright pants. While the firm did pro bono projects (including the German American Friendship Garden on the Mall), the exhibition tracks its committed service to the super wealthy: Kendale Farm, a 2,500-acre estate in Virginia with five miles of Rappahannock River frontage; an 85-acre Nantucket, Mass., coastal estate; a 25-acre property with a 19th-century farmhouse in Greenwich, Conn.; an 11-acre compound on Kiawah Island in South Carolina. The list goes on, and on, and on. Washington may have been the perfect breeding ground for the style. One of the team’s seminal projects, and its first public demonstration of the principles behind the New American Garden, was designed for the grounds of the Federal Reserve Board, with two buildings, one on Constitution Avenue and another across C Street NW. The Paul Cret-designed main building is a classic example of the stripped-down, elegant but dour classicism that defines so many government properties built in the 1930s and ’40s in Washington. The innate conservatism of this federal architecture, its austerity and expressive reserve, calls out for subversion and tweaking, which Oehme and van Sweden supplied with their unruly sweeps of ornamental grasses. With its forests, marshlands, tidal zones and flat, wide rivers, the region around the nation’s capital is also wonderfully diverse in ways that clearly appealed to the artists. The climate also welcomed invasive species they used in abundance, including ornamental Miscanthus grasses. When the two designers formed their firm in 1975, they were in argument with the dominant thinking of the day, which was all about flat planes of grass and formal edges. But fashions come and go, and while the flat plane of grass cloys in its reflexive suburban deployment, it looks spectacular when you plunk an Alexander Calder or Mark di Suvero sculpture on top of it. Today, the work of Oehme and van Sweden feels like the classic overstuffed leather chair: luxurious, genteel and slightly old-fashioned. Changes in fashion, however, aren’t to be taken lightly when it comes to landscape, which is particularly susceptible to destruction and forgetting. According to exhibition co-curator Charles Birnbaum, head of the Cultural Landscape Foundation, nine of the 21 projects first presented in “Bold Romantic Gardens” have been destroyed. And several of the projects in this exhibition, including one created for John and Evelyn Nef in the District and a garden van Sweden designed for his vacation home on the bay in Maryland, have been lost or altered beyond recognition. The firm’s 1988 redesign of the Pershing Park grounds on Pennsylvania Avenue is in imminent danger of loss if plans for a major redesign of that space  — expanding it to memorialize the First World War — go through. The garden as high-end accouterment for the 1 percent will always be vulnerable, especially to that particular breed of the super wealthy whose self-esteem is tied up with the exercise of power over the land, people and things. Such people will always want to make and remake and fashion the world again to reflect their status and taste. But this exhibition makes a strong case that there are also public masterpieces among the works designed by van Sweden — the Federal Reserve grounds and an island and water basin the firm created for the Chicago Botanic Garden — the loss of which would be grievous. Although it doesn’t include much sense of the background against which the designers were working — the status quo they challenged — it gives a thorough sense of their accomplishment, their style and their influence. It is also the largest monographic exhibition the National Building Museum has devoted to landscape architecture, and it bodes well for yet more attention to this often-neglected discipline. **The New American Garden** is on view through May 1 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW.   202-272-2448. www.nbm.org.

Going Out Guide for the District of Columbia, June 11-17, 2015.

**************America Now! Music Festival** The event includes performances by the U.S. Air Force Strolling Strings and local go-go band Team Familiar, as well as musical discussions and hands-on activities. 1:30-5 p.m. National Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-1000. americanhistory.si.edu. Free. **Belle and Sebastian** The Scottish indie pop band’s recent whirlwind schedule (which included performances at Coachella and multiple sold-out shows in the United Kingdom) continues with a stop in D.C. before heading farther south for Bonnaroo in Tennessee. With Alvvays. 7 p.m. Echostage, 2135 Queens Chapel Rd. NE. 202-503-2330. www.echostage.com. $45. **The Royal Ballet** The British company returns to the Kennedy Center for the first time since 2009 with Carlos Acosta’s new full-length “Don Quixote.” Thursday-Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Kennedy Center, Opera House, 2700 F St. NW. 202-416-4600. www.kennedy- center.org. $30-$155. **** **“Visvaldis Ziedins: Travels in the Imagination”** Work by the Soviet-era Latvian artist, who rose to fame posthumously in 2009, is featured in this exhibition. Reception and preview with Latvian Ambassador H.E. Andris Razans 5:30-7:30 p.m. Through July 26. American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-885-1300. www.american.edu/cas/katzen . Free. **Capitol Steps** The comedy group uses songs to lampoon the government. Performances are every Friday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-312-1555. www.capsteps.com. $34-$36. **Union Market Drive-ins** The weekly series continues with “Pretty Woman” with DC Rollergirls delivering snacks on skates. A portion of ticket sales supports the Wheatley Education Campus. Gates open at 6:30 p.m., no entry after 8:15 p.m., film starts at 8:30 p.m. Through June 26. Union Market, 1309 Fifth St. NE. www.unionmarketdc.com. umdrivein.ticketleap.com. $10 per car, walk-ups free. ******Spring Performance Festival** The annual event features the venue’s offerings and includes performances by youth arts program members, an adult food-writing workshop, a concert from KIPP Public Charter School students in the string residency program and an adult student art show opening reception. 10 a.m. Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. 202-547-6839. www.chaw.org. Free. **“Realism Transformed: John Winslow’s Wild New World”** This exhibition is the first comprehensive survey of the Washington painter’s later works, featuring pieces Winslow created after his style changed in the 1980s. Through July 26. American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-885-1300. www.american.edu/cas/katzen. Free. **Celebration of Textiles** This family-friendly festival celebrates the textile arts and world cultures with spinning, lacemaking and sheep-shearing demonstrations, dress-up outfits from around the world, art activities, dance, music and self-guided tours of the exhibition “Unraveling Identity: Our Textiles, Our Stories.” 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The George Washington University Museum and the Textile Museum, 701 21st St. NW. 202-994-5200. museum.gwu.edu. Free. **“Drawing in Silver and Gold: Leonardo to Jasper Johns”** Examining the history of metalpoint, this exhibition features 90 drawings from the late Middle Ages to the present. Through July 26. National Gallery of Art, West Building, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215. www.nga.gov. Free. **“The Book of Mormon”** The comedy musical by the creators of “South Park” follows odd-couple missionaries who are sent to Africa to seek converts. Opens Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and continues Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., through Aug. 16. Kennedy Center, Opera House, 2700 F St. NW. 202-416-4600. www.kennedy- center.org. $43-$250. **New Dominion Chorale** Robert Shafer, artistic director of the City Choir of Washington, conducts a Washington Summer Sings! singalong of Brahms’s “Ein Deutsches Requiem” featuring professional soloists and pianist Thomas Pandolfi. 7:30 p.m. Western Presbyterian Church, 2401 Virginia Ave. NW. 703-442-9404. www.newdominion.org. $10, bring your own score or purchase one for $2. **Adams Morgan Movie Nights** The outdoor movie series continues with “Whiplash,” about a cutthroat music teacher who torments a young, aspiring drummer. Screening begins approximately 30 minutes after sundown. Series continues through June 23. Marie Reed Learning Center, soccer field, 18th and California streets NW. www.adamsmorganmovienights.com. Free. **NoMa Summer Screen** The outdoor film series continues with “Flashdance,” starring Jennifer Beals. The event includes music, giveaways and food trucks. Films are shown with subtitles. Event starts at 7 p.m., film at 8:30 p.m. Storey Park, 1005 First St. NE. 202-289-0111. www.nomabid.org. Free. **6 String Drag** After 16 years, the pioneering alt-country band from the Carolinas is back with a new album, “Roots Rock ’n’ Roll.” With Jumpin’ Jupiter. 8:30 p.m. Gypsy Sally’s, 3401 K St. NW. 202-333-7700. www.gypsysallys.com. $14, in advance $10. **— Compiled by Carrie Donovan  and  Sarah Lane  from staff reports**

U.S. Botanic Garden review: Federal bananas, deadly plants and a lunch deferred

“They just shocked the fountains,” I overheard a volunteer tell a visiting school group. Even with chlorine, the Botanic Garden’s indoor courtyard provides a welcome respite from winter for all sorts of Washingtonians. On the Thursday afternoon I visited, two men wearing what appeared to be congressional lapel pins chatted quietly on a bench, while a young woman worked on her knitting nearby. A weathered woman with a collapsible shopping cart stood gazing at a turquoise pool of water fringed with pink and purple flowers. Once I got my fill of this lovely scene, I headed to the Garden Primeval, to marvel at the Botanic Garden’s re-creation of a Jurassic landscape, where ferns and mosses dominated before the rise of flowering plants. There, I ran into the tail end of a noontime tour. “Look among the ferns over here — you can see there’s a little dinosaur,” said a volunteer, gesturing toward an unusual garden ornament. “If you come back and visit us again, I’m sure it will be full-grown.” Brimming with a passion for plants, the tour guide led us back into the Garden Court, but I didn’t mind backtracking. With her help, plants and shrubbery that I had previously passed by revealed themselves to be resourceful survivors, making strategic alliances with alien species — or eating them alive. “The plants over here all found themselves in nitrogen-poor soil,” she said, explaining how plants in the legume family have developed nodules on their roots that house bacteria that turn nitrogen from the air into something that plants — and their neighbors — can use. Then the guide drew our attention to a pitcher plant, which secretes sugar and protein on the rim of its jug-shaped leaves to lure insects to a gruesome death. “If you look into a pitcher in the wild, you’ll see a lot of black skeletons from the insects they’ve digested.” “Gross,” I said. The tour guide ignored me and continued to regale us with disgusting pitcher plant facts. “In Borneo, there’s a huge pitcher plant that attracts tree shrews, which lick the sugar from the rims and then poop into the pitcher, which provides nitrogen for the plant. Some people call them ‘shrew toilets,’ ” she said at the tour’s conclusion. Thirsty for more plant facts, I loitered in the courtyard until the 2 p.m. tour — led by a different volunteer — started up. “I don’t want to lecture at you,” my new tour guide said. “I want you to share your own experiences. Tell me about your relationships with plants, good and bad.” “Have you met anyone who’s had a bad relationship with a plant?” I said. “Not yet,” she said. The volunteer walked us to a strange-looking tree with yellow pods jutting from its trunk. “This is a cocoa plant,” she said. “It’s where chocolate comes from.” Then she pointed out a huge vine, which turned out to be that of the vanilla orchid. Suddenly, I noticed the whole garden court was overflowing with tropical fruit: Papayas, bananas and oranges hung heavily from their respective trees, ripe and delicious-looking. “Who gets to eat the fruit?” I asked, salivating. “It’s federal property,” she said. “Don’t touch.” All the fruit they grow ends up getting composted or sent to other botanic gardens for propagation, the tour guide explained. “We don’t even get to eat it,” she said. Suddenly famished, but hesitant to commit a federal crime, I decided it was time for me to face the winter once again. So I peeled off of the tour and headed for the door. I know I missed a lot — the tropical rainforest room, for instance — but that would have to wait for another day. I was craving salad, and a quick Google search showed a Sweetgreen just a half-mile away. Plants may be clever and sometimes even deadly, but this round goes to the vegetarian with a smartphone.

Spring home tours a beautiful tradition in the District area

Over the next few months, architecture and design aficionados in the Washington region can choose from hundreds of stately homes, lush yards and embassies to admire as the annual spring house and garden tours begin. In April, May and June, more than a dozen tours will be offered — from 250 homes, gardens and historic sites in Virginia to more than 70 embassies in Washington and 44 historic mansions in Maryland. Here is a list of the tours: • **2015 DC Design House,** 956 Mackall Farm Lane, McLean, Va., April 12 to May 10. Enjoy the work of 24 design firms throughout this new 8,869-square- foot estate. Open weekends noon to 5 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Thursday evenings 5 to 8 p.m.; closed Mondays. Tickets are $30 ($50 for the preview on April 11) and available at  _www.dcdesignhouse.com_ and at the door. • **Historic Garden Week** , April 18 to 25. This beauteous event will include 31 tours organized and hosted by the Garden Club of Virginia throughout the Commonwealth. Almost 250 private homes, gardens and historical sites, including many in Northern Virginia, will welcome visitors. Tickets, which average $30 per tour and $175 for statewide passes, are available at _www.vagardenweek.org_ . • **Georgetown House Tour** , April 25 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. This self-guided tour, one of the nation’s oldest at 84 years old — will feature eight homes in Georgetown. Advance tickets cost $50, which includes a tea from 2 to 5 p.m. in Blake Hall of St. John’s Episcopal Church, 3240 O St. NW, Washington. Tickets cost $55 the day of the tour. Go to  _www.georgetownhousetour.com_ for more information. • **2015 Flower Mart Celebrating Asia** , Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, May 1, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and May 2, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This free outdoor festival includes the 10th Annual International Floral Exhibit; sales of annuals, perennials and herbs; shopping at more than 80 artisanal gift booths; and children’s rides. For more details, go to _www.allhallowsguild.org_ . • **Around the World Embassy Tour** , Northwest Washington, May 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Step inside more than 50 embassies and get a taste of new foods, fashions, music and dance. Admission is free, but photo identification may be required. Find a list of participating properties at _www.culturaltourismdc.org_ . • **Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage**, May 3 to May 30. The tour over five weekends includes 44 private homes, gardens, a winery and even a Federal-style house in an 18th-century shipyard. Among the highlights are Sotterley Plantation, a National Historic Landmark; Pleasant Hill Farm, with century-old English boxwoods; and the Choptank River Lighthouse, a replica of a screw-pile lighthouse. Tickets cost $30 in advance at  _www.mhgp.org_ or $35 the day of the tour. • **Takoma Park House and Garden Tour** , May 3 from 1 to 5 p.m. To honor the 125th anniversary of the incorporation of Takoma Park, Md., organizers selected 12 Victorian, Second Empire and Queen Anne homes that were standing in 1890 for the tour. Tickets may be purchased in advance for $18 at _www.historictakoma.org_ or for $20 the day of the tour at the Cady-Lee Mansion, 7064 Eastern Ave. NW, Washington, • **Shortcut to Europe: European Union Embassies Open House** , Northwest Washington, May 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit 28 European Union member states’ embassies and the European Union delegation to the United States. Enjoy the authentic sights, sounds and scents of France, Italy, Croatia, Malta and many other countries. Admission is free, but photo identification may be required. For more details, go to  _www.euopenhouse.org_ . • **Georgetown Garden Tour** , May 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Peek into eight private gardens, ranging from intimate to grand, in historic Georgetown. Tickets are $30 before April 30 and $35 after May 1 at _www.georgetowngardentour.com_ . They can be purchased the day of the event at Keith Hall, Christ Church, 3116 O St. NW in Washington, where the tour begins and where tea will be served from 2 to 4 p.m. • **Capitol Hill House & Garden Tour**, May 9 from 4 to 7 p.m. and May 10 from noon to 5 p.m. Hosted by the Capitol Hill Restoration Society, this annual Mother’s Day weekend tour will feature a dozen homes around Stanton Park. Tickets cost$35 in advance after April 24 at  _www.chrs.org_ and $40 the day of the tour. • **Tuckahoe Elementary Home and Garden Tour** , May 16 from noon to 5 p.m. in Arlington. Eight homes and two gardens will be featured. Tickets cost $25 in advance and $30 the day of the tour at  _tuckahoetour.org_ . • **Beyond the Garden Gates Garden Tour** , Frederick, Md., May 16 and 17, 1 to 5 p.m. Enjoy nine whimsical and enchanting gardens tucked behind private garden gates in historic Frederick. Tickets cost $20 in advance at _www.celebratefrederick.com_ and $25 the day of the tour. • **Historic Hyattsville House Tour** , May 17 from 1 to 5 p.m. Historic Ash Hill is among 10 houses that will be featured this year. As of April 1, advance tickets will be available at Franklins restaurant, 5121 Baltimore Ave., and at the Hyattsville Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin St., for $10. Day-of tickets will cost $15 at the City Municipal Building, which is also the starting point of the tour. For more details, go to _www.preservehyattsville.org/tours_ . • **Secret Garden Tour** , Annapolis, June 6 and 7, noon to 5 p.m. The Hammond-Harwood House Museum’s annual tour will include at least 10 private gardens in downtown Annapolis. Enjoy this rare opportunity to visit some of the area’s most beautiful hidden gardens. Tickets, at $40 for nonmembers and $35 for members, will be available after April 20 at _www.hammondharwoodhouse.org/event/secret-garden-tour/_ _._ **Trish Donnally** is freelance writer.

Smithsonian’s ‘Interlocking Science and Beauty’ explains why bugs, humans love orchids

What luck! A newly hatched butterfly, we’ll call him Bob, spots an exceptionally sexy female on a nearby tree. He flutters to her, but she’s strangely inert. “What’s the matter, baby?” he says, rubbing his abdomen against hers. Bob’s buddies point and laugh. “Dude, you just tried to mate with a flower,” they say. You can hardly blame him. _Psychopsis_ orchids look a whole lot like butterflies, and they probably evolved to trick gullible bugs into pollinating them through pseudocopulation. These deceptive lovers are just one of the hundreds of orchid varieties in the National Museum of Natural History’s “Interlocking Science and Beauty,” the 20th annual Smithsonian orchid exhibition, which opens Saturday.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico “The orchid’s game is seduction, and it works on people too,” says Tom Mirenda, one of the exhibit’s curators. “What better strategy on a changing planet than to become the pet of the most successful creature?” Why are the flowers so beguiling to humans? The secret may lie in their bilateral symmetry — meaning there’s only one way to fold them in half so that one side matches the other. (Most other flowers have wheel-like radial symmetry, with many possible midlines.) This gives orchids a face-like appearance, or maybe something more suggestive. “They seem to have a personality,” Mirenda says. “I’ll leave it to your imagination, but a lot of men see women in these flowers.” Orchids recently became the top-selling potted flower in America, outpacing poinsettias. This is largely due to advances in cloning technology, Mirenda says. Orchid growers will take a particularly nice plant — perhaps one with a robust color and lots of flowers — and create tens of thousands of genetically identical plants. To illustrate this, the Smithsonian exhibit will include a “green wall” of cloned _phalaenopsis_ orchids.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico “Cloning has made it possible to mass-produce orchids,” Mirenda says. “They’ve become a commodity.” While human-cultivated orchids are doing well, many wild orchid species are in danger of extinction, due to habitat loss and climate change. They are vulnerable because they tend to occupy incredibly specific niches, often targeting their seduction to a single pollinator, Mirenda says. For instance, the _Angraecum sesquipedale_ orchid, which will also be on display, keeps a dollop of nectar at the bottom of a narrow, 20-inch long tube. When Charles Darwin saw this flower in 1862, he hypothesized that it must have evolved to attract a moth with an equally long proboscis. Twenty years later, scientists discovered a likely contender, Madagascar’s _X. morganii praedicta_ moth, but it wasn’t until 1992 that biologists witnessed these behemoths feeding.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico Other orchids attract bees with shiny petals that look like a good source of nest-building resin or by offering a perfume that the insects can use to seduce lovers of their own. “Every orchid has a story, and it’s usually a pretty fascinating one,” Mirenda says. _National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW; Sat. through April 26, free._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico  **Read more science-y stories from Express:**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico ‘Outside the Spacecraft’ looks back on 50 years of perilous, exhilarating spacewalks at the National Air and Space Museum    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico The mysterious Voynich Manuscript highlights Folger Shakespeare Library’s ‘Decoding the Renaissance: 500 Years of Codes and Ciphers’    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico Washington Monument scanned and saved in 3-D by CyArk — just in case    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico

D.C. community calendar, April 16-23, 2015

**A prom come true** Give your gently used prom or formal dresses, men’s tuxedos, formal shoes and prom accessories to the second annual “Prom Come True!” event. Daily during library hours. Through Monday. Rosedale Library, 1701 Gales St. NE. 202-727-5012. Free. **Tot Rock: Jammin’ at the Smithsonian: Nature Jams: We Dig Earth** Ages 2-6, singer-songwriters Rob and Zach go green as they celebrate the wonders of the earth in an interactive show that makes learning how to take good care of the planet easy, fun and memorable by using call-and-response songs, energetic dance numbers and an HD video backdrop. Thursday-Friday, 10:15 and 11:30 a.m. S. Dillon Ripley Center, Discovery Theater, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. 202-633-8700. $8, ages 2-16 $6, 1 and younger $3. ******Garden tour and kids in snugglers** Volunteers take turns leading parents or care providers with one child in a snuggly for a tour of the conservatory. Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. Through April 30, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. Free, registration required. **Spring garden tours** Learn about the history, design and the plants and flowers of the 13 acres of formal gardens on a one-hour guided tour. Tuesdays through Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. 202-686-5807. $15, 65 and older $12, 6 to 18 $5, 5 and younger free. **Washington Cathedral behind-the-scenes** Age 11 and older. See gargoyles and stained-glass windows and climb stairs for a panoramic view of the city. Bring a camera. Weekdays except holidays at 10:30 a.m. Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-537-2228. $25, age 11 and 12 $21. ******“President Lincoln Assassinated!! The Firsthand Story of the Murder, Manhunt, Trial and Mourning”** Author Harold Holzer discusses his book, the events of April 14, 1965, and after. Noon. National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street NW. 202-357-5000. Free. **Take 5! Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Ensemble** Local artists from ArtJamz set up a temporary studio and offer an opportunity to paint a canvas as you listen to jazz. 5 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Kogod Courtyard, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free. **Classical music concert** NSO Youth Fellowship Program participants perform solos. 6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. Free. **World’s Greatest Opera Houses** Opera expert Fred Plotkin takes you behind the curtains at the fabled houses of Milan, Vienna, London, Paris (on Thursday), Barcelona and New York, evoking the glamour and fascination that surround them, the cities that built them and the legendary artists who performed on their stages. A six-session course. 6:45-9 p.m. S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. 202-633-3030. www.smithsonianassociates.org . $42. **D.C. emancipation and 19th-century life** Panel discussion on how life was for local African Americans in the 19th century, the differences between the lives of the enslaved and those free before 1862, the effects of D.C. emancipation in the city and surrounding area and how the assassination of Lincoln was observed after the Civil War. 7 p.m. National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street NW. 202-357-5000. Free. **Shakespeare’s birthday lecture 2015: Lynne Magnusson** The University of Toronto professor of English explores the resonance of Shakespeare’s language, a kickoff to the Folger Institute’s Spring Symposium on Shakespeare. 7:30 p.m. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. 202-544-7077. Free. **“The Margins”** Molotov Theatre performs David Skeele’s story of five paranormal investigators and a skeptical reporter’s visit to a purportedly haunted manor. Thursdays-Sundays at 7:30 p.m. Through April 26, D.C. Arts Center, 2438 18th St. NW. 202-462-7833. www.molotovtheatre.org . $25. **“Mariela in the Desert”** Abel López directs Karen Zacarías’s story about a once-golden couple whose life deteriorates after their daughter leaves, in Spanish with English surtitles. Thursdays-Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. Through May 10. GALA Hispanic Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW. 202-234-7174. www.galatheatre.org . $20-$42. **“The Originalist”** Edward Gero stars in John Strand’s political drama about a law school graduate who gets a nerve-wracking clerkship with Supreme Court Justice Scalia then discovers the infuriating sparring partner and unexpected mentor side of him. Thursdays-Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays-Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Through May 31. Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. 202-488-3300. $55-$90, subject to change and based on availability. **“Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike ”** Aaron Posner directs the Christopher Durang sunny new play about gloomy people who live out their days in Bucks County, Pa. Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m., Sundays at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays-Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., Thursdays at 8 p.m.; April 21 and 29 at noon. Through May 3. Arena Stage, Fichandler Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. 202-488-3300. www.arenastage.org . $45-$90, subject to change and based on availability. **“The Norwegians ” **Scena Theatre performs C. Denby Swanson’s new dark comedy about two scorned women who enlist two “nice gangsters” (Norwegian hit men) to whack their ex-lovers. Thursday- Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon Pl. SE. 202-241-2539. www.scenatheatre.org . $25-$45. ************************ **Seniors line dancing** Fridays at 10 a.m. Woodridge Interim Library, 1790 Douglas St. NE. 202-541-6226. Free. **U.S. Botanic Garden lunchtime tour** Museum volunteers lead a tour of plants and discuss what manila folders, Chanel No. 5, vanilla and fossil fuels have in common. Also, a discussion of possible breakthroughs in medicinal plant research. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at Noon and Tuesdays at 2 p.m. Through April 30, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. Free. **“America on the Rocks”** Selection of newsreels, public service announcements and training films from the Archives’s motion picture holdings excerpted in the new exhibit “Spirited Republic: Alcohol in American History” and “For Which We Stand — Let’s Get it Straight.” Noon. National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street NW. 202-357-5000. Free. **“How to Read Art ”** Art resource developer Liz Rideal discusses her book and leads a tour of “Elaine de Kooning: Portraits.” Noon. National Portrait Gallery, second floor, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free. **Photography scholar talk** Photography historian Mary Jane Appel discusses American Scene painter Doris Lee and her first husband, New Deal photographer Russell Lee. Noon. National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. 202-783-5000. Free with admission: $10, age 65 and older and students $8, age 18 and younger free. **Mindfulness-based stress reduction orientation** Paul M. Jones, assistant professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, leads an introduction to an eight-week evidence-based course that teaches participants skills to reduce physical and emotional stress and enhance day-to-day well-being, must be 18 or older. Noon-1:30 p.m. MedStar Georgetown University, 2115 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-669-3699. muyinat.k.almaroof@gunet.georgetown.edu or paul.m.jones@gunet.georgetown.edu . Free. **Pipe organ concert** Michael Britt performs works by Myron J. Roberts, David Schelat and Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wély. 12:15-1 p.m. National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Cir. NW. 202-797-0103. Free, donations welcome. **German games** And a glass of wine, play designer games including Bohnanza, Asara, Settlers of Catan, Lost Cities and Carcassonne, or bring your favorites. 6 p.m. Goethe-Institut, 812 Seventh St. NW. 202-289-1200. www.goetheinstitutwashington.eventbrite.com . $5, reservations requested. **Classical music concert** National Symphony Orchestra performs chamber works by Piston, Rossini and Meyer. 6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. Free. **Painting clay and sipping cabernet** Artist Clay Hollenkamp introduces the frisket technique that uses stencils and paint on clay tiles; all materials and refreshments provided. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. 202-547-6839. www.chaw.org . $40, registration required. **Open stage/open mike** Writers and performers present new works in a casual, intimate setting. 7 p.m. Corner Store, 900 South Carolina Ave. SE. 202-255-2180. www.cornerstorearts.org . Donations requested. **American College Theater Festival** National finalists of the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarships present their audition program for the scholarships, performance awards and fellowships; recommended for mature audiences. 7:30 p.m. Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. $20. **Music by Steve Antosca** Workshop to explore the music and influences of the local composer whose works focus on integrating acoustic instruments with computers for audio technology and spatialization. 8 p.m. American University, Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-885-2787. $10, seniors $5. **Elizabethan garden tours** Docent-led walks with talk about the plants, design and Shakespeare-inspired statues by Greg Wyatt. 10 and 11 a.m. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. 202-544-7077. Free. **Writing from start to “finish”** Meet other aspiring writers, take courses on three different aspects of writing in a single day and get a taste of creative writing, an optional social hour at a local cafe or bar follows. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. 202-547-6839. www.chaw.org . $95. ******Congressional Cemetery** A docent-led introductory tour and walk through the burial place of John Philip Sousa, Civil War photographer Mathew Brady and Marion Barry. Saturdays at 11 a.m. Through November, Historic Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. 202-543-0539. Free. **National Cherry Blossom Festival** National Greenscape Corridor bike tour with stops at Arlington National Cemetery, the Mall and the National Arboretum with refreshments and activities. 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Meet at Bicyclespace, 440 K St. NW. 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. 202-245-5898. Free, registration required. **“Building Bridges” family day with Ivymount School** View an exhibition of work by Ivymount Middle School students, listen to musical performances by Sean Lane and Bay Jazz and participate in hands-on art activities for all ages. 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. National Portrait Gallery, Kogod Courtyard, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free. **Diabetes support group** Health-care professionals give information and answer questions on food choices, exercise and medicine; group meets every three weeks. Noon, Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. Free. 202-281-2583. **Emerson String Quartet concert** The ensemble performs works by Haydn, Berg and Beethoven, sponsored by Smithsonian Associates. 6-8 p.m. National Museum of Natural History, Baird Auditorium, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-3030. $67. **Jazz concert** Students from the Manhattan School of Music Jazz Arts Quintet perform a variety of pieces by Duke Ellington. 6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. Free. **Yoga at your library** Beginner class for adults and teens, taught by a representative of Yoga Activist. No experience required. Bring a mat or borrow one from the library. 7:30 p.m. Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. 202-243-1188. Free. **American University Symphonic Band: The Winds of Spring** Marc Decker leads a repertoire for winds and percussion. 8 p.m. American University, Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-885-2787. www.american.edu/auarts . $10, seniors $5. **Improv show** Unscripted, unrehearsed improvised comedy inspired by audience suggestions and interactions. 9 p.m. American University, Abramson Family Recital Hall, Bulldog Alley, Leavey Center, 3401 Nebraska Ave. NW. 202-687-2787. $6, seniors $4. ******Shakespeare’s Birthday open house** Jugglers, jesters, music and theatrical performances, birthday cake and a tour of the Folger’s reading rooms. Noon-4 p.m. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. 202-544-7077. Free, charge for some food and drink. **“Gringo Trails”** Pegi Vail’s 2014 film that traces stories of the long- term impact of tourism on cultures, economies and the environment; a panel discussion follows. 2 p.m. Freer Gallery of Art, Meyer Auditorium, Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW. 202-633-1000. Free. **Portrait story days: Langston Hughes** Listen to a story about the poet and create a hands-on activity. 2-5 p.m. National Portrait Gallery, first floor, Education Center, Room E151, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free. **Apollo Orchestra concert** The Bethesda-based ensemble performs works by Mozart, Beethoven, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky. 3 p.m. Sidwell Friends Upper School, Robert Smith Meeting House, 3825 Wisconsin Ave. NW. pianolum@gmail.com or apollochamberorchestra@gmail.com . 301-530-0994. Free. **“Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan”** About 100 members of the St. Andrew’s Society of Washington will march into the cathedral, accompanied by bagpipers and drummers, to pay tribute to their Scottish ancestors who struggled to preserve their liberties and religious freedoms. Scottish music and Highland dancing will follow the program at All Hallows Amphitheater on the cathedral grounds. Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. 202-537-6200. www.nationalcathedral.org. Donations requested, free garage parking. **National Gallery of Art String Quartet** Performance of works by Ravel and Shostakovich. 3:30 p.m. National Gallery of Art, West Building Garden Court, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215. Free. **“Can’t Stop the Water”** Chief Albert Naquin (Isle de Jean Charles Tribe) and Bob Gough discuss the film and invite audience questions. 4-6 p.m. Corner Store, 900 South Carolina Ave. SE. 202-255-2180. Donations requested. **Art Signs** A volunteer American Sign Language gallery guide leads conversations about various artworks. 5:30 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, F Street Lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Classical concert** Students from San Francisco Conservatory of Music perform solo and chamber works. 6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. Free. **** **Senior citizens talk** David Meadows, chief of staff for D.C. Council member Anita Bonds, discusses the council’s activities on behalf of the city’s seniors. 12:30 p.m. Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, 3401 Nebraska Ave. NW. 202-363-4900. Free. **Classical music concert** Students from New England Conservatory of Music perform solo and chamber works. 6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. Free. **“Capital Dames: The Civil War and the Women of Washington, 1848-1868 ”** Cokie Roberts discusses her book with presidential historian Michael Beschloss, a look at the city, its experiences, influence and contributions of its women during a momentous period of American history that forever changed the place of women. 7 p.m. National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street NW. 202-357-5000. Free. **“Garbage to Gardens: An Earth Week Exploration”** Ages 5-10 will meet naturalists from the Green Team in the beautiful Haupt Garden of the Castle, learn how compost becomes dirt, discover how throwing a “seed bomb” can make a bare patch of ground bloom and participate in hands-on activities. Tuesday through April 23 at 10 and 11 a.m. and noon. Haupt Garden, Smithsonian, 10th Street and Independence Avenue SW. 202-633-8700. www.discoverytheater.org . $8, ages 2-16 $6, 1 and younger $3. **Yoga at Georgetown** Taught by Margaret Brozen. Tuesdays at 11 a.m. Through April 28, Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. 202-727-0232. Free. **“Rebel Souls: Walt Whitman and America’s First Bohemians ”** Justin Martin discusses his book. Noon. Library of Congress, Madison Building, Mary Pickford Theater, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-5221. **Classical organ concert** Soprano Rachel Evangeline Barham, baritone James Rogers and pianist Jeremy Filsell perform a program of comic and novelty songs from the 19th and 20th centuries. 12:10 p.m. Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. 202-347-2635, Ext. 20. $10. **Sketching workshop** Bring pencils and a small sketchbook, work with objects on display in the center. Tuesdays from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free. **Classical music concert** Voice and instrument students from Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music perform works by Strauss, DuParc, Rossini, Lutosławski, Ravel, Schumann, Strauss and Liszt. 6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. Free. **What the future holds: The think-tank take** Steve Roberts moderates a panel discussion on an integral part of Washington’s political process, helping influence public opinion and government policy. 6:45-8:45 p.m. S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. 202-633-3030. www.smithsonianassociates.org . $42. ******Pathways to Parenthood** A fertility doctor, an adoption expert, a mental health provider, a rabbi, and a legal expert with experience facilitating egg donor and gestational carrier agreements discuss various pathways to parenthood. 7:30 p.m. Washington D.C. Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW. 202-777-3263. miriams@washingtondcjcc.org . $5. **World Percussion Ensemble spring concert** Program of rhythmic exploration. 8 p.m. Georgetown University, Davis Performing Arts Center, Gonda Theatre, 37th and O streets NW. 202-687-2787. **** ******Yoga in the galleries** Decompress and start the day with mental clarity, relaxation and art, bring a mat. Wednesdays from 10-11 a.m. Through April 29, American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-885-1300. $5, reservations recommended. **18th-Century Style and Taste** James Caughman discusses the 18th-century Age of Refinement and its influence on American design, which of the French and English impulses were absorbed by American artists and the movement’s dynamic evolution, lunch follows the lecture. 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Tudor Place, 1644 31st St. NW. 202-965-0400. www.tudorplace.org . $25, registration due by Monday. ******“Lincoln’s Autocrat: The Life of Edwin Stanton ”** Author William Marvel discusses the life, career and legacy one of the 19th century’s most impressive legal and political minds. Noon National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street NW. 202-357-5000. Free. ******Gallery talk** Virginia Treanor discusses highlights from the museum’s collection. Noon-12:30 p.m. National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. 202-783-5000. Free. **Classical music concert** Students from the Juilliard School of Music perform piano trios by Mozart and Ravel. 6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. Free. **Music set to Walt Whitman poetry** Soprano Fleta Hylton and bass David Brundage perform songs from the Civil War era, a reception follows. 6:30 p.m. Arts Club of Washington, 2017 I St. NW. Reservations due by Monday: administrator@artsclubofwashington.org . 202-331-7282. www.artsclubofwashington.org . $20. **Tai chi class** Susan Lowell teaches the flowing movements of the Chinese martial art that weaves meditation and relaxation with the wisdom of Chinese medicine; wear comfortable, free-flowing clothing for best movement. 7:15 p.m. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-727-1488. Free. **Mendelssohn Piano Trio** Concert of works by Brahms and Schumann, a wine buffet follows. 7:30 p.m. Embassy of Slovenia, 2410 California St. NW. 202-625-2361. www.embassyseries.org . $95. **Zumba** Roshaunda Jenkins teaches all fitness levels. Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. 202-724-4752. **“Murder Ballad”** Music and lyrics by Juliana Nash, the story of a woman whose irresistible past blows back into her life in the form of an old flame, a dangerous passion and a love triangle headed for ignition. Wednesdays- Thursdays at 8 p.m., Fridays-Saturdays at 7 and 10 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m. April 27 and May 4 at 8 p.m. Through May 10. Studio Theatre, Stage 4, 1501 14th St. NW. 202-332-3300. www.studiotheatre.org . $45-$80, age 30 and younger $25. **Story of Steuben Glass: Creating a luxury brand** Kelly Conway, curator of American Glass at the Corning Museum of Glass, traces how in 1903 technology, design, marketing and shifting cultural aspirations came together to make Steuben Glass a name synonymous with modern elegance, superior quality and glamour. 6:45-8:45 p.m. S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. 202-633-3030. www.smithsonianassociates.org . $42. ******Preschool series: Spectacular statues** Explore a new garden each week with your preschooler through make-believe, art projects and imaginative play. Thursdays from 10:30-11:15 a.m. Through April 30. Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Register: 202-686-5807. www.hillwoodmuseum.org . $12 per child with accompanying adult per session, $30 per three-session series. **Classical music concert** Students from Eastman School of Music at Rochester University’s Eastman Saxophone Project perform arrangements of renowned works by J.S. Bach, Ravel, Djupstrom, Bryant and Gorb. 6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. Free. **“On Approval ”** Frederick Lonsdale’s comedy of (bad) manners from the 1920s with two wealthy women hoping to wed the same man and wanting to try on the merchandise before making the deal. Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2:30 and 8 p.m., Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Through May 17. Undercroft Theatre, 900 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 240-582-0050. info@stageguild.org or www.stageguild.org . Thursdays and matinees $40, Fridays-Saturdays $50, discounts for seniors, students and groups. ** — Compiled by Gerri Marmer  ** **E-mail:** districtlocalliving@washpost.com (to the attention of Gerri Marmer) **   Mail:** Community Events, District Local Living, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20071. **Details:** Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.

Meet Marianne North, who defied Victorian convention to paint the world’s jungles

By contemporary standards, Marianne North led an extraordinarily creative and productive life. Over the span of 15 years, she traveled to five continents and 17 countries, seeking out the most remote and hazardous parts of the tropics to paint exotic and undiscovered plants, presenting them in their jungle environments. The achievement, however, is amplified by the fact she did this in the 1870s and 1880s, thus breaking with Victorian notions of middle-class, middle-age women as wives, mothers and homemakers. North satisfied her desires for botanical questing in two ways: She was independently wealthy, and she did not marry, which would have handed ownership of her wealth and her destiny to a husband. Instead, she sailed from England to the distant shores of Borneo, the Seychelles and Chile and produced more than 1,000 paintings, of pitcher plants, of red hot poker plants, orchids and ferns. The Smithsonian Channel will tell her story Wednesday at 8 p.m., with “Victorian Rebel: Marianne North.” The glowing — perhaps even gushing — tribute is a worthy introduction to North’s life and legacy, but gird yourself for the hype. We are told that North was “a Victorian rebel in petticoats,” “a fearless pioneer,” “a feisty woman,” “a hidden treasure” and, in case you don’t get it, “a visionary” and “a Victorian trailblazer.” And that’s just in the first three minutes. Along the way, actress Emilia Fox ventures into the rain forests of Borneo on the trail of a pitcher plant that North discovered and painted. (It is named after her.) North grew up in a home her parents turned into a salon of sorts for various artists and writers, and this environment nurtured her own independent creative spirit. After her mother died, she became her father’s traveling companion and painted scenes from Africa and the Middle East. The botanical paintings she is known for, though, came after his death, when she used her inheritance to fund her botanical expeditions. The odd thing about North is that she worked in oils rather than watercolor, the usual medium of botanical painters in the field. Oils are sticky and smudgy and cannot capture the fine details of a plant’s structure; but what is lost in botanical information is replaced with a greater sense of the ecological context of the subject. Her images showed birds and mammals and terrain, and this fed the growing Victorian awareness of the evolutionary connections between plants and animals. North was acquainted with Charles Darwin, who advised her to go to Australia, which she did. Fox ends the program at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where North funded the construction of a gallery to house more than 800 of her paintings, which literally cover entire walls. The documentary is aired to mark Women’s History Month (stay tuned for “Pocahontas: Beyond the Myth”), and the message is that North, as a female artist, brought a sensitivity and emotional intelligence that a male artist could not. “I think Marianne North was happy to break artistic rules, was happy to break scientific rules in order to produce a vision very much her own,” art historian Khadija von Zinnenburg Carroll tells Fox. “That is what’s so unique about her as a woman in the 19th century and what makes her very inspiring today.” Ironically, the viewer doesn’t get a long, unmediated look at North’s paintings. The best capture the plant and its environment, and must have been a revelation to Londoners in the 1880s, but few rise to the technical level of the American artist Martin Johnson Heade, who was painting similar subjects around the same time. Kew historian Ray Desmond wrote that “with a palette of bold and assertive colors, she painted with evident enjoyment, but one wishes, at times, she had applied more restraint.” Ultimately, her prowess as a painter is secondary to the example of her life. Her gallery, visited by countless visitors since it opened in 1882, reveals a woman who directed her own life at a time when that was radical. Von Zinnenburg Carroll puts it best when she tells Fox: “The absolute lack of any space in between the paintings echoes the way in which there was almost no space other than the paintings in her life.” **@adrian_higgins on Twitter ** **More fromLifestyle:** Dead plants’ evolutionary secrets might save the planet, or at least take its pulse Chase away the winter blues at the Hirshhorn’s orchid show How the Hirshhorn prepped for the Kusama exhibition

Chihuly complements — and sometimes competes with — nature at New York Botanical Garden

Dale Chihuly is the most famous glass artist of our time, and admirers see his work as inventive, colorfully dazzling, technically virtuosic and exuberant. And yet the art critics have never warmed to him, regarding his sculptures as brash and empty. Washington Post critics, over the years, have labeled his artwork “utterly vapid” and “pure bombast.” This lack of critical affirmation does not seem to matter much to an artist who has been pushing the boundaries of his medium and his own brand for more than 40 years. Nor does it diminish the affection of his fans, who find simple delight in the way he has turned glass, that most hard, brittle and lifeless of substances, into something soft, fluid and alive. On a recent sunny afternoon, friends Lisa Gorman and Debi Taffet, both from suburban New Jersey, found themselves at the New York Botanical Garden, which is staging a major exhibition of 20 Chihuly installations. “I just love the color and the shapes,” said Gorman as they stood at the end of a lily pond in which flat panels of colored polycarbonate are reflected. The glass dome of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory loomed behind. “The way they have set it up,” Taffet said, “you can’t take a bad picture. It’s like I could be shooting for a magazine.” Chihuly seems ready to step into the pages, with his cherubic face, mop of curly hair and eye patch (a result of a car crash in 1976). He is 75 and gave up blowing his own glass several years ago, serving instead as the head of a creative team that includes glass blowers, installation experts and lighting designers, based at his Boathouse studio in Seattle. In his work and in its staging, Chihuly follows themes. The New York show, named simply “Chihuly” and which runs until Oct. 29, is the latest in a number of exhibitions he has taken to botanical gardens since 2001. But in its scope and survey — it includes a gallery display of early career drawings and art glass — it has the feel of a retrospective tracing the arc of an artist’s career. The botanical garden occupies 250 rolling acres in the Bronx. Most of the sculptures have been seen elsewhere. Four were made for the show, and some, the “Koda” studies, consist of the polycarbonate panels set in reflecting pools. They reprise panels he made in 1975 at Artpark, an arts venue in Upstate New York, and conspicuously do not foreshadow his later work. The Koda works are flat, and the matte colors are subdued, in contrast with the multidimensional, biomorphic pieces such as the “Seaforms” series from the 1980s and what he calls “Persians” from the following decade. The former are light and transparent, redolent of urchin shells, clam shells and jellyfish. The “Persians” are cupped disks with similar wavy edges and striated patterns but brighter and more opaque. His “Chandelier” sculptures are his signature form, flamboyant pendants of hundreds of individually blown horns, spirals and other forms he calls feathers, stingers and goosenecks. Three “Chandeliers” are on display at the garden’s Visitor Center. The major piece at the entrance to the conservatory, redolent of a “Chandelier” but free-standing, is an explosion in lemon yellow and lime green blown glass — 1,248 horns and curlicues, 14 feet across, and named “Sol del Citron.” Elsewhere, “Red Reeds on Logs” consists of 150 scarlet, slender glass tubes rising 12 feet from an armature of logs. The sheer length of the tubes is a glass blower’s tour de force. One of the most interesting — and different — installations is of a 35-foot-long sculpture of neon tubes, “Neon 206.” There’s something about the more biomorphic forms that connect to a gardener’s sense of organic beauty, said Todd Forrest, the botanical garden’s vice president of horticulture and living collections. “They’re tapping into the same gene that makes us all love gardens,” he said. Another aspect of the show’s broad range is that even the most grudging Chihuly fan may find something to like. After three decades, the “Seaforms” still have an arresting delicacy of color, pattern and translucence. More than 50 are displayed in the atrium of the Beaux-Arts Library Building. Within the conservatory, the works are modest in scale and integrated into carefully chosen plantings. The conservatory’s glass is whitewashed for the summer, giving a bright but diffuse interior that serves to flatter the sculptures. Gregory Long, the garden’s chief executive and president, favors the relatively demure “Garden Fiori,” an installation of 129 forms redolent of grasses and reeds integrated into beds of harmonious plant blooms and foliage in silvers, grays, blues and yellows. Visitors “can’t tell the difference” between the plants and the glass, he said. Other sculptures are harder to love. Outside, in the conservatory courtyard, the “Scarlet and Yellow Icicle Tower” is more than 30 feet high and consists of 1,886 elements. While impressive, it seems in awkward juxtaposition to the conservatory. You may perceive the craft but not the art. In another conservatory gallery, visitors find a series of elevated crinkly bowls that Chihuly calls “Macchia.” The “Macchia Forest” consists of nine pieces suspended above an ornamental pond. From a glassblower’s perspective, the sculptures are masterpieces — using innovative techniques to layer many colors without allowing them to bleed together. But on the day I was there, they were competing with two venerable vines that were in full bloom. One, the mysore clock vine, had big pendant clusters of bicolored red and yellow blooms. The other, the jade vine, was festooned with blooms reminiscent of long clusters of baby bananas, but in an extraordinary luminescent turquoise color. I couldn’t help thinking that art can approach nature but not surpass it. Then there’s the ultimate glass sculpture of the garden itself, the magnificent 1902 domed conservatory by Lord & Burnham and its 11 interconnected glasshouses. Is Dale Chihuly, or any glass artist, capable of gilding this lily? The answer seems to be yes. When Chihuly held a show at the botanical garden in 2006, it was so successful that the garden decided to hold others that were outside its strict mission of horticulture and botanical science. They have included ones for the poet Emily Dickinson, the sculptor Henry Moore and the artist Frida Kahlo. “The show in 2006 was a turning point, and we learned the lesson that if we have something that’s accessible to people that’s not necessarily connected to horticulture and highlights the landscape, it’s a way to draw in different types of visitors,” said Karen Daubmann, associate vice president for exhibitions. There have been more than 70 shows since the first Chihuly. “Everyone asked, ‘When is Chihuly coming back?’ ” Tim Penman, a sports editor who lives in East Harlem, came to the original show with his mother and was back for the new one. “We are big Chihuly fans,” he said, standing before “Sol del Citron.” “I like the grandeur; it works really well in the garden.” Penman is exactly the sort of visitor the botanical garden wants the show to attract: young and outside the usual garden crowd. But Long doesn’t see Chihuly or anyone else diminishing the character of one of the world’s great botanical gardens. “We are a museum of plants, we have a million plants under our care, and we exhibit them 365 days a year. The sculpture comes and goes,” he said. “We are not confused.” **Chihuly** is  at the New York Botanical Garden through Oct. 29. The garden’s main entrance is at 2900 Southern Blvd., the Bronx. Open daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed on Mondays. Admission, $23, $28 weekends. A series of evening events called “Chihuly Nights” is scheduled. Metro-North Railroad provides service between Grand Central Terminal and Botanical Garden Station. **More fromLifestyle:**

Free and Easy: Cellist Yvonne Caruthers, Jazz Film Fridays and U.S. Air Force Band Concert

_The Going Out Guide recommends free things to do for every day of the week._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **MONDAY**   Yvonne Caruthers    *[WSU]: Wayne State University The former National Symphony Orchestra cellist performs a piece that combines music and storytelling. "In Search of the Perfect G-String" is a depiction of Caruthers's life and the journey that led her to the NSO. Caruthers will portray different characters and play the cello. Tickets will be distributed in the States Gallery around 5:30 p.m. _6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600.www.kennedy-center.org._ Best for mature audiences.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **TUESDAY**   Exploring Identity: Artist and Policy Makers    *[WSU]: Wayne State University In conjunction with the "Cultural Exchanges" exhibit at Betty Mae Kramer Gallery, a panel discussion featuring Maryland Sen. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Montgomery) and artists Shanye Huang and Pauline Jakobsberg will focus on cultural identity in American society. Susan Jenkins, chief executive of the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, will moderate the discussion. "Cultural Exchanges" closes Feb. 7. _6 p.m. Silver Spring Civic Building, Betty Mae Kramer Gallery, One Veterans Place, Silver Spring.www.creativemoco.com/kramer-gallery._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **WEDNESDAY**   Conversation of Our Collection: 'Our America' Gallery Talk    *[WSU]: Wayne State University Members of the American Art Museum's conservation team present a gallery talk and tour of the "Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art" exhibit with commentary on some of the pieces. The exhibit, which features work by Carmen Herrera, Ruben Trejo and others, closes March 2. _Noon. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000.www.americanart.si.edu._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **THURSDAY**   Climate Change and Human Origins    *[WSU]: Wayne State University At the National Museum of Natural History, Chris Scholz, professor of earth sciences at Syracuse University, discusses his research in Africa and how climate change has affected east Africa's Great Rift Valley. _4 p.m. National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-1000.www.mnh.si.edu._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **FRIDAY**   Jazz Film Fridays with Larry Appelbaum: Double Feature    *[WSU]: Wayne State University The Library of Congress hosts a screening of the 2001 film "Inside Out in the Open," a documentary exploring free jazz with appearances from musicians Alan Silva, Joseph Jarman and Roswell Rudd. Visitors also can watch the 2013 film "The Breath Courses Through Us," a documentary featuring the 1960s jazz group "The New York Art Quartet," which featured Rudd, John Tchicai, Milford Graves and Reggie Workman, with the late poet Amiri Baraka joining them. Both films were directed by Alan Roth. _7 p.m. Library of Congress, James Madison Building, Mary Pickford Theater, 101 Independence Ave. SE. 202-707-5502.www.loc.gov._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **SATURDAY**   'For Colored Folks . . . '    *[WSU]: Wayne State University As part of the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center's "Civil War to Civil Rights: The Well-Being of a Nation" series, this production combines Ntozake Shange's "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf" and playwright Keith Antar Mason's "For Black Boys Who Have Considered Homicide When The Streets Were Too Much." This adaptation forms one choreopoem that explores the lives of African Americans. The program repeats on Sunday at 3 p.m. _3 and 7:30 p.m. Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, University of Maryland, Route 193 and Stadium Drive, College Park. 301-405-2787.   www.claricesmithcenter.umd.edu._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **SUNDAY   **U.S. Air Force Band Concert    *[WSU]: Wayne State University Members of the U.S. Air Force Band perform a 90-minute show as part of the U.S. Navy Memorial's "Year of Military Women" exhibit, which runs through April. The event celebrates the contributions of women in the military. _Noon. National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. 202-783-5000.www.nmwa.org._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University

Michelle Obama talks about White House garden and her book, ‘American Grown’

One of Michelle Obama’s early worries about life in the White House had to do with a plot of land. Specifically, the new first lady found herself fretting over whether her much-hyped garden would grow. “I was like any other hopeful gardener with a pot out on the windowsill or a small plot by the back door. I was nervously watching the sky. Would it freeze? Would it snow? Would it rain?” she writes in her first book, “American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America.” The book and interviews this week are part of a steady stream of media appearances for the first lady, who is playing a central role in her husband’s reelection campaign. The garden, which has been a focus of Michelle Obama’s since her husband took office, led to the first lady’s “Let’s Move!” initiative targeting childhood obesity. “It is definitely a passion — getting our kids in this country eating healthy, helping families make good choices about how they eat and stay active — and this book is a way to talk about our journey but also talk about the challenges that we face as a nation around health,” Michelle Obama told ABC’s Robin Roberts on “Good Morning America.” In her book, the first lady — and novice gardener — tells the story of planting the first White House kitchen garden since Eleanor Roosevelt’s victory garden. The seed for the garden emerged long before her husband’s presidential campaign, at a doctor’s appointment where the family’s pediatrician pulled her aside and suggested that she might want to watch what the girls were eating. As she promoted her book, Obama pushed back in interviews Tuesday against criticism that her program is an example of big government dictating what children should eat. “One in three of our kids are overweight or obese,” she said on ABC. “But this isn’t about government telling people what to do. What we know we need to do is give parents, communities, families the tools and the information they need to make choices that are right for them, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.” The first lady has said often that her anti-childhood-obesity work is nonpolitical, and the book takes the same tone, with recipes from White House chefs, tips for planting a garden, and photos of the first lady with children, vegetables and the family’s dog, Bo. She did not accept an advance for her book, and its proceeds will go to the National Park Foundation for programs that promote healthy eating and gardening and for the continued care of the White House garden. The first lady also made clear in interviews with ABC and USA Today that she is not interested in a career in politics and will not run for president, though she said, “I love campaigning.” “I say this all the time — if every American had the opportunity to travel around the country and go into people’s living rooms and talk, we’d understand that we have so much in common and we’re working towards the same goals,” she said. Despite Obama’s love for vegetables, there’s at least one that won’t be making an appearance in the White House garden under her watch. “One thing the president and I, we don’t really like, are beets,” she said. “We don’t have beets. We’re a no-beet garden. We believe there’s a beet gene. You either love beets or you hate ’em, and neither of us have the beet gene.”

Going Out Guide for Montgomery County, July 17-23, 2014

**“Carte Blanche: Seth, Hannah and Schuyler”** The interns of Adah Rose Gallery curated this exhibit in wildly varied media: figurative photography, steel sculpture, stippled miniatures, text-based art, illustrations, neon constructions and toilet paper. Opens Thursday with a reception 6:30-8:30 p.m. Through Aug. 17. Adah Rose Gallery, 3766 Howard Ave., Kensington. www.adahrosegallery.com. Free. ******Thirst ’n’ Howl** The children’s entertainment duo presents “Chocolate Chip Cookie Musical Jamboree,” an interactive musical for young audiences as part of the City of Gaithersburg’s Thursday Morning Kids outdoor concerts. 10:30 a.m. Gaithersburg City Hall, concert pavilion, 31 S. Summit Ave., Gaithersburg. 301-258-6350. www.gaithersburgmd.gov. Free. **Stacy Brooks Band** The Evenings in Olde Towne outdoor series continues with a blues concert. 6 p.m. Gaithersburg City Hall, concert pavilion, 31 S. Summit Ave., Gaithersburg. 301-258-6350. www.gaithersburgmd.gov. Free. **Lindsay Smith** The Washington writer will read from her debut novel, “Sekret,” about a young woman in Soviet Russia forced to work as a psychic spy against the American space program. 7 p.m. Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 4801 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda. 301-986-1761. store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/   store/2750. Free. **Ocho de Bastos** The Latin rock band performs outdoors as part of the Silver Spring Summer Concert Series. 7-9 p.m. Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza, 1 Veterans Pl., Silver Spring. 240-777-6875. www.silverspringdowntown.com. Free. **“Dani Girl”** Unexpected Stage Company presents Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond’s musical about a girl with cancer. Opens with previews Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m.; regular run commences Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 and 7 p.m. Through Aug. 10. Randolph Road Theatre, 4010 Randolph Rd., Silver Spring. 301-337-8290. www.unexpectedstage.org. Previews $10; other shows $16-$25, seniors and military $14-$21. **Rockville Swing Band** Dancers are welcome during the show, part of Glen Echo’s summer concert series. The historic 1921 Dentzel carousel will be open. 7:30 p.m. Glen Echo Park, Bumper Car Pavilion, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. 301-634-2222. www.glenechopark.org. Free; carousel rides $1.25. **“Avenue Q”** The irreverent, adult-themed puppet musical is advised for audiences 16 and older. Thursday-Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., closes Sunday at 2 p.m. Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd., Olney. 301-924-3400. www.olneytheatre.org. $53.50-$63.50, seniors $48.50-$63.50, military and children $48.50-$58.50, student rush $15. **“The Tempest”** The National Players stage an outdoor production of Shakespeare’s magical romantic drama. Continues with free previews Thursday- Friday at 8 p.m. Regular run begins Saturday at 8 p.m., continues Sunday and Wednesday at 8 p.m. Through Aug. 3. Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd., Olney. 301-924-3400. www.olneytheatre.org. $20, student rush $15, children free. ******Historic Cooking Demonstration: A Taste of Maryland** Food historian and reenactor Joyce White discusses the origins of iconic Maryland foods such as Maryland beaten biscuits, crab cakes, coddies, McCormick Spices and Old Bay, black licorice, white potato pie, peach fluff and Native American fare. A cooking demonstration will be followed by a tasting. 6:30-8 p.m. Sandy Spring Museum, 17901 Bentley Rd., Sandy Spring. 301-774-0022. www.sandyspringmuseum.org. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. **“Ruth Lozner: Fiction Non Fiction”** The artist creates surrealist- and dadaist-inspired sculptures and collages made of found objects. Artist reception Friday 7-9 p.m. Through Aug. 17. VisArts at Rockville, 155 Gibbs St., Rockville. 301-315-8200. www.visartscenter.org. Free. **“The Music Man”** Rockville Musical Theatre presents Meredith Willson’s musical about a con man posing as a marching band leader. Continues Friday- Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. Through July 27. Rockville Civic Center Park, F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 603 Edmonston Dr., Rockville. 240-314-8690. www.r-m-t.org. $22, seniors and students $20. **The Soul Crackers With Tommy Lepson** The local soul band features Wammie Award-winning lead singer Tommy Lepson and guest singer Mary Ann Redmond. 8 p.m. Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club, 7719 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda. 240-330-4500. www.bethesdabluesjazz.com. $15. **“The Veil”** Quotidian Theatre Company stages the U.S. premiere of Conor McPherson’s play about a haunted Irish mansion. Opens Friday at 8 p.m., continues Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. Through Aug. 17. The Writer’s Center, 4508 Walsh St., Bethesda. 301-654-8664. www.quotidiantheatre.org. $30, seniors and students $25. **Chopteeth** The 12-piece Afrofunk orchestra performs. 7 p.m. BlackRock Center for the Arts, 12901 Town Commons Dr., Germantown. 301-528-2260. www.blackrockcenter.org. Free. **“Them!”** Local TV personality Count Gore De Vol (Dick Dyszel) presents the 60-year-old science fiction thriller about giant mutant ants, with interactive intermissions. Presented by AFI and the Spooky Movie International Horror Film Festival. 7:30 p.m. AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. 301-495-6720. www.afi.com/silver. $12, seniors $10, children $7. **Rx Bandits** The California alt-rock band will release a new album this week, “Gemini, Her Majesty.” 8 p.m. With the Dear Hunter. The Fillmore, 8656 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. 301-960-9999. www.fillmoresilverspring.com. $20. **“Gidion’s Knot”** Forum Theatre mounts the local premiere of Johnna Adams’s play centering on a heated parent-teacher conference about the circumstances that led to a fifth-grader’s suspension from school. Opens Saturday at 8 p.m., continues Sunday at 8 p.m. Through Aug. 3. Silver Spring Black Box Theatre, 8641 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. 240-644-1390. www.forum-theatre.org. Pay- what-you-want at the door, Saturday-Sunday previews $10 in advance, other days $20-$25 in advance. **“The Wizard of Oz”** Multiple kinds of puppets are used in this production. Thursday-Friday at 10 and 11:30 a.m., Saturday-Sunday at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Closes Sunday. Glen Echo Park, Puppet Co. Playhouse, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. 301-634-5380. www.thepuppetco.org. $10. **“Good People”** Silver Spring Stage presents David Lindsay-Abaire’s comedy about a struggling, single South Boston mother and an old flame who has become successful. Friday-Saturday at 8 p.m., closes Sunday at 2 p.m. Silver Spring Stage, 10145 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. 301-593-6036. 301-593-6036. www.ssstage.org. $20, seniors and students $18. **Family Jazz Day** Blues Alley and the Glen Echo Park Partnership host performances by youth jazz ensembles and the U.S. Army Blues. Picnics are welcome. 3-7 p.m. Glen Echo Park, Bumper Car Pavilion, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. 301-634-2222. www.glenechopark.org. Free. **19th Street Band** The Irish acoustic, folk and pop band performs as part of the Montgomery Village Foundation’s outdoor summer concerts. 6 p.m. Dr. Gordon W. Bowie Music Pavilion, South Valley Park, 19003 Watkins Mill Rd., Montgomery Village. 301-948-0110. www.montgomeryvillage.com. Free. **John Hiatt and the Combo, the Robert Cray Band** Grammy-nominated rock singer-songwriter Hiatt shares top billing with five-time Grammy-winning bluesman Cray. Party on the patio 6:30 p.m., concert at 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. 301-581-5100. www.strathmore.org. $32-$68. **Turnpike Troubadours** The Oklahoma country-rock band performs. 8 p.m. The Fillmore, 8656 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. 301-960-9999. www.fillmoresilverspring.com. $15.50. **“Looking Back”** Vincent Ferrari’s photos of Cuba and its people are shown with Patricia Smith’s silver gelatin prints of aesthetically pleasing decay. Closes Monday. Glen Echo Park, Photoworks Gallery, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. 301-634-2274. www.glenechophotoworks.org. Free. **Jimmy Haslip with the Mars 4-Tet** The adult jazz camp and festival Maryland Summer Jazz kicks off its 10th year with a concert by the bassist of the Grammy Award-winning Yellowjackets joined by saxophonist Jeff Antoniuk, guitarist Donato Soviero and drummer Frank Russo. 7:30 p.m. Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club, 7719 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda. 240-330-4500. www.bethesdabluesjazz.com. $22. **Conjunto Chappottin** This traditional Cuban band, founded in the ’40s, will play an outdoor concert. Musical instrument donations will be accepted on behalf of Hungry for Music. 7 p.m. Strathmore, Gudelsky Outdoor Concert Gazebo, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, Bethesda. 301-581-5100. www.strathmore.org. Free. **— Compiled by Carrie Donovan  ** ** from staff reports**

D.C. community calendar, March 13 to 20, 2014

**Walking club,** for fitness and better health, co-sponsored by Sibley Memorial Hospital. 8:30-9:30 a.m. Thursdays and Tuesdays, Mazza Gallerie, 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Free with free parking. 202-364-7602. **“Amelia and Her Big Red Plane,”** with Dinorock Productions, ages 5-10, an interactive puppet show that puts adventurous kids beside adventurer Amelia Earhart as the younger Amelia builds her own roller coaster in the back yard, takes off in her first plane and flies across the Atlantic. 10:15 and 11:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Thursday-Friday, Discovery Theater at National Air and Space Museum, Sixth Street and Independence Avenue SW. $8; ages 2-16, $6; 1 and younger, $3. 202-633-8700 or www.discoverytheater.org . **Preschool series: Fanciful heroes,** for ages 2-5 with an adult companion, hunt for dragons, make a hero’s cape and explore a fantastical world of adventure as you experience the wonder of Hillwood with your preschooler; explore a new mansion room each week of this three-part series through make- believe, art projects and imaginative play. 10:30-11:15 a.m. Thursdays through March 20, Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Series: $30 per child and one accompanying adult; additional adults, $15 each. Single class: $12 per child and one accompanying adult. 202-686-5807. **Behind-the-scenes cathedral tour,** age 11 and older; see gargoyles and stained-glass windows, climb a lot of stairs for a panoramic view of the city; bring a camera. 10:30 a.m. most weekdays, Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $25; age 11 and 12, $21. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . **Garden tour and kids in “snugglies,”** volunteers lead parents or care providers with one child in an infant carrier for a tour of the conservatory. 10:30 a.m. U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. Registration required. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov. ******Greenhouse tours,** Jason Gedeik, head of greenhouse design and operations, leads a short tour of the working greenhouse, highlighting its history and the exotic blooms and fragrances on display. 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, noon Saturdays through March, Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, Visitor Center, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. $15; 65 and older, $12; 6 to 18, $5; 5 and younger, free. 202-686-5807. **************Cooking potatoes,** gardening specialist Adrienne Cook and her nutritionist sister, Danielle Cook, discuss varieties of potatoes and different ways of preparing them. Noon and 12:45 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333. **Managing stress and improving well-being,** a discussion led by Al Zara, sponsored by Sibley Senior Association. Noon, Thursdays, Sibley Medical Building, Conference Room 4, 5215 Loughboro Rd. NW. Free, suggested donation, $55 for eight weeks. 202-364-7602. **Book talk,** Zygmunt Plater discusses his book “The Snail Darter and the Dam,” about the nation’s most significant environmental battles more than 30 years ago. 12:30 p.m., Library of Congress, Madison Building, Mary Pickford Theater, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-1212. ******Beginner computer skills class,** ****learn how to create an e-mail account, search the Internet, use online library services. 1-3 p.m. Thursdays, Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. Free. 202-727-1288. **************Tax help,** meet with a qualified tax aide from Community Tax Aid who can help answer your questions and prepare your 2013 filing; limited to individuals with less than $35,000 in income (taxable and non-taxable) and families with less than $52,000 in income (taxable and non-taxable). 1:30-5:30 p.m. Thursdays through April 10, Lamond-Riggs Library, 5401 South Dakota Ave. NE. 202-541-6255; and 1:30-4:30 p.m. Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturdays, 1-4 p.m. Sundays and 4:30-8 p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays, through April 15, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Rooms A-9 and A-10, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-0321. Free. **Walk with a park ranger,** for a sampling of the memorials that make up the landscape of our nation’s history. 2-4 p.m. Thursday-Friday, Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Free. 202-426-6841. **********************Crafty Thursdays,** age 5 and older; all materials provided. 4 p.m., William O. Lockridge/Bellevue Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW. Free. 202-243-1184. **HIV/STI testing,** for ages 13-24, hosted by Metro TeenAIDS. 4:30-7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library, Meeting Room 2, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. Free. 202-281-2583. **Art signs: gallery talk in ASL,** a volunteer American Sign Language gallery guide leads conversations about various artworks. 5:30 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, F Street Lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Original musical works,** performed under the auspices of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Film screening,** Robert Reich’s “Inequality for All,” and fiscal 2015 D.C. city budget kickoff. 6:30-9 p.m., True Reformer Building, auditorium, 1200 U St. NW. Free. Event Website: https://www.eventbrite.com . **National Portrait Gallery pop quiz,** a collection-themed trivia game using selections made by curators and historians; the winning team will get a prize. 6:30 p.m., National Portrait Gallery, Kogod Courtyard, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **NSO concert,** Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos conducts the orchestra, pianist Daniil Trifonov and mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor in a performance of works by Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Falla and Respighi. 7 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday- Saturday, Kennedy Center, Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW. $10-$85. 202-467-4600. **Women in congressional leadership,** New York Times journalist Jackie Calmes moderates a panel discussing changes in the roles, opportunities, expectations and obstacles for women in congressional leadership positions. 7 p.m., National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. ******“Back to Methuselah,”** Bill Largess directs the George Bernard Shaw masterwork about the human life span, shown in a series of comic episodes. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, through Sunday, Undercroft Theatre, Massachusetts Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Friday and Saturday evenings, $50; Thursdays and matinees, $40; seniors, $10 discount; students, half price. 240-582-0050. ******“Rupert,”** for age 15 and older, Australia’s best-known and most prolific playwright, David Williamson, takes on one of the greatest media moguls of all time, Rupert Murdock. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Kennedy Center, Eisenhower Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $29-$69. 202-467-4600. **********************“Shear Madness,”** a comedy-mystery set in Georgetown, with audience participation to help solve a mock murder. 8 p.m. Thursdays- Fridays, 6 and 9 p.m. Saturdays, 3 and 7 p.m. Sundays, 8 p.m. Tuesdays- Wednesdays, Kennedy Center, Family Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $50. 202-467-4600. **********“Water by the Spoonful,”** K.J. Sanchez directs Quiara Alegria Hudes’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, a depiction of how we live and interact with each other in an ambitious world, set in North Philly. 8 p.m. Thursdays- Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays, 8 p.m. Tuesdays- Wednesdays, through April 13, Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. $39-$75, discounts for military and spouses. 202-332-3300. www.studiotheatre.org . ******Seniors line dancing,** ****age 50 and older. 10 a.m. Fridays, Woodridge Interim Library, 1790 Douglas St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. **********Friday Morning Music Club recital,** a performance of works by Saint-Saëns, Fauré and other composers. Noon, Calvary Baptist Church, 755 Eighth St. NW. Free. 202-333-2075. **********Pipe organ concert,** Jason Farris performs works by Leo Sowerby, Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, J.S. Bach, Clarence Dickinson and Charles-Marie Vidor. 12:15-1 p.m., National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Cir. NW. Free, donations welcome. 202-797-0103. **********Sugar, sex and poison: Shocking plant secrets caught on camera,** Bill Cullina, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, discusses how plants have evolved into an incredible arsenal of chemicals, camouflage, spines, hairs and waxes to discourage herbivores. Noon, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free, registration required. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . **“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,”** for age 12 and older, Peter Flynn directs the musical play based on the Rachel Sheinkin book, with music and lyrics by William Finn, the story of six awkward adolescents through their daunting and hilarious championship quest as they navigate their way to a trophy and a life lesson, contains some coarse language. 2 and 7:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays (except March 14 and 21, April 21 and May 2 and 9), 7:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. $18-$. 800-982-2787. www.fords.org . **Join the “STEAM” team,** for ages 6-12 with an interest in science, technology, engineering, art and/or mathematics and a desire to design, construct, discover, create and more. 4 p.m. Fridays, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **Young instrumentalists in concert,** the NSO Youth Fellowship Program offers a performance by percussionist Alex Arshadi (11th grade), violinist Tavifa Cojocari (11th grade), bassist James Peterson (12th grade), and a duet by violist Eric Costantino (10th grade) and violinist Abigail Tucker (11th grade). 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Paint-and-sip art workshop,** with step-by-step instruction by teaching artists Ellen Cornett and Sheppard Bear, create your own artwork, enjoy snacks and wine. 6:30-8:30 p.m., Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. $30, includes materials and refreshments. 202-547-6839 or www.chaw.org . **Author talk,** Phil Klay reads from and discusses his acclaimed debut short collection **“Redeployment”** with writer Jennifer Vanderbes, featuring stories from the frontlines of Afghanistan and Iraq. 7 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free. Register: www.hillcenterdc.org . 202-549-4172. **Evening with a park ranger,** a National Park Service ranger leads a tour and discusses the history of the memorials; bring water and a flashlight. 7-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday, National World War II Memorial, Ranger station, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-426-6841. **“Incendios,”** for age 15 and older, Mexican theater company Tapioca Inn performs Lebanese-Canadian playwright Wajdi Mouawad’s story of grown twin siblings who go back in time to unravel their mother’s deepest secrets, discovering a completely different mother from the one they thought they knew, performed in Spanish with English subtitles. No late seating. 7:30 p.m., Friday-Sunday, Kennedy Center, Terrace Gallery, 2700 F St. NW. $29. 202-467-4600. **“Death and the Maiden,”** for mature audiences, performed by La Mafia Teatro, Ariel Dorfman’s 1992 play about a chance encounter between a former political prisoner and the man she believes once tortured her, performed in Spanish with English subtitles. On Friday, stay for a post- performance discussion with a moderator and members of the company. 7:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Family Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $29. 202-467-4600. **“Child’s Pose,”** Călin Peter Netzer’s Berlin Film Festival-winning film about a well-to-do Bucharest architect determined to keep her 30-something deadbeat son out of jail after a deadly car crash, in Romanian with English subtitles. 8 p.m., Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. $11.50; students, $9; seniors, $8.75; military and age 12 and younger, $8.50. 202-966-6000. ************************ **Rich Potter with Bert the Nerd,** a program of daring stunts, juggling and magic packed with laughs and opportunities for children to join in the program onstage. 9:30 and 11 a.m., National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free ticket, one per person, distributed 30 minutes before each show. 202-783-3372. **Day at the ballet,** for ages 3-12, an interactive ballet performance of excerpts of major works, costumes, a backstage tour and more, co-sponsored with Connect the Dots Dance Company. 10 a.m., Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. Free. Register: bwashington@chaw.org. 202-547-6839 or www.chaw.org. **Garden events: Orchid Month,** hands-on workshop on getting orchids to rebloom for decades. 10 a.m.-noon, Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, Visitor Center, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. $25. 202-686-5807. www.hillwoodmuseum.org . **Yoga at the library,** for adult and teen beginners with an instructor from Yoga Activist, no experience required, bring a mat or use one from the library, 10 a.m. Saturdays, Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. 202-281-2583; and 11 a.m. Saturdays, Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. Free. 202-243-1188. ******Weaving on the American frontier,** Janice Hensley, a dedicated reenactor who produces textiles using the traditional practices of the American frontier, from raising Leicester longwool sheep to weaving, examines these techniques in a global context, discussing and demonstrating how shorn wool was spun, dyed and woven into blankets, shawls, straps and other utilitarian textiles. 10:30 a.m., Textile Museum, 2320 S St. NW. Free. 202-667-0441, Ext. 64. ******Carillon recital,** carillonneur Edward M. Nassor performs a weekly concert. 12:30 p.m. Saturdays, Washington National Cathedral, Bishop’s Garden and other outdoor areas, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Free. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . ******Sumi-E workshops** , teaching artist Jon Leniz explores Chinese ink wash bamboo paintings, where the hand and heart move in unison, linking the inner and outer worlds and capturing aspects of both realities in a harmonious and balanced relationship. 1-5 p.m., Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. $45. 202-547-6839 or www.chaw.org . **Portrait story: Elizabeth Cady Stanton,** listen to a story about the American social activist, abolitionist and leading figure of the early women’s rights movement and create a piece of art inspired by her life and portrait. 1-4 p.m. Saturday, 2-5 p.m. Sunday, National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **The Scharoun Ensemble Berlin in concert,** a performance of Franz Schubert’s Octet in F Major; come to the Jefferson Building’s Whittall Pavilion at 1 p.m. for a pre-concert presentation by the Music Division’s Nicholas Alexander Brown on “Henze: The Contemporary German Romantic.” 1 p.m., Library of Congress, Jefferson Building, Whittall Pavilion, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-5502. **Signs of spring,** Emily Porter, Project Budburst coordinator, discusses the first signs of spring in the National Garden and explains how to identify a variety of common native plants and discover the important clues that plants reveal about the life cycles of their surroundings; bring sunscreen and water and wear protective clothing. 2 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Lobby, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free, registration required. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . **Women of the Tidal Basin,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the women who gave us the cherry trees, triggered a Cherry Tree Rebellion and designed the George Mason Memorial. 2-4 p.m., Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Free. Jan Buerger, 202-497-1397. **Italian seaside,** a National Park Service ranger discusses names on the National World War II Memorial that are tied to the Italian Campaign and why we remember them. 2 and 4 p.m., National World War II Memorial, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Call Paul O’Brian, 202-438-7066. **“Elixir of Love” highlights,** a preview of musical highlights performed by members of Washington National Opera’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program and other artists from the production. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **“Harmsaga,”** for mature audiences, the National Theatre of Iceland performs this modern love story about a young couple desperately trying to save their marriage, exposing betrayed promises and broken dreams in the process. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $29. 202-467-4600. **************** **********Pennsylvania Avenue: America’s Main Street,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walk and reveals some of its lesser-known events, places and people. 10:30 a.m., Old Post Office Tower, Benjamin Franklin statue, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. 202-606-8691. **Catch the quilting bug,** for age 10 and older, artist Jennifer Lindsay leads a hands-on quilt workshop designed to instruct and engage audiences; a knowledge of basic hand-sewing skills is recommended. Materials and instruction provided. Noon-5 p.m., National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. $. Free. 202-783-5000. **Knitting and crocheting workshop,** join fellow needlers to create items for those in need; instruction, needles and yarn provided. 1 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, fourth floor of the South Tower, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Free. Mila Michael, knitting@cathedralcongregation.org . 202-537-6200. **Horticultural therapy,** therapist Lana Dreyfuss highlights the benefits of this therapy when applied to trauma and loss and demonstrates how horticultural therapy can help in reconnection after traumatic events. Participants will somatically experience horticultural therapy through a hands-on project. 1-4 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. $55, registration required. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . **Artist tour: botanical paintings of the Mid-Atlantic,** Kandy Phillips describes her experiences raising the butterflies and moths she paints, and our love/hate relationship with the insect world. 2 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free, registration required. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . **The real Rosa Parks and the women of the Montgomery bus boycott,** a National Park Service ranger discusses how Martin Luther King Jr.’s leadership emanated from the bus boycott. 3 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, West Potomac Park, between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials, Independence Avenue SW. Free. 202-438-7066. **Cathedral pipe organ recital,** “Heroes and Martyrs from World War II,” Christine Clewell performs works by Jehan Alain, Fank Ferko, Hugo Distler, Olivier Messiaen and Petr Eben on the 10,650-pipe organ. 5:15 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, Great Choir, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Suggested donation, $10. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . **Songs and seeds,** Brandon Weatherbee hosts a concert to celebrate the life of the late legendary folk singer Pete Seeger, with performances by Jonny Grave, Ballad’ve, Michael Yugo, Patrick Hawkins, Magpie and others. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Classical music concert,** soprano Irina Mozyleva, mezzo soprano Magdalena Wor and pianists Vera Danchenko-Stern and Genadi Zagor perform works by Russian composers. Latecomers not admitted. 6:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, West Building Garden Court, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **National Festival Chorus** **2014 concert,** Z. Randall Stroope leads the ensemble and two student instrumental ensembles. 7 p.m., Kennedy Center, Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW. $49-$79. 202-467-4600. ******Bluegrass,** icons Jimmy Gaudreau and Moondi Klein perform. 7 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. $20; in advance, $15. www.hillcenterdc.org . 202-549-4172. **Tax help SE,** available to taxpayers with low and moderate incomes, with special attention to those 60 and older, through trained volunteers from the AARP Tax-Aide program. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays through April 14, Capitol View Library, 5001 Central Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-0755. **Tax help NW, SW,** available to taxpayers with low and moderate incomes, with special attention to those 60 and older, through trained volunteers from the AARP Tax-Aide program. 1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Mondays through April 14, Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. 202-243-1188; and 3:30-8 p.m. Mondays, Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. 202-724-4752. Free. **Therapeutic yoga classes for cancer patients,** Corrin Bennett and Alaina Sadick lead patients, survivors and their caregivers. 10:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m. Mondays and 5:30-6:45 p.m. Wednesdays, Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St. NW. $25/month. 202-483-8600 or www.smithcenter.org . **Italian conversation,** have coffee as you practice conversational Italian with native speaker Anna Nicolosi, new members welcome, sponsored by the Sibley Senior Association. 11 a.m.-noon, Sibley Medical Building, Conference Room 5, 5215 Loughboro Rd. NW. Free. 202-364-7602. **************U.S. Botanic Garden lunchtime tour,** volunteers lead a tour of plants and discuss what manila folders, Chanel No. 5, vanilla and fossil fuels have in common; a discussion of possible breakthroughs in medicinal plant research. Noon Monday and Wednesday, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333. **Knitwits knitting group,** facilitated by Mimi Mihalchik, sponsored by Sibley Senior Association. 1-4 p.m., Sibley Memorial Hospital, Private Dining Room 3, 5255 Loughboro Rd. NW. Free. 202-364-7602. ******Mental health and HIV confidential group,** for people with HIV and mental-health challenges. Transportation tokens and refreshments provided. 3:30 p.m. Mondays. Sponsored by MetroHealth. 1012 14th St. NW. Free. 202-638-0750. ******Chess Club,** instruction open to children and teens. 5:30 p.m. Mondays, Woodridge Library, 1801 Hamlin St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. **Musical program,** performed by students from local schools. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Knitting and crocheting,** all experience levels welcome. 6:30 p.m. Mondays, Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-4297. **********Yoga class,** taught by a representative from Yoga Activist, geared toward beginners but all are welcome. 7 p.m. Mondays, Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. 202-282-3080. **Bluegrass,** icons Jimmy Gaudreau and Moondi Klein perform. 7 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. $20; in advance, $15. www.hillcenterdc.org . 202-549-4172. ******Aerobics for adults,** one-hour sessions. 7:15 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, Capitol View Library, Second Floor, 5001 Central Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-0755. **********“George Washington’s Surprise Attack: A New Look at the Battle that Decided the Fate of America,”** historian Phillip Thomas Tucker discusses the attack and gives an in-depth look at the Battle of Trenton with new insights and analysis including first-hand accounts from officers and soldiers on both sides. Noon, National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Music Club recital,** a performance of works by Mozart and Rameau. Noon, Dumbarton House, 2715 Q St. NW. Free. 202-333-2075. **Classical music** **concert,** flutist Karen Johnson and pianist Carlos Rodriguez perform. 12:10 p.m., Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Suggested donation, $10. 202-347-2635, Ext. 20. **Mild Cognitive Impairment support group,** for those with a physician diagnosis of the condition, facilitated by Ashley Nunn. 1-2:30 p.m., Sibley Medical Building, Conference Room 5, 5215 Loughboro Rd. NW. Free, registration required. 202-364-7602. ******Sketching workshop,** bring pencils and a small sketchbook, work with objects on display in the Luce Foundation Center. 2:30-4:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Homework help,** and help with special projects for ages 13-19. 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Francis A. Gregory Library, Teen Space, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-4297. ******Poetry performance,** presented by the Kennedy Center’s Office of VSA (Very Special Arts) and Accessibility, ensuring that people with disabilities learn through, participate in and enjoy the arts. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. “Watermark,” a feature documentary of astonishing beauty and perspective from filmmakers Jennifer Baichwal and Nick de Pencier, and photographer Edward Burtynsky, about the role of humanity in shaped water and how it has shaped us, a view of the construction site of the biggest arch dam in the world in China, the barren desert delta where the Colorado River no longer reaches the ocean and the water-intensive leather tanneries of Dhaka, witness how humans are drawn to water in the mass Hindu pilgrimage called the Kumbh Mela, when 30 million worshippers bathe in the Ganges in a single day. 7 p.m., Carnegie Institution for Science, Elihu Root Auditorium, 1530 P St. NW. $10. Tickets: www.watermark.bpt.me. 202-272-2448. www.dcenvironmentalfilmfestival.org. **“The Petrol Station,”** for mature audiences, a staged reading of the Sulayman Al-Bassam play about the lives of a pair of half-brothers vying for the loyalty and favors of their aging father. 7 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Gallery, 2700 F St. NW. Free tickets distributed, two per person, in the States Gallery 30 minutes before the show. 202-467-4600. **Harpist Brandee Younger in concert,** part of the Washington Women in Jazz Festival. 7:30 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. $20; in advance, $15. Tickets: www.hillcenterdc.org . 202-549-4172. **“Loveland,”** directed by Joshua Townshend-Zellner, written and performed by Ann Randolph, the story of an irreverent oddball trapped on a plane as she travels from California to Ohio for her mother’s funeral. A transformative mini-writing workshop led by Randolph follows each show. 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays- Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. Sundays, through April 13, Arena Stage, Kogod Cradle, 1101 Sixth St. SW. $25-$40, subject to change and based on availability. 202-488-3300 or www.arenastage.org. **Los Angeles Philharmonic concert,** music director Gustavo Dudamel leads a performance of works by Corigliano and Tchaikovsky. 8 p.m., Kennedy Center, Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets start at $55. 202-785-9727. ******A Strip of Red Velvet,** the Textile Museum presents George Washington University professor Bibiana Obler as she discusses the relation between Al Loving’s 1970s fabric assemblages and American quilt traditions, taking into special consideration Loving’s Untitled work, recently acquired by the National Gallery of Art. Noon, G.W. University Alumni House, 1918 F St. NW. Free. 202-667-0441, Ext. 64. ******Literary birthday celebration,** authors Sam Lipsyte and Howard Norman read from the work of American novelist Philip Roth and discuss his influence on their writing. Noon, Library of Congress, Jefferson Building, Whittall Pavilion, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-5394. ******Lunder behind the scenes,** a staff member discusses how conservators use science, art history and skilled hands to preserve objects from the museum collection in the Lunder Conservation Center. 3 p.m. Wednesdays, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, third floor, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Chess for kids,** instruction for all ages. 4 p.m. Wednesdays, Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. 202-282-3080. **Teen game night,** for ages 13-19, play board and Wii games. 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-4297. **Meet Robert Osborne** and experience the red carpet with the legendary TCM host; reception hosted by historian Amy Henderson, curator of the exhibit “Dancing the Dream,” at 6 p.m., conversation and screening of “Flying Down to Rio” at 6:30 p.m., National Portrait Gallery, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. $50; $45, screening only. 202-633-1000. **Tour the floor,** a series of curator-led gallery talks highlighting newly installed artworks by Joanna Marsh. 6 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, F Street Lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Musical program,** performed by students from local schools. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **“The Human Scale ,”** a film in which Danish architect Jan Gehl reveals the results of his research on what he calls “life between buildings,” what happens when we put people into the center of urban planning, part of the D.C. Environmental Film Festival. 6:30 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. $12; students, $10; registration required. 202-272-2448. www.dcenvironmentalfilmfestival.org . **Rum tasting,** with Guillaume Lamy. 7 p.m., Alliance Francaise, 2142 Wyoming Ave. NW. $30, reservations required. 202-234-7911. www.francedc.org . **Caregiver conversations,** juggling caregiving and life’s other demands, led by Stephanie Chong. 7 p.m., the Georgetown Residences, 2512 Q St. NW. Free. 202-364-0020.  www.seaburyresources.org. **“Losing Grace or Unmasking Yourcenar,”** a staged reading of the play by Elyane Dezon-Jones. 7:30 p.m., Davis Performing Arts Center, Gonda Theatre, 37th and O streets NW. $10; students and veterans, $5. 202-687-2787. ******Amazing Animals of the Rainforest,** for ages 5-10, meet Dexter the lemur; Slinky, a 7-foot Columbian red-tailed boa; Charlie the iguana; or hissing cockroaches that can scare off predators with a sound as loud as a lawn mower, and learn why the South American ecosystem is so important to our planet’s health and how we can help preserve it. 10:15 and 11:30 a.m. next Thursday and March 21, Discovery Theater at S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $8; ages 2-16, $6; 1 and younger, $3. 202-633-8700 or www.discoverytheater.org . **How the natural and organic food movements grew a new industry,** museum food curator Paula Johnson moderates a discussion of its growth from a “hippie sideshow” to a $100 billion industry that influences what we eat and how business is conducted. Sampling of Honest Tea, OCHO organic chocolate bars and other organic foods. 6-7:30 p.m., National Museum of American History, Warner Brothers Theater, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. $15. 202-633-1000. **Crossroads and connections: exploring Britain’s Channel Islands** , historian Cassandra Potts Hannahs places the period of the Nazi occupation as the crossroads for various cultures long before they were in the crosshairs of the Third Reich, when they were part of a network of maritime communities of the North Atlantic. Hannahs examines the islands’ identification with Britain, despite their predominantly Gallic roots, within patterns of longer-term social and geopolitical dynamics. 6:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $42. 202-633-3030. **NSO concert, Christoph** Eschenbach conducts the orchestra, soprano Iréne Theorin and bass-baritone John Relyea in a program of works by Richard Strauss, in celebration of his 150th birthday. 7 p.m., Kennedy Center, Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW. $10-$85. 202-467-4600. **“HRC: State Secrets and the Rebirth of Hillary Clinton,”** political commentator Bill Press and authors Amie Parnes and Jonathan Allen discuss Clinton’s political rebirth, based on eyewitness accounts from deep inside her inner circle. 7 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free. 202-549-4172 or Register: www.hillcenterdc.org. **“Penny Plain,”** for age 14 and older, part-gothic thriller, part- apocalyptic comedy performed by Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes, the story of an old boarding house owner whose end-of-days vigil is interrupted by several bizarre characters. No late seating or re-entry. On March 20, stay for a free post-performance discussion with a moderator and members of the company. 7:30 p.m., March 20-22, Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $29. 202-467-4600. **“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,”** for age 12 and older, Peter Flynn directs the musical play based on the Rachel Sheinkin book with music and lyrics by William Finn, the story of six awkward adolescents through their daunting and hilarious championship quest as they navigate their way to a trophy and a life lesson, contains some coarse language. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays (except March 21, April 21 and May 2 and 9), 7:30 p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays, Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. $18-$. 800-982-2787. www.fords.org. ** — Compiled by Gerri Marmer  ** **E-mail:** districtlocalliving@washpost.com  (to the attention of Gerri Marmer) **   Mail:** Community Events, District Local Living, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20071. **   Details:** Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.

Improving your garden’s ecology

In an age of environmental woe — climate change, habitat loss, threats to beloved pollinators — should we change the role and the look of our gardens? You won’t have to read many pages of a new book, “The Living Landscape,” to get your answer. Authors Rick Darke and Doug Tallamy argue that our residential landscapes are surprisingly barren places that could be transformed into oases for plants, animals and, ultimately, ourselves. **Chat with Adrian Thursday, Sept. 4 at noon ** Darke is a well-known garden writer and ecologically minded plantsman, and Tallamy is an entomologist whose influential 2007 book “Bringing Nature Home” established the utility of native plants in a greater biosphere. The new book is not simply another call to use native plants, although it leans heavily on indigenous flora. It is rather a manifesto for increasing the diversity of plants we grow. As we enter the prime season for reworking the garden and planting afresh, this is a timely issue. Darke and Tallamy argue that with a sufficiently rich mixture of plant species comes an interconnected world of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and insects — a spider’s web of life spun by the gardener. Why should we care? Darke’s aerial photographs bring home what may not be obvious at ground level. Development patterns squeeze out life: The city is a canvas of asphalt, concrete and flat roofs. New housing subdivisions in outer suburban and rural areas are bereft of much plant life and are more likely to feature oceans of lawn and rows of arborvitae. Even the older, leafy inner suburbs could be so much more. Home gardens, once thought of by ecologists as a way to provide corridors for fauna between habitats, now must become contained habitats themselves, Tallamy says. “Why do residential landscapes suddenly have to shoulder this new ecological responsibility?” Tallamy writes. “Quite simply, the natural world is now so fragmented that any given piece is no longer large enough to sustain most of the species within it for very long.” In an interview, he said the idea of ecological gardening has taken off because it offers a tangible way for people to address wide-ranging environmental crises. “People love to feel empowered,” he said. “If you put an oak tree in your yard, you see the difference.” Flora in natural areas fill their own niches — shade trees form part of the canopy over lower-growing trees and shrubs, and the understory plants, in turn, shelter an herbaceous level of such things as ferns, bluebells, trilliums and may apples. All this vegetation feeds the living soil — if the fallen leaves are not neatly removed. This natural layering cries out to be replicated in the home garden, Darke says. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, I would add, it’s clear that most gardens do not reach their potential. We do not plant intensively enough or paint the ground with bold sweeps of plants. There are few residential landscapes that couldn’t accommodate more plants, and many established gardens — including my own — have corners where overgrown shrubs and the like could be removed to create a fresh montage that would be more attractive and more welcoming to other living things. As Darke points out, we have too much area given over to lawn and too many garden beds covered in mulch rather than in plants. “Everybody is on this kick with mulch, and with mulch you don’t have a lot of biological processes going on,” he said in an interview. After reading the book, I have an urge to bring more ground covers into my mostly shaded garden, particularly woodland phlox and creeping phlox, white wood aster, maidenhair and Christmas ferns, and the much underused woodland stonecrop, _Sedum ternatum_. Darke suggests interplanting the stonecrop with Virginia bluebells, which put on a fine show in April and then recede as the stonecrop fills in. The knack is to plant in sufficient numbers to form bold drifts whose leaf colors and textures create a visual structure and, as such, are more important artistically than fleeting blooms. How do you pay for all these plantings? This isn’t a central question of the book, but the authors answer it in a roundabout way. I’ll add my take on it: You buy the smallest plants you can find — perennials in four-inch pots rather than one-gallon containers, shrubs two to four feet instead of six to eight feet, and one-inch-caliper trees instead of three-inch monsters. Given the correct soil and light conditions, small plants establish better than bigger ones and soon catch up in their growth rates. The payment for this thrift is patience, but you don’t have to wait as long as you might think to see results. Tallamy planted the acorn of a white oak in the driveway circle of his 10-acre property in Oxford, Pa. In 13 years, the tree grew to 20 feet. (Start acorns in pots away from friendly squirrels.) Another way to spend your garden budget on plants rather than hardscape is to stop paving over paradise. Upgraded landscapes today seem to be measured in how many pavers you can install, for driveways, patios and walls. Darke urges a return to softer, greener spaces that are delineated by plants rather than concrete. In his own 1.5-acre garden in Landenberg, Pa., Darke’s outdoor spaces have been composed with carbon-based life forms. “Dry-laid stone is employed for areas that must withstand very heavy use and a few low wooden screens have been built for privacy,” he writes, “but all other paths, surfaces and spaces have been constructed entirely with living materials: grass, moss herbs, shrubs and trees.” Environmentally, such a landscape is going to be better at slowing storm water, filtering pollutants, cleaning the air and shading our living spaces. Tallamy said that if you regard your landscape creation as a long-term hobby rather than an instant installation, you can plant at your pace using small plants or even seeds. “You can do it for practically free.” Not all plants, even native ones, are as effective as others in sustaining wildlife. For Tallamy, a key attribute is the plant’s attractiveness to caterpillar species. The more caterpillar types that live in a tree, the more species of bird they feed. As iconic as the flowering dogwood is, other dogwoods do more for wildlife; namely, the alternate-leaf dogwood and the shrubby gray and silky dogwoods. The standout tree species is the oak, for its caterpillar habitat (an amazing 557 species) and acorns for mammals and birds. Tallamy commends 11 oak species for our region, including the swamp white oak — perfect for poorly drained sites — and the chestnut oak, which Darke particularly likes. “By planting our landscapes with productive plants, we can create diverse, stable and balanced food webs that meet our own ecological and cultural needs while enabling life around us,” Tallamy writes. Who would argue with that? **Six underused plants that will give long-term enjoyment to gardeners in the Mid-Atlantic:** Layering plants — putting them in their natural order with other plants — is essential to creating a garden of interest to people and of value to wildlife, says ecological landscape designer Rick Darke. We asked him to suggest half a dozen underused plants that with a little care and correct placement will give years of easy enjoyment to gardeners in the Mid-Atlantic region. **1\. Common witch hazel** Asian hybrids are more commonly planted for their garden traits, but the native witch hazel ( _Hamamelis virginia_ ) forms a large, multi-stemmed shrub that regenerates from suckers. Asian witch hazels bloom in late winter, but the native species displays its yellow flowers in late fall, sometimes before leaf drop. Although it can grow to 15 feet untamed, the witch hazel’s suckering habit allows the gardener to remove older stems to keep the shrub at a smaller height and breadth. Darke: “It’ll take extremes of dryness and saturated soil; it’s free of pests and reliably vase-shaped, which makes it the perfect choice for creating light shade in a sitting area.” **Sources:** Forest Farm (541-846-7269, www.forestfarm.com), Hill House Farm & Nursery (540-937-1798 www.hillhousenativeplants.com). **2\. Pawpaw** Pawpaw is an attractive fruiting large shrub or tree and is the host plant of the zebra swallowtail. It can work in many roles, although fruit production falls off in shadier locations. Pawpaw ( _Asimina triloba_ ) can be used as an understory shrub in the woods, as an edge plant between shady and sunny beds or as a freestanding tree in the lawn. You need at least two for fruit production. Varieties have been developed for better fruit quality. Darke: “You could even use them to line walkways almost as an allée. The fall color [golden yellow] is outrageous.” **Sources:** Edible Landscaping (434-361-9134, www.ediblelandscaping.   com), Forest Farm, Hill House Farm & Nursery. **3\. White wood aster** Unlike the late-summer asters of the meadow, the white wood aster ( _Aster divaricatus_ ) is a low-growing shade plant that makes a beautifully textured ground cover. It blooms white in late spring, although its real value is its dense green foliage. Use it instead of mulch. Darke: “It’s a living, weed-suppressing ground cover that is deer-proof, durable and versatile.” **Sources:** Niche Gardens, Forest Farm, Hill House Farm & Nursery. **4\. Christmas fern** This is a medium-size native fern that remains green in winter, when its fronds lie flat. This is a useful, highly textural and deer-proof ground cover for areas of dry shade. It’s known botanically as _Polystichum acrostichoides_. Darke: “Use it to define pathways. It’s a fern with seasonality; in the spring the new fronds are chartreuse. Also, it’s a plant that will outlive you.” **Sources:** Watermark Woods (540-441-7443, www.watermarkwoods.   com), Niche Gardens (919-967-0078, www.nichegardens.com), Hill House Farm & Nursery. **5\. Mountain mint** This perennial grows in partial shade or sunny conditions and when massed provides a striking and aromatic block of color and texture. Several species are gaining in popularity, but Darke commends the more assertive mountain mint species _Pycnanthemum muticum_ for new plantings in disturbed soil, to squeeze out weeds and invasives. The foliage is gray and topped in summer with white blooms. Darke: “A fabulous plant for pollen and nectar services: loaded with all kinds of butterflies and hynoptera.” **Sources:** Watermark Woods, Hill House Farm & Nursery. **6\. Pinkroot** Firmly in the realm of nerd plants, the pinkroot is a native perennial ( _Spigelia marilandica)_ with showy, upright clusters of red tubular flowers that draw hummingbirds in early summer. It is also one of those plants that resents disturbance and doesn’t lend itself to conventional container planting. It is best grown from seed or as a young plant, and, once established, it will spread by highly scattered seed. The gardener, at that point, merely removes plants from unwanted spots. Darke: “It’s promoted as a rarity that needs shade and moisture. We have seen that it is easy to naturalize.” **Sources:** Plant Delights Nursery (919-772-4794, www.plantdelights.com), Niche Gardens, Watermark Woods, Hill House Farm & Nursery. **More from The Washington Post:** Gardening lessons learned from the farm Where have all the butterflies gone? The U.S. National Arboretum is breathing new life into an old plant **@adrian_higgins on Twitter**

D.C. community calendar, Oct. 23-30, 2014

**Garden tour and kids in snugglers,** volunteers take turns leading parents or care providers with one child in a snuggly for a 45-minute guided tour of the conservatory; no strollers. 10:30 a.m. Thursday and next Thursday, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free; registration required. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov . **National Cathedral behind the scenes,** age 11 and older, see gargoyles and stained-glass windows and climb a lot of stairs for a panoramic view of the city. Bring a camera. 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. weekdays, Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $25; ages 11-12, $21. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . ******Specialty mums at Hillwood,** grower Drew Asbury gives a behind-the- scenes tour of the greenhouse and discusses how to propagate chrysanthemums for fresh cut flowers in floral arrangements. 11 a.m. Thursday, 2 p.m. Sunday, 1 p.m. Tuesday, 11 a.m. next Thursday, Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. $15; 65 and older, $12; 6 to 18, $5; 5 and younger, free. 202-686-5807. **“The Map Thief ,”** investigative journalist Michael Blanding discusses his book about E. Forbes Smiley, a respectable antiquarian map dealer who spent years doubling as a map thief until he was arrested for slipping maps out of books in the Yale University library. Noon, National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Cooking demonstration: winter greens,** gardening and cooking writer Adrienne Cook and her sister, nutritionist and cooking instructor Danielle Cook, show the main ways to get green nutrients in the winter using kale, collards, mustard greens, chard and turnip greens in soups, sides, salads and main courses. Noon and 12:45 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . **“Forever Vietnam: How a Divisive War Changed American Public Memory”** Author David Kieran discusses his book that explores how memory of the war has affected the commemoration of other events, and how those acts of commemoration have influenced postwar debates over American foreign policy. Noon, National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Getting started with Constant Contact e-mail marketing and EventSpot,** Romona Foster leads a workshop on tricks of the trade and other best practices; laptops welcome. 2 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Library, Computer Lab, Room 311, 901 G St. NW. Free; registration required. 202-727-0321. **Memorials of the Mall,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour of America’s front yard. 2-4 p.m. daily through Oct. 31, Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Free. 202-426-6841. **********Beading for teens,** learn to bead as you hang out with and meet new friends, create key chains, animals, jewelry; all materials provided; ongoing projects may be stored at the library; snacks served. 3:30 p.m. Thursdays, Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. Free. 202-727-0232. ******Teen advisory group,** bring your ideas for library programs, earn community service hours and help make Teen Space a better space. 4 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **Chess for teens,** learn how to play and master unique strategies. 4 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Teen Space, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. ******Wii dance-off,** for ages 13-19, a weekly competition using Wii. 5:30 p.m. Thursdays, William O. Lockridge/Bellevue Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW. Free. 202-243-1184. **Breakthroughs in breast cancer treatment,** for women living with breast cancer or concerned about breast cancer, leading experts from MedStar Georgetown University Hospital discuss the latest advances in treatment; buffet dinner served. 6-8 p.m., Georgetown Conference Hotel and Conference Center Salon CHF, 3800 Reservoir Rd., NW. Free. Register: www.medstargeorgetown.org . 202-342-2400. **Highlights from “La Bohème,”** members of Washington National Opera’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program and other artists perform. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. ******************Artist gallery talk: James Prosek,** the artist installs his mural at the entrance of “The Singing and the Silence: Birds in Contemporary Art” in advance of its opening. 6 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, third-floor exhibit entrance, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Anacostia Library chess club,** for ages 10-16. 6 p.m. Thursdays, Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. Free. 202-715-7707 or 202-715-7708. **********Enchanted Evening with Rodgers and Hammerstein,** pianist, raconteur and American music specialist Robert Wyatt celebrates the lives, works and unexpected success of the Rodgers and Hammerstein creative team with original cast recordings, film clips, interviews, correspondence and other primary materials furnished by the Library of Congress and the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization. 6:45-9 p.m., National Museum of American History, Warner Brothers Theater, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. $42. 202-633-3030. www.smithsonianassociates.org . **********“Lincoln and the Power of the Press: The War for Public Opinion”** Author Harold Holzer discusses his book and the president’s dabbling in journalism and his use of political patronage to get and keep support from the press. 7 p.m., National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street NW. 202-357-5000. Free. **Stew,** in a special appearance, Stew discusses his career as a playwright, songwriter, poet and lyricist with Adrien-Alice Hansel, Studio Theatre literary director. 7 p.m., Library of Congress, Madison Building, Montpelier Room, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-5502. **Festival Pablo Casals Prades Collective,** violinist Kyoko Takezawa, Japanese violist Nobuko Imai, violinist Elina Vähälä, Finnish cellist Arto Noras, Israeli pianist Itamar Golan and French clarinetist Michel Lethiec perform works by Debussy, Fauré, Isang yun, Jaejoon Ryu, Hosokawa and Tchaikovsky. 7:30 p.m., Freer Gallery of Art, Meyer Auditorium, Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW. Free. 202-633-1000. ******“The Fifth Heaven ,” **Dina Zvi-Riklis’s 2012 film, a coming-of-age drama about a 13-year-old orphan who struggles to adjust to a new life in British-controlled Palestine in 1944, based on the novel of the same name by Rachel Eytan , in Hebrew with English subtitles. 7:30 p.m., D.C. Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW. $11. 202-518-9400. www.dcjcc.org . **“Visible Language,”** a world premiere musical about the 1890s culture war that changed the lives of deaf people in America, commemorating Gallaudet University’s 150th anniversary. Pay what you can, Thursday and all Saturday matinees, Oct. 25-Nov. 15; other performances, 7:30 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, continues through Nov. 16, Gallaudet University, Eastman Studio Theatre, Elstad Annex, 800 Florida Ave. NE. Pay what you can previews, Thursday and Saturday matinee; Thursday-Friday evenings, $30; Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees, $35. 703-418-4808. www.gallaudet.ticketleap.com . **********“Driving Miss Daisy ,”** Jennifer L. Nelson directs the Alfred Uhry play about the clash of wills between a stubborn Jewish matriarch and a proud black man who serves as her chauffeur, starring Nancy Robinette and Craig Wallace. 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. $15-$62, discounts for seniors, military and age 34 and younger. 202-347-4833. www.fords.org . ******“Shear Madness,”** a comedy-mystery set in Georgetown, with audience participation to help solve a mock murder. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays, 6 and 9 p.m. Saturdays, 3 and 7 p.m. Sundays, 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays, Kennedy Center, Family Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $50. 202-467-4600. ******************“The Wolfe Twins,”** Mike Donahue directs Rachel Bonds’ play about growing older and changing amid the festering of old wounds and intimate, untold secrets, starring Tom Story. 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 7 p.m. Sundays, 2 p.m. Sunday and next Sunday, Studio Theatre’s Milton Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. $25. 202-332-3300. ************ ******Seniors line dancing,** age 50 and older. 10 a.m. Fridays, Woodridge Interim Library, 1790 Douglas St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. **Total body workout,** for active seniors, a class led by Carolyn Gichner, bring a mat and light weights, sponsored by Sibley Senior Association. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Fridays and Wednesdays through Nov. 14, Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, Vestry, 3401 Nebraska Ave. NW. Call for prorated fees. 202-364-7602. **Helping Our People Engage,** in the spirit of revitalizing the historic cinema theaters of Anacostia, such as the Carver, Anacostia, Naylor and Congress theaters, the Anacostia Neighborhood Library presents matinees Friday mornings, a discussion group follows. 11:30 a.m. Fridays, Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. Free. 202-715-7707 or 202-715-7708. **Book talk,** “The Harness Maker’s Dream: Nathan Kallison and the Rise of South Texas ,” Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nick Kotz discusses his book about one family and the pioneer rancher, Nathan Kallison, who helped develop modern Texas, bring a bag lunch. Noon, D.C. Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW. $12; seniors and students, $10. 202-518-9400. www.dcjcc.org/litfest . **Friday Morning Music Club** recital, a performance of works by Debussy, Cui, Saint-Saëns, Caplet, Fauré and SchumannNoon, Noon, Calvary Baptist Church, 755 Eighth St. NW. 202-333-2075. Free. **Weather in the supermarket,** journalist and author Susan Dworkin discusses some of the important changes that will affect staple foods because of climate change, including the potential extinction of bananas and other varieties, the genetic modification of some foods to help them resist drought, salty water and fierce new storms and the role of seed banks in preserving original varieties. Noon, U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Classroom, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free; registration required. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . **Pipe organ recital,** Jonathan Vaughn of England’s Wells Cathedral performs works by Charles-Marie Widor, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, John Ireland and Richard Wagner. 12:15-1 p.m., National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Cir. NW. Free; donations welcome. 202-797-0103. ******Strains, pains and gains,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour and discusses who created the city’s memorial core and the legacy that inspires and commands respect. 2-4 p.m., Thomas Jefferson Memorial, 900 Ohio Dr. SW. Free. Michael T. Kelly, 202-359-2662. ******“The Accidental Tourist,” **Lawrence Kasdan’s 1988 film about a reluctant travel writer and his dysfunctional family and wife who leaves him after their son is gunned down while he is away at summer camp, starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner and Geena Davis. 2:30 p.m., Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. Free. 202-727-0232. **Basic Internet safety,** learn to avoid the most flagrant fraud, the most egregious error and the most catastrophic misjudgments of online etiquette. 4 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Digital Commons, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **Join the “STEAM” team,** for ages 6-12 with an interest in science, technology, engineering, art and/or mathematics and a desire to design, construct, discover and create. 4 p.m. Fridays, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. ******Luce Unplugged Community Showcase,** explore the Luce Center’s artworks and listen to up-and-coming local bands; cash bar available. 6-8 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, third floor, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Evening in the Conservatory,** local musician Patty Reese performs. 6-8 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov . **Kennedy Center concert,** the D.C. ensemble Gerdan performs its special blend of world music inspired by its native Ukrainian roots. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **“Ghost Town ,”** Zhao Dayong’s 2008 film about the nearly empty streets of Zhiziluo and everyday village life with the few souls who remain, in Mandarin with English subtitles. 7 p.m., American University, Malsi Doyle and Michael Forman Theater, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Free. 202-842-6799. **“The Continent,”** Han Han’s 2014 film about three slackers who leave Dongji Island to explore the Chinese continent until elusive women, gangster uncles, thieves, puppies and hitchhikers upset their plans, in Mandarin with English subtitles. 7 p.m., Freer Gallery of Art, Meyer Auditorium, Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Memorials of the Mall by night,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour of America’s front yard. 7-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, National World War II Memorial, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-426-6841. ******Kennedy Center jazz,** Louis Hayes Jazz Communicators featuring the drummer who played with groups fronted by Cannonball Adderley and Oscar Peterson in the 1950s and ’60s. 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Gallery, 2700 F St. NW. $26-$32. 202-467-4600. **“Carousel,”** with music by Richard Rodgers, book and lyrics by Oscar Hamerstein II, the story of a carousel barker who loves a millworker but loses his life during an attempted robbery. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Catholic University, Hartke Theatre, 3801 Harewood Rd. NE. $20; seniors, $10. 202-319-5416. www.music.cua.edu . **Book talk,** “Myths of Love: Echoes of Greek and Roman Mythology in the Modern Romantic Imagination ,” Ruth K. Westheimer and Jerome E. Singerman discuss their book about the underlying psychology of ancient myths. 8 p.m., D.C. Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW. $25; seniors and students, $20. 202-518-9400. www.dcjcc.org . ******St. Lawrence String Quartet concert,** with pianist Pedja Muzijevic and violist Hsin-Yun Huang in a performance of works by Beethoven, Beach and Korngold, come at 6:30 p.m. for a pre-concert conversation with the artists in the Whittall Pavilion. Concert 8 p.m., Library of Congress, Coolidge Auditorium, 10 First St. SE. Free tickets available by phone, with a $2.80 service charge per ticket. 202-397-7328 or 202-707-5502. ******Physics lecture,** James Franson, a professor of physics at the University of Maryland, discusses “Quantum Entanglement — Einstein’s Spooky Action at a Distance,” sponsored by the Philosophical Society of Washington. 8:15 p.m., Cosmos Club, John Wesley Powell Auditorium, 2170 Florida Ave. NW. Free. 703-370-5282. **** ******Run with a National Park Service ranger,** on a three- to four-mile run around the nation’s memorials, about 10 minutes per mile. 8 a.m., Washington Monument Lodge bookstore, 15th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Survey lodge, 202-426-6841. **Ward 8 farmers market,** fresh fruits and vegetables, cooking demonstrations, yoga. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays through Nov. 22, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901 or www.thearcdc.org . **“Hundred Dollar Holiday ,”** environmental advocacy group hosts author Bill McKibben in a discussion of his book and his case for making Christmas less consumer-oriented by considering recycling, restoring and reusing to reset our focus. 9:30 a.m., Washington National Cathedral, Library, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Free; registration required. spencer@cathedral.org , 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . **Tom Dougherty: classic clowning,** the lead clown for Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus uses classic and contemporary visual comedy woven with circus skills and theatrical style to create an atmosphere of play. 9:30 and 11 a.m., National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free ticket, one per person, distributed 30 minutes before each show. 202-783-3372. **Fall floral workshop,** a short tour of the working greenhouse, learn how flower crops are harvested and prepared for use, learn which Hillwood-grown chrysanthemums will augment flowers ordered in for your arrangement, then learn practical floral design techniques for arrangements in vases, while creating an arrangement to take home. 10 a.m.-noon and 1:30-3:30 p.m., Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. $55; registration required. 202-686-5807 or www.hillwoodmuseum.org . **Yoga for adults,** taught by an instructor from Yoga Activist; wear comfortable clothing and bring a mat; some mats may be available. 10 a.m. Saturdays, Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. Free. 202-281-2583. **Saturday morning yoga, w** ear comfortable clothing and bring water and a mat or borrow one of the library’s, beginners welcome. 10 a.m., Mt. Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. Free. 202-671-3121. **********Cemetery tours,** a docent leads a tour of the cemetery that provides a final resting place for John Philip Sousa and other notables. 11 a.m.-noon Saturdays through Nov. 1, Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. Free. 202-543-0539. www.congressionalcemetery.org . **Yoga,** a teacher from Yoga Activist leads beginner classes for teens and adults. 11 a.m. Saturdays, Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. Free. 202-243-1188. ******Yoga mortis: outdoor yoga in a cemetery,** an all-levels class led by Ingrid Benecke, emphasizing alignment and breath in each posture; bring a yoga mat and preferred yoga props including blocks, blankets, straps and bolsters. 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. Free; donation requested; registration required. www.eventbrite.com  or 202-543-0539. **** **********Carillon recital,** carillonneur Edward M. Nassor performs. 12:30 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, Bishop’s Garden and other outdoor areas, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Free. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . ******History tour,** visit the restored 1914 Connecticut-Copperthite Pie Co. truck, meet Michael C. Copperthite, a descendant of the founders (established 1885 in Georgetown), learn about the truck’s restoration, free pie samples distributed. 1 p.m., Georgetown Library, rear parking lot and terrace, 3260 R St. NW. Free. 202-727-0232. **Portrait story days: Andy Warhol,** listen to a story about the American pop artist and create a piece of art inspired by his life and portrait. 1-4 p.m. Saturday, 2-5 p.m. Sunday, National Portrait Gallery, first floor, Education Center, Room E151, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Chess tournament,** for adults. 1 p.m., Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. Free. 202-281-2583. **“The Wizard of Oz ,”** a screening of Victor Fleming’s 1939 classic film based on the L. Frank Baum book , starring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Frank Morgan, Bert Lahr and Jack Haley. 2 p.m., Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. Free. 202-671-3121. **Spooky Pooch Howl-o-ween celebration,** Hillwood invites guests to bring their “best friend” for them to strut their mutt and size up other canine contestants in a costume competition, the Mutts Gone Nuts comedy dog show, activities for owners and their pets include walks through wooded trails open especially for this event; pack a picnic. 2-4 p.m., Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. In advance: $15 per dog with one to two owners; additional guest, $15; age 6 to 18, $5; 5 and younger, free. Event day: $18 per dog with one to two owners; additional guest, $18; age 6 to 18, $5; 5 and younger, free. 202-686-5807. **“The Wall in Our Heads: American Artists and the Berlin Wall,”** symposium with three American artists sharing their personal insights and glimpses into their work produced about the Berlin Wall, culminating in a roundtable moderated by exhibition curator Paul M. Farber. 2-5 p.m.; Opening reception with artists Frank Day, Stefanie Syjuco, Bill Van Parys and Kai Wiedenhöfer, includes “Berlin Wall Mixtape” tunes and performances by local poets Sarah Browning and others. 7-9 p.m., Goethe-Institut, 812 Seventh St. NW. Free; registration required. 202-289-1200 or www.goetheinstitutwashington.eventbrite.com . **************Guided bike ride,** about three hours, led by a National Park Service ranger, with stops to discuss moments in American history; bring your bike, water and snacks; helmets required. 2-5 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, 900 Ohio Dr. SW. Free. 202-426-6841. **“Bumming in Beijing,”** Wu Wenguang’s 1988 film about five artists describing their resistance to the modern consumer-oriented society and their struggles to achieve recognition as artists, in Mandarin with English subtitles; and “Piano Dream,” Han Junqian’s 2002 film, in Mandarin with English subtitles. 2 p.m., National Gallery of Art, West Building, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **Mariana to the Philippines,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the “I Shall Return” promise that included the Philippines but omitted the Mariana Islands. 2 p.m., National World War II Memorial, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Call Paul O’Brian, 202-438-7066. **Power of Twitter,** Romona Foster teaches how to use the information network and how to engage the world around you in tweet-a-thon style. 2:30 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Library, Computer Lab, Room 311, 901 G St. NW. Free; registration required. 202-727-0321. **Gamers galore,** for ages 13-19, play board games, trading-card games, video games and more. 3:30 p.m. Saturdays, Martin Luther King Jr. Library, Teen Space, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **“Where is Task Force 34?”** a National Park Service ranger discusses the meaning of the words spoken by Adm. Chester W. Nimitz during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest sea battle ever fought. 4 p.m., National World War II Memorial, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Call Paul O’Brian, 202-438-7066. **21st Century Consort: “Aviary,”** the museum’s ensemble-in-residence celebrates the exhibit “The Singing and the Silence: Birds in Contemporary Art,” with flights of musical imagination from compositions written from the 14th century to the past 100 years. 5 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Making the new “La bohème,”** members of the opera’s creative team discuss the process of bringing a timeless opera to the stage; ticket holders with a ticket stub are welcome to the 7 p.m. piano dress rehearsal. 5 p.m., Kennedy Center, South Opera Tier Lounge, 2700 F St. NW. $10. 202-467-4600. **Chocolate City Rocks!** a performance for children. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Bamboo Brilliance: A Mujuan Shakuhachi Celebration,** Japanese shakuhachi (bamboo flute) virtuoso Kurahashi Yodo II leads an ensemble celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Mujuan Shakuhachi Dojo, a school founded by his father in Kyoto, the group of master students from the United States performs traditional solos (honkyoku) from the Edo period and ensemble and contemporary pieces. 7:30 p.m., Freer Gallery, Meyer Auditorium, Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW. Free tickets available by phone, with a $2.75 service charge per ticket. 202-397-7328 or www.ticketmaster.com . **Ghosts and goblets Halloween party,** twilight guided tours with death stories of the cemetery’s “residents” told by volunteers dressed as the deceased, live music by Violin Dreams, costumes encouraged, costume contest, food and drink served in a heated tent. 8 p.m., Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. $70, includes four drink tickets. 202-543-0539. www.congressionalcemetery.org . **All-Star Spoken Word Reunion,** local poets and spoken word artists perform. 8 p.m. Saturday, 7 p.m. Sunday, Dance Place, 3225 Eighth St. NE. $22; seniors and teachers, $17; college students, $10; ages 2-17, $8. 202-269-1600. www.danceplace.org. ******Palisades farmers market,** locally grown seasonal produce year round, music by Sherier Mountain. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays, 48th Place and MacArthur Boulevard NW. www.palisadesfarmersmarket.com . **Get it “write” study hall,** get help with homework or feedback on your creative writing in a quiet study space. 1 p.m. Sundays, Mount Pleasant Library, Lower Level, 3160 16th St. NW. Free. 202-671-3121. ******Serene Sunday,** view Marjorie Merriweather Post’s dazzling jewels amid a garden oasis. 1-5 p.m., Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. $15; 65 and older, $12; 6 to 18, $5; 5 and younger, free. 202-686-5807. **Luce Artist Talk with Leslie Berns and Shelley Warren,** the local mixed- media artists discuss a work in the museum’s collection and tell why it resonates with them, free coffee or tea available. 1:30 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, third floor, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. ******Georgetown Library yoga,** taught by an instructor from Yoga Activist. 1:30 p.m., Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. Free; registration required. 202-727-0232 or erika.rydberg@dc.gov . ******NSO “Halloween Whodunit” family concert,** for age 5 and older, come in costume and join all the ghoulishly attired musicians for a music-filled whodunit concert — orchestra member Stephen Dumaine reports his tuba as stolen and asks for the audience’s help; arrive early for trick-or-treating and a special Haunted Hall Musical Instrument “Petting Zoo.” 2 and 4 p.m., Kennedy Center, Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW. $15-$18. 202-467-4600. **“Hollywood Burn,”** Soda_Jerk’s seminal remix film, a narrative feature constructed entirely from hundreds of sampled audiovisual fragments. 2 p.m., National Gallery of Art, West Building Lecture Hall, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **Artist talk with Richard Jolley and Tommie Rush,** husband-and-wife artists Richard Jolley, creator of intensely colored glass pieces, and Tommie Rush, known for vessels, discuss their partnership in work and life. 2 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **U.S. Marine Band concert,** a performance of works by Franz Joseph Haydn, Phanos Dymiotis and Oskar Böhme. 2 p.m., John Philip Sousa Band Hall, Marine Barracks Annex, Seventh and K streets SE. Free. 202-433-4011. **********Join the STEAM team,** for ages 6-12 with an interest in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics and a desire to design, construct, discover and create. 2 p.m. Sundays, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-1278. ******Board games in the afternoon,** for age 10 and older, play board games with friends or learn to play chess. 3 p.m. Sundays, Northwest One Library, 155 L St. NW. Free. 202-939-5946. ******Shaw knitting and crocheting circle,** all experience levels welcome; bring needles and yarn for a take-home project. 3 p.m. Sundays, Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. Free. 202-727-1288. ******Zumba kids,** for ages 4-13, a combination of fun and fitness. 3:30 p.m., Capitol View Library, 5001 Central Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-0755. ******Art Signs: Gallery Talk in ASL,** a volunteer American Sign Language gallery guide leads conversations about various artworks. 5:30 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Lincoln Gallery, third floor, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **“Little Needle Girl,”** from Croatia, part of the Kids Euro Festival, the story of an unusual girl who was born with needles all around her body, struggling to find a place in society. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Classical music concert,** violinist Alexander Shonert and pianist Natalia Shonert perform works by Czech composers. Latecomers not admitted. 6:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, West Building Garden Court, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **Machatunim performance,** based on S. Bear Bergman’s “Blood, Marriage, Wine & Glitter ,” Bergman performs stories about the lives of his grandparents, his Shabbat table, the hilarity of planning his wedding and more. 7 p.m., D.C. Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW. $18; seniors and students, $15. 202-518-9400. www.dcjcc.org/litfest . ******English conversation classes,** volunteer teachers from the Washington English Center hold classes twice a week. 10 a.m.-noon Mondays and Wednesdays, Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. Free. 202-727-0232. **Therapeutic yoga classes for cancer patients,** Corrin Bennett and Alaina Sadick lead patients, survivors and caregivers. 10:30 a.m. Mondays, 6 p.m. Wednesdays, Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St. NW. $25/month. 202-483-8600 or www.smithcenter.org . **U.S. Botanic Garden lunchtime tour,** museum volunteers lead a tour of plants and discuss what manila folders, Chanel No. 5, vanilla and fossil fuels have in common. Also, a discussion of possible breakthroughs in medicinal plant research. Noon, Monday and Wednesday, U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov . **********Mental health and HIV confidential group,** ****for people with HIV and mental-health problems, sponsored by MetroHealth. Transportation tokens and refreshments provided. 3:30 p.m. 1012 14th St. NW. Free. 202-638-0750. **Yoga at West End,** Smita Kumar of Yoga District teaches a weekly class; bring a mat or use one of the library’s. 12:30 p.m., West End Interim Library, 2522 Virginia Ave. NW. Free; registration required. teresa.sakon@dc.gov  or 202-724-8698. **Afterschool lounge,** for ages 11-19, group study facilities, space for board and card games, conversation and snack area, crafts, trivia, tournaments, video games and other activities on a rotating basis. 3 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Free. 202-727-1488. **************Tech Mondays,** learn basic computer skills. 3 p.m. Mondays, Northwest One Library, 155 L St. NW. Free. 202-939-5946. **Medicare talk,** Chris DeYoung, co-director of the Health Insurance Counseling Project, discusses what it covers, what changes can be made during open enrollment, Medigap choices and more, sponsored by Dupont Circle Village Live and Learn. 3:30-5 p.m., First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, third-floor Youth Lounge, 1328 16th St. NW. $10; registration required. Linda Harsh, 202-234-2567 or lindajkh@mac.com . **Homework help,** for ages 12-18, bring your school assignments, other materials or papers to be reviewed. 3:30 p.m. Mondays, Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. Free. 202-282-3139. **Reader’s theatre,** for those in grades 2-5, bring stories to life, read aloud scripts from popular children’s books and hone your acting “chops”; parent participation encouraged. 4 p.m. Mondays, Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th NW. Free. 202-671-3121. ******STEM Mondays,** for ages 7-12 with an interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, participate in experiments, study nature, do real-world math problems and take the Hour of CODE challenge, an introductory lesson in computer science, where children learn basic concepts of problem solving and programming. 4:15 p.m., Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-698-6373. **HIV/STI testing,** for ages 13-24, hosted by Metro TeenAIDS. 4:30 p.m., William O. Lockridge/Bellevue Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW. Free. 202-243-1184. **Woodridge Checkmates,** for ages 7-19, learn how to play and win. 4:30 p.m. Mondays, Woodridge Library, 1801 Hamlin St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. **Ireland’s Shannon Dunne Dance concert,** part of the Kids Euro Festival, old style Irish dance in a hilarious modern theatrical context. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **“Journey to the Inner Light”** science fiction screenwriter Morgan Gendel discusses his inspiration for this episode and tells about his behind-the- scenes experiences in the Star Trek world, audience questions welcome. 6:30 p.m., Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-727-1488. Free. **“This Time Next Year,”** Jeff Reichert and Farihah Zaman’s 2014 film that shows the resilience of Long Beach Island, N.J., for one year as residents rebuild their communities damaged and destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. 6:30 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. $12; students, $10. 202-272-2448 or www.nbm.org . **“A Second Quarter,”** Lawrence Weiner’s 1975 film concerned with barriers and borders, physical and geophysical phenomena, set in an old bourgeois apartment, in an office near the West Berlin train station and at the ruins of the Anhalter Bahnhof railway terminus and its vicinity, with the Berlin Wall in the background. 6:30 p.m., Goethe-Institut, 812 Seventh St. NW. $7; seniors and students, $4. 202-289-1200. **“Mass Extinction: Life at the Brink,”** a mystery on a global scale, presented with National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Channel and Environmental Film Festival, a panel discussion follows. 6:45 p.m., National Museum of Natural History, Baird Auditorium, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free; registration required. 202-633-1000 or www.go.si.edu/site/calendar. **“Codebreaker,”** a screening of the docudrama about Alan Turing, the British mathematical genius who broke the German Enigma code during World War II, gave birth to the computer age, pioneered artificial intelligence and took his life at age 41, executive producer Patrick Sammon discusses the film and answers audience questions. 7 p.m., National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Create the next sci-fi TV series,** screenwriter Morgan Gendel leads a seminar for working writers, aspiring amateurs or those who just want to voice their ideas. 7 p.m., Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Free. 202-727-1488. **Zumba,** led by Stephanie. 7 p.m., Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. Free. 202-724-4752. **Yoga for beginners,** taught by an instructor from Yoga Activist. 7 p.m. Mondays, Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. 202-282-3080. ******Tai chi classes,** taught by Susan Lowell. 7:30 p.m. Mondays, Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. Free; registration required. megan.mcnitt@dc.gov  or 202-727-0232. **“Slimed!: An Oral History of Nickelodeon’s Golden Age,”** Mathew Klickstein discusses how his interviews with Melissa Joan Hart and others made the cable channel what it is, a Nick-themed trivia session follows. 7:30 p.m., D.C. Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW. $15; seniors and students, $12. 202-518-9400. www.dcjcc.org/litfest . ******Spiritual Reflections Tour,** a one-hour docent-led tour that explores stories of faithful action and devotion highlighted in glass and stone, including story, silence, poetry and reflective invitations, participants will receive a pilgrimage medallion. 10:45 a.m., Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $15. Questions: pilgrimages@cathedral.org . 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . **Book talk,** “Christopher Columbus Book of Privileges: The Claiming of a New World ,” John W. Hessler, Daniel De Simone and Chet Van Duzer discuss their book. Noon, Library of Congress, Madison Building, Mary Pickford Theater, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-1519. ******Yoga at noon,** led by traditional yoga teacher and therapist Heather Ferris; bring a mat. Noon Tuesdays, Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. Free. 202-727-1288. **The Almava Trio in concert,** pianist Sook-kyung Cho, violinist Stani Dimitrova and cellist Sara Cortinas perform works by Schumann and Brahms. 12:10 p.m., Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Suggested donation, $10. 202-347-2635, Ext. 20. **Health Literacy workshop,** a presentation on navigating health-care Web sites by the Project of Intermediate Advocates, take a flash drive or WiFi- enabled device. 1 p.m. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **“Glimpses of Kafka’s Fiction and Memoirs for the Stage,”** directed by Georgetown University faculty in theater and performance studies, includes a short film on Kafka, monologue adaptations from Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis ” and selections from his other works. 1 p.m., Library of Congress, Madison Building, Mary Pickford Theater, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-9897. **Cathedral tour and tea,** a docent-led tour of the cathedral, its history, architecture and art — plus a traditional English tea and a scenic view of the city from the cathedral tower. 1:30 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, Docent Station at the Rear Nave, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $30; reservations required. 202-537-8993, www.allhallowsguild.org  or misbister@cathedral.org . **Tech Tuesdays,** a librarian teaches e-mail basics. 2 p.m., Southeast Library, 403 Seventh St. SE. Free. 202-698-3377. **Sketching workshop,** bring pencils and a small sketchbook, work with objects on display in the Luce Foundation Center. 2:30-4:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. ******D.C. Youth Slam Team poetry,** for ages 13-19, a poetry workshop; bring your imagination. 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free; registration required. Jonathan Tucker, 202-787-5279. **Grieving mindfully,** the Rev. Drema McAllister-Wilson leads a conversation on loss and hope with sharing, a film screening and storytelling from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Labyrinth walk. 6-8:45 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, Nave, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Free. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org . ******Belgium’s Magicalement Drole,** part of the Kids Euro Festival, highly- skilled magic, comedy and a bit of craziness in an unforgettable performance. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. ******************Yoga in the evening,** one-hour lesson, all skill levels welcome, mats provided. 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays except the first one in each month, Northwest One Library, 155 L St. NW. Free. 202-939-5946. **Cartier: the age of glamour 1930-1960,** historian Janet Zapata discusses Cartier’s world of glamour in this illustrated lecture. 7 p.m., Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. $20; students, $7; registration required. www.hillwoodmuseum.org  or 202-686-5807. **“Julius Caesar ,”** Robert Richmond directs the Shakespeare play, starring Anthony Cochrane, Maurice Jones, Michael Sharon and Deidra LaWan Starnes. Previews, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through next Thursday and Oct. 31 through Nov. 2. Regular shows, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays, through Dec. 7; Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Pay what you can, Tuesday. Previews, $30-$40. Regular performances, $40-$75. 202-544-7077 or www.folger.edu . **Author talk,** “Alex’s Wake: A Voyage of Betrayal and a Journey of Remembrance ,” Martin Goldsmith discusses his book about the MS St. Louis, a ship packed with Jewish refugees escaping Nazi Germany in 1939, sailing from Hamburg, denied entry to Cuba and the United States and its ultimate return to Europe and the concentration camps, including Auschwitz. U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum scholar Scott Miller introduces the program. 7:30 p.m., D.C. Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW. $15; seniors and students, $12. 202-518-9400. www.dcjcc.org/litfest . **********Housing equity and healthy housing choices,** American Institute of Certified Planners hosts a symposium that explores emerging policy, planning and funding strategies that promote equitable housing options in urban neighborhoods. 9:30 a.m.-noon, National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. $20; students, $12. 202-272-2448 or www.nbm.org . **Total body workout,** for active seniors, a class led by Carolyn Gichner; bring a mat and light weights. Sponsored by Sibley Senior Association. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Wednesdays and Fridays through Nov. 14, Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, Vestry, 3401 Nebraska Ave. NW. Call for prorated fee. 202-364-7602. ******Gallery talk,** inspired by Halloween, assistant educator Ashley Harris discusses mysterious pieces in the museum’s collection. Noon-12:30 p.m., National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. Free. 202-783-5000. **Cathedral tour and tea,** docents lead an hour-long tour of the highlights of the building’s Gothic architecture and art, followed by a traditional English tea. 1:30 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, West End Docent Station, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $30. 202-537-5581 or www.allhallowsguild.org . ******Tai chi classes,** 2 p.m., St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Rock Creek, 201 Allison St. NW. Free. 202-726-2080. **Nutrition class,** with instructors from the University of the District of Columbia. 4 p.m. Wednesday and the fourth Wednesday of every month, Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. Free. 202-727-0232. ******Chess for kids,** instruction for all ages. 4 p.m. Wednesdays, Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. 202-282-3080. **********Arabesque in concert,** the Vietnamese contemporary dance company merges realism with symbolic movement in “The Mist,” a contemporary work that echoes the gradual change in Vietnam as young artists work within their country’s history, traditions and aesthetics to forge new forms of creative expression. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **“Man with a Movie Camera ,”** Soviet director Dziga Vertov’s 1929 silent documentary film portrait of urban Russian life in which the citizens and the machinery in the cities are celebrated. 7 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery, Kogod Courtyard, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. ******Zumba class,** led by Christine, a certified instructor; no experience necessary, but all participants must sign a waiver; dress comfortably. 7 p.m., Southeast Library, 403 Seventh St. SE. Free. 202-698-3377. **Yoga for adults and teens,** led by instructor Sandra Flores; all fitness levels welcome; mats provided. 7:15 p.m. Wednesdays, Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. Free. 202-724-4752. **** **“As I Remember It,”** a multimedia portrait with artist Carmen de Lavallade weaving dance, personal writings, projections of her younger self and films featuring some of her collaborators to trace her 70-plus-year career. 7:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $39. 202-467-4600. **“Little Failure: A Memoir ,”** author Gary Shteyngart discusses his book with NPR host Alan Cheuse. 7:30 p.m., D.C. Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW. 202-518-9400. www.dcjcc.org/litfest . ******Vox Luminis concert,** the Belgian ensemble celebrates Italian baroque with a performance of works by Claudio Monteverdi and Domenico Scarlatti. 8 p.m., Library of Congress, Coolidge Auditorium, 10 First St. SE. Free tickets available by phone, with a $2.80 service charge per ticket. 202-397-7328 or 202-707-5502. ************ ******Gen. “Black Jack” Pershing: diplomat and leader,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the man who helped President Franklin Delano Roosevelt prepare for World War II. 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Ohio Drive NW. Free. Joe Mohr, 202-426-6841. **Kingdom of rarities: nature’s best-kept secret,** Eric Dinerstein leads a tour that explains why biologists embrace a theory that most species on Earth are rare and which ones have always been rare. Noon, U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free; registration required. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov . **“Founder’s Son: A Life of Abraham Lincoln” journalist,** biographer and historian Richard Brookhiser discusses his book about the president’s lifelong struggle to carry on the founding fathers’s workNoon, National Archives, Jefferson Conference Room, Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Halloween on the Mall,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour and tells horror stories from the city’s past. 2-4 p.m., Washington Monument Lodge, 15th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Matt Hornberger, 202-359-7080. **Microsoft Word basics,** D. P. Grogan teaches participants to create letters, résumés, faxes and other documents needed for job applications and more, bring a flash drive to save class work2 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Library, Computer Lab, Room 311, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **Ghoulish gathering,** for ages 13-19, watch a Halloween film, have snacks, enter a mummy wrap contest and paint faces, costumes encouraged. 4 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Library, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **Asian American literature,** MacArthur fellow Yiyun Li reads from her work and discusses the state of Asian American literature. 4 p.m., Library of Congress, Madison Building, Mumford Room, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-5394. **Music from Latvia,** a folk/pop ensemble from the Riga-European Capital of Culture 2014 performs a sing-along program with the audience, part of the Kids Euro Festival. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Microsoft Word basics,** L. Turner teaches participants to navigate and adjust default settings, create and insert stylized headers and footers, footnotes, and more, bring a flash drive to save your class work 6:15 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Library, Computer Lab, Room 311, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **Nelson Rockefeller - an American original,** Biographer Richard Norton Smith discusses the grandson of oil magnate John D. Rockefeller and his book “On His Own Terms: A Life of Rockefeller,” about the man who helped his father develop Rockefeller Center and his mother establish the Museum of Modern Art before he was 30, served four terms as New York’s governor and two years as Vice President in the Form administration. 7-8:30 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $25. 202-633-3030. www.smithsonianassociates.org. **Filmmaker Robin Bell,** the creator of the soon to be released “Positive Force: More Than a Witness, 30 Years of Punk Politics in Action” discusses aspects of punk culture related to political activism in 1980s and 1990s D.C. 7 p.m., Mt. Pleasant Library, Large Meeting Room, 3160 16th St. NW. Free. 202-671-3121. **Music of George Lewis,** a performance by Ensemble Dal Niente, including a new commission from the library and a recent work written especially for the Chicago-based group. 8 p.m., Library of Congress, Coolidge Auditorium, 10 First St. SE. 202-397-7328 or 202-707-5502. Free tickets available by phone, with a $2.80 service charge per ticket. ** — Compiled by Gerri Marmer  ** **E-mail:** districtlocalliving@washpost.com (attention Gerri Marmer) **   Mail:** Community Events, District Local Living, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20071. **   Details:** Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.

D.C. community calendar, Sept. 6 to 13, 2012

**********Thurgood Marshall Remembered,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the life of the Supreme Court associate justice. 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Free. Call Joseph Mohr, 202-359-1532. **“The Building Zone,”** for children 2-6 accompanied by an adult, children learn about building trades through play. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays, through Sept. 30, National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. $3 per person and includes entry to the Building Zone. 202-272-2448. **National Garden tour,** education technician Alex Torres leads a walking tour and gives tips for using native plants and improving your garden; sunscreen, protective clothing and water suggested. 10:30 a.m. Thursdays, through Sept. 20, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333. **Hillwood garden tours,** docent-led tours exploring the history of the gardens and identifying plants. 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Sept. 16, Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. $15; age 65 and older, $10; ages 6-18, $5; 5 and younger, free. 202-686-5807. **Cooking figs demonstration,** gardening specialist Adrienne Cook and nutritionist Danielle Cook Navidi cook fresh figs; recipes given to participants. Noon-1:30 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333. **Cathedral iconography tour,** for age 10 and older, docents examine the iconography of the building’s sculpture, stained glass and needlework, which illustrate events in the nation’s history. 3 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, Front Nave, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $10. 202-537-6200, www.nationalcathedral.org or tickets.cathedral.org/public/show.asp?shcode=253. **Megan Jean and the KFB concert,** gypsy, circus, American roots and avant- garde music. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Apps for artists,** Nancy Freeman teaches how tablet and smartphone software apps can create electronic art. 7 p.m. Thursdays, through Sept. 27, Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free, registration required. 202-549-4172 or www.hillcenterdc.org/home/programs. **E-book reader help,** a librarian demonstrates how to read or listen to free books and other library media using an e-book reader or smartphone; search for works in the library database and check out library materials with the e-reader; bring a device and library card number. 7 p.m., Southeast Library, 403 Seventh St. SE. Free. 202-698-3377. **Kayak tour planning for Anacostia River,** Anacostia River Watershed Society’s Lee Cain discusses a planned tour for the public. 7 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free, registration required. 202-549-4172 or www.hillcenterdc.org/home/programs. **Artist’s computer game talk,** Kristoffer Zetterstrand discusses how computer games have influenced his painting. 7 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. americanart.si.edu/calendar/event. ******Daniel/Shaw Library resume help,** librarian Paul Sweeney helps visitors create an effective resume; bring a list of potential places of employment. 11 a.m., Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. Free. 202-727-1288. **Pipe organ recital,** organist Charles Miller performs works by Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, J.S. Bach and Leon Boellmann. 12:15-1 p.m., National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Cir. NW. Free, donations welcome. 202-797-0103. **“The Words” film,** about a writer who finds success from a literary work that he did not write, starring Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons and Dennis Quaid. Call theater for show times, Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. $11; students, $9; seniors, $8.25; age 12 and younger, $8. 202-966-6000. **Star Spangled Banner, Uncle Sam and War of 1812** , a National Park Service ranger discusses what Uncle Sam, the burning of Washington, the flag and forging a nation have in common. 2-4 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Washington Monument, the Lodge, 15th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Call Lowell Fry, 202-438-9603. **Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra,** percussionist Gianni Mano leads the group in a performance. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **“The !!!! Beat” 1966 TV show,** Library of Congress music specialist Larry Appelbaum shows episodes of the show, featuring rhythm-and-blues performers such as Little Milton, Etta James, Mighty Joe Young and others. 7 p.m. Fridays, through Sept. 28, Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free, reservations required. 202-549-4172 or www.hillcenterdc.org/home/programs. **JFK and space lecture,** John M. Logsdon discusses “John F. Kennedy and the Race to the Moon,” sponsored by the Philosophical Society of Washington. 8:30 p.m., Cosmos Club, John Wesley Powell Auditorium, 2170 Florida Ave. NW. Free. 703-370-5282. **Renwick studio glass discussion,** glass artists Toots Zynsky and Matthew Szosz discuss the past, present and future of studio glass. Noon, Renwick Gallery, 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Free. 202-633-1000. americanart.si.edu/calendar/event. ******Building Museum “CANstruction 2012,”** learn about the best structures made of cans and watch the “deCANstruction,” as teams of architects and engineers dismantle the structures and pack more then 50,000 canned goods for delivery to the Capital Area Food Bank. 10:30 a.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Free. 202-272-2448. **Southeast Library used-book sale,** 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Southeast Library, 403 Seventh St. SE. Admission, free. 202-698-3377. **Georgetown Civil War history,** a museum staff member leads a tour of Tudor Place and discusses life during the war there, 10:30 a.m.; tour the Georgetown area to see sites associated with the war, 1 p.m., Tudor Place, 1644 31st St. NW. House or Georgetown tour, $10; house and walking tours, $15. 202-965-0400 or septembercivilwartour2012.eventbrite.com. **National garden’s history,** intern Kelly Whitson discusses the plants’s historical significance, the history of pub gardens and how they reflect the past and future of them; sunscreen, protective clothing and water suggested. 11 a.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, National Garden Lawn Terrace, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333. **Guided bike ride,** about three hours, led by a National Park Service ranger, with stops to discuss the secret history of the Indian wars; take your own bike, water and snacks, helmets required. 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Thomas Jefferson Memorial, 900 Ohio Dr. SW. Free. Call Richard Ayad, 202-438-3456. **Museum GameFest 2.0,** test your skills with a new live-action game from Spontaneous Art, or challenge a friend to onscreen video games; also, craft activities, scavenger hunts and music. 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Kogod Courtyard, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000 or http://americanart.si.edu/calendar/event.cfm?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D101143470. **Civil rights talk,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the link between Ghana’s independence and the struggle for civil rights in the United States. 1 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, West Potomac Park, between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials, Independence Avenue SW. Free. Call Michelle Edwards 202-426-6841. **Kreeger John Cage lecture, recital,** Ray Kass discusses “Choice, Chance and Circumstance in John Cage’s Watercolors,” about Cage, a visual artist and music composer, 12:30 p.m., followed by a light reception. Pianist Stephen Drury performs works by Cage, 2 p.m., Kreeger Museum, 2401 Foxhall Rd. NW. $35; valet parking, $10. 202-338-3552 or www.kreegermuseum.org. **Electronic games before Pong,** Don Daglow, president of Daglow Entertainment, discusses how early games set the stage for the games of today and what might be coming next for electronic games. 2 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000 or http://americanart.si.edu/calendar/event.cfm?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D101143649 . **Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,”** an eight-actor production presented by Shakespeare’s Globe. 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, through Sept. 22, Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. $60-$85. 202-544-7077. **“The Caretaker” film,** screening of Natalia Almada’s documentary about a person who oversees a Mexican cemetery that contains the mausoleums of drug lords, in Spanish with English subtitles. 2 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building Concourse, auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-842-6799. **Georgetown “Knit and Lit,”** informal group of knitters and readers, take a knitting or needlework project to work on as you share patterns and stories. 3 p.m., Georgetown Library, 3307 M St. NW. Free. 202-724-8783. **Cleveland Park kids reading party,** for children who read an accumulated 100 hours this summer; featuring stories and prizes. 3:30 p.m., Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. 202-282-3080. **Tour memorials by bike,** a National Park Service ranger leads a three-hour tour; take a bike, water and snacks, helmets required. 5-8 p.m., Saturday- Sunday, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, 900 Ohio Dr. SW. Free. Call Richard Ayad, 202-438-3456. **“Four Score and Four Years: From the Civil War to World War II,”** a National Park Service Ranger leads a walk to three memorials that mark three deadly conflicts, compares them to each other and discusses how they are interrelated. 5 p.m., Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Free. Call Lowell Fry, 202-438-9603. **Papermoon Puppet Theatre,** for adults, Indonesian artists perform “Mwathirika,” a non-verbal production set in 1965 Indonesia, when thousands of Indonesians were jailed and murdered. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Classical piano recital,** Irene Kim performs works by Brahms, Szymanowski, Prokofiev and Quentin Kim. 6 and 9 p.m., Kennedy Center, Family Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $30. 202-467-4600. **World War II talk,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the critical battles and decisions that determined the outcome of the war. 7 p.m., National World War II Memorial, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Call Paul O’Brian, 202-438-7066. ******Adams Morgan Day,** live music, health screenings, ethnic food, cooking demonstrations, dancing, crafts, fitness for children and adults, and more. Noon-7 p.m., 18th Street NW, between Columbia Road and Florida Avenue. Admission, free. 202-232-1960 or www.adamsmorgandayfestivaldc.com. **Guided bike ride,** about three hours, led by a National Park Service ranger, with stops to discuss the murderers and rogues along the way; take your own bike, water and snacks, helmets required. 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Thomas Jefferson Memorial, 900 Ohio Dr. SW. Free. Call Richard Ayad, 202-438-3456. **“The Flag: Symbol in the Sky,”** a museum staff member reads a story for young visitors about flags and the War of 1812; visit the exhibit “1812: A Nation Emerges.” 2-5 p.m., National Portrait Gallery, first floor, Education Center, Room E151, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Migrating back to the city,** Alan Ehrenhalt discusses his book “The Great Inversion and the Future of the American City,” about the migration of people to the cities and what it means for the suburbs. 3 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free, registration required. 202-549-4172 or www.hillcenterdc.org/home/programs. **Smithsonian Chamber Players concert,** works by Franz Schubert and Franz Joseph Haydn. 3 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. Free tickets distributed at 2:30 p.m. in the G Street Lobby. 202-633-1000 or americanart.si.edu/calendar/event. **Presidential pets,** a National Park Service ranger discusses pets of U.S. presidents; optional to bring a leashed dog. 5-7 p.m., Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Ohio Drive NW. Free. Call Eddy Kahle, 202-462-6841. **“Top 5,”** Brandon Wetherbee hosts storytelling, standup comedy, reading, music and more. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Remembering the Holocaust,** discussed by a National Park Service ranger. 6-8 p.m., National World War II Memorial, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Call Lowell Fry, 202-438-9603. **Job seekers clinic,** information on creating a resume, filling out online applications, writing cover letters, Internet-based job searches and formatting documents. 10 a.m., William O. Lockridge/Bellevue Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW. Free. 202-243-1184. **Botanic Garden lunchtime tour,** museum volunteers lead a tour of plants and discuss what manila folders, Chanel No. 5, vanilla and fossil fuels have in common; plus discussion of possible breakthroughs in medicinal plant research. Noon Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, through Sept. 28, U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333. **Parklands library Knit-Wits program,** for knitters and crocheters of all ages. 2:30 p.m., Parklands-Turner Library, Alabama Avenue and Stanton Road SE. Free. 202-698-1103. **What the tower saw: women and the vote,** a National Park Service Ranger leads a walk and discusses the route taken by the suffragette movement. 3:30 p.m., Old Post Office Tower- Ben Franklin statue, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. Call Julia Clebsch, 202-606-8691. **J’nai Bridges in recital,** the mezzo-soprano and recipient of the 2012 Marian Anderson Award performs. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Portrait Gallery children’s program,** for children 5 and younger accompanied by an adult, examine a portrait or two, listen to a story and participate in an activity. 10:30-11:30 a.m., National Portrait Gallery, meet in the G Street lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. Free, registration required. 202-633-1000 or www.eventbrite.com/org/810710525. **“Berlinized” film,** screening of Lucian Busse’s 2011 movie about Berlin in the 1990s during great political change, showing a world of basement bars and off-beat creativity; the director participates in a discussion of the film. 6:30 p.m., Goethe-Institut, 812 Seventh St. NW. $7; seniors and students, $4. 202-289-1200. **Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew,”** screening of Franco Zeffirelli’s 1967 film. 6:30 p.m., Chevy Chase Library, 5625 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. 202-282-0021. **Using a smartphone’s camera,** photographer Cindi Hobgood demonstrates her techniques. 7 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free. 202-549-4172 or www.hillcenterdc.org. **Chillin’ With a Ranger,** a National Park Service ranger leads a tour of some of the Mall’s memorials. 6-8 p.m., Washington Monument, Lodge, 15th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Call Lowell Fry, 202-438-9603. ******A Time of Reflection recital,** classical pianist Irvin Peterson performs. 12:10 p.m., Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Suggested donation, $5. 202-347-2635, Ext. 20. **Smithsonian sketching workshop,** take pencils and a sketchbook and work with objects on display in the Luce Foundation Center. 2:30-4:30 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Highlights of “Don Giovanni,”** members of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program perform. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Crowded Streets concert,** a Dave Matthews cover band; and Capitol Hill Arts Workshop artist Nora Mueller leads arts activities for all ages. 6:30-8:30 p.m., the Yards Park, 10 Water St. SE. Free. 202-289-0111 or www.yardspark.org. ******John Paul Jones and Joshua Barney talk,** a National Park Service ranger discusses their historical roles. 10 a.m., National World War II Memorial, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Call Joseph Mohr, 202-359-1532. **New Mount Pleasant Library opening,** a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Mayor Vincent C. Gray and other city officials; take a tour of the new spaces for adults, teenagers and children; entertainment by Master Storyteller Baba-C. 11 a.m., 3160 16th St. NW. Free. 202-671-3121. **“My Winter in Greenland and Summer in Antarctica,”** scientist Lora Koenig discusses her time spent with other scientists to learn how to solve practical survival problems and travel through extreme environments while they take precise measurements with specially-designed instruments. 11:30 a.m., Library of Congress, Madison Building, Mary Pickford Theater, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-5664. **“The Long Road to Antietam: How the Civil War Became a Revolution,”** Richard Slotkin discusses his book that details the challenges that Abraham Lincoln encountered during the summer of 1862. Noon, National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Zeb & Haniya concert,** a Pakistani singer-songwriter duo. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **“A Man and His Ship,”** author Steven Ujifusa discusses his book about naval architect William Francis Gibbs and his building of fast and beautiful ships. 6:30 p.m., National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. 202-783-3372. **“Photography Changes Everything,”** panel discussion of how photography affects culture; panelists include Philip Kennicott, art and architecture critic of The Washington Post, and others. 7 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000 or http://americanart.si.edu/calendar/event.cfm?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D101143230 **“The Constitution Turns 225,”** discussion of the 225th anniversary of the Constitution, and its history, with Yale law professor Akhil Amar and Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas. 7:30 p.m., National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. ******Poet Laureate’s inaugural reading,** Natasha Trethewey, a poet- historian, gives her inaugural reading as the new Poet Laureate for the Library of Congress. 7 p.m., Library of Congress, Coolidge Auditorium, 10 First St. SE. Free, early arrival recommended. 202-707-5394. **Bird walk in Olmsted Woods,** Sheila Cochran discusses native groundcover, shrubs and trees that are attractive to birds and other wildlife; take binoculars and wear sturdy shoes; meet at the George Washington statue on Pilgrim Road. 8:30 a.m., Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Free. 202-537-2319. **Fanciful heroes for preschoolers,** a staff member shows ages 2-5 dragons in the collection, invites them to make a hero’s care and more. 10:30-11:15 a.m. Thursdays through Sept. 27, Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. $30 per child and accompanying adult. **Energy efficiency talk:** **Keeping It Simple and Practical,** Pamela Nelson, energy efficiency outreach specialist of the Office of the People’s Counsel for D.C., discusses how to save money on energy bills. 2 p.m., Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-698-6373. **Independence – once upon a time in Mexico,** a National Park Service Ranger leads a walking tour and discusses the food, songs, fireworks and day of rest that celebrate it. 2 p.m., Washington Monument, Lodge, 15th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Call JoAnn Garcia, 202-329-1641. **Craft-making, socializing for adults ,** for age 21 and older, make craft projects; with “craft” beer and live music; artist Daniel Michalik discusses recycled cork. 5:30-8 p.m., Renwick Gallery, 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. $20 (cash only), includes two drink tickets, snacks and craft- making. 202-633-1000 or americanart.si.edu/calendar/event. **American Sign Language conversation about art,** a volunteer guide discusses selected works. 5:30 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, meet in the F Street Lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000 or http://americanart.si.edu/calendar/index.cfm?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D100021154 **Mort Kunstler, Civil War history artist,** the contemporary artist discusses his depictions of Civil War history. 7 p.m., National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. ** — Compiled by Gerri Marmer  ** **E-mail:** districtlocalliving@   washpost.com (to the attention of Gerri Marmer) **   Mail:** Community Events, District Local Living, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20071. **Details:** Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.

D.C. community calendar, Sept. 5 to 12, 2013

******Woodridge Checkmates,** chess instruction for age 2-6. 10:15 a.m., Woodridge Library, 1801 Hamlin St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. **Garden and kids in “snugglies,”** volunteers take turns leading parents or care providers with one child in a snuggly for a tour of the conservatory. 10:30 a.m. Thursdays, through Sept. 26, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov. **Plant talk at National Garden,** education technician Alex Torres discusses the diversity of American plants; bring sunscreen and water. 10:30 a.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov. **Behind-the-scenes cathedral tour,** for age 11 and older, see gargoyles and stained-glass windows, climb a lot of stairs for a panoramic view of the city; bring a camera. 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. most weekdays, Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $15. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org. **********Students “sit-in’ training,** meet a civil rights activist; take part in a training session based on a 1960s manual and prepare for your first sit-in. 11:30 a.m. and 1:30, 3 and 4:30 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays, National Museum of American History, second floor, East Wing, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **U.S. Army Blues jazz concert,** 12:30-1:30 p.m., National Air and Space Museum, Sixth Street and Independence Avenue SW. Free. 703-696-3399. ******Cathedral symbols and iconography,** a docent leads a walk and discusses the meaning of symbols in its stone work, stained glass and fabric art. 3 p.m. Thursday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Washington National Cathedral, West End Docent Station, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $10. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org. **Australia dance program,** “Australia Home Land,” resident artist Sarah J. Ewing premieres her work featuring five dancers. 6 p.m. Thursday-Friday, Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600 or www.kennedy-center.org. ******U.S. Navy Band concert,** the Country Current ensemble performs country and bluegrass music. 7:30 p.m., Yards Park, Third and Water streets SE. Free. 202-433-2525 or www.yardspark.org. **Things That GO!** an interactive workshop production, inspired by Richard Scarry’s children’s books, devised and directed by Robbie Hayes. 7:30 and 9 p.m. Thursday; 7, 8 and 9 p.m. Friday; 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Georgetown University, Davis Performing Arts Center, Devine Studio Theatre, 37th and O streets NW. $5. 202-687-2787 or events.georgetown.edu. **********************“Shear Madness,”** performance of a comedy-mystery set in Georgetown, with audience participation to help solve a mock murder. 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 6 and 9 p.m. Saturdays, 3 and 7 p.m. Sundays, Kennedy Center, Family Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $48. 202-467-4600. ****** ** ******** **************“Adore” film,** Anne Fontaine’s provocative film about two lifelong friends who find happiness in relationships that cross the bounds of convention, starring Naomi Watts and Robin Wright. 3, 5:30 and 8 p.m. weekdays; 12:30, 3, 5:30 and 8 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays, Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. $11; students, $9; seniors, $8.25; age 12 and younger, $8. 202-966-6000. **Pipe organ concert,** Charles Miller performs works by Mendelssohn, F. Scotson Clark, William Mathias and a Virgil Fox arrangement of a J.S. Bach creation. 12:15-1 p.m., National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Cir. NW. Free, donations welcome. 202-797-0103. **Secrets of the Washington Monument grounds,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour and discusses history. 2-4 p.m., meet at the refreshments stand and paddle boat parking lot near the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, 900 Ohio Dr. SW. Free. Michael T. Kelly, 202-359-2662. **Pets in the park,** a National Park Service ranger leads you and a leashed dog around the memorials. 3-5 p.m. and 8-10 p.m., National World War II Memorial, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Eddy Kahle, 202-462-6841. **Tales of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington,** a National Park Service ranger discusses the two iconic monuments that dominate the Mall. 4-6 p.m., National World War II Memorial, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Lowell Fry, 202-438-9603. **Southwest church potluck and game night,** for all ages, bring games to play with family or friends. 7 p.m. Bring a potluck dish for dinner. 6:30 p.m., St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, Sixth Street and Maine Avenue SW. Free. 202-554-3222 or rector@staugustinesdc.org. **“The Velocity of Autumn,”** performance of Eric Coble’s play about a 79-year-old woman who lives alone in a Brooklyn brownstone with her memories — and enough explosives to take down most of her block. Starring Estelle Parsons and Stephen Spinella. 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, noon Oct. 8, 9 and 16, through Oct. 20, Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. $40-$90, subject to change and based on availability. 202-488-3300 or www.arenastage.org. **Robotics lecture,** Vijay Kumar, assistant director for robotics, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, discusses “Beyond Solo UAVs, Flying Teams of Robots,” sponsored by the Philosophical Society of Washington. 8:15 p.m., Cosmos Club, John Wesley Powell Auditorium, 2170 Florida Ave. NW. Free. 703-370-5282. ******************** **************************************************Hike the Underground Railroad,** join members of St. Augustine’s church for a two-mile guided hike, learn how freedom seekers eluded trackers, found food and navigated their way north to freedom; bring water, snacks, sunscreen and bug spray; transportation provided, carpools welcome. 8:45 a.m., St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, Sixth Street and Maine Avenue SW. Free. 202-554-3222 or rector@staugustinesdc.org. **Zumba class,** a combination of the dance elements of salsa, merengue, samba, cumbia, flamenco, cha cha and other international styles from the Latin culture, all fitness levels welcome. 9 a.m. Saturdays, and 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-362-3606. $12 per class. **D.C. Youth Orchestra open house,** learn about the programs, try out the instruments at an instrument “petting zoo,” attend faculty concerts and watch the orchestra at a rehearsal of Mussorgsky’s “Night on Bald Mountain.” 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Eastern High School, 1700 E. Capitol St. NE. Free. 202-698-0123 or www.dcyop.org. **Write Like an Egyptian: Hands-on Hieroglyphs,** Egyptologist Bob Brier gives the traditional training of an ancient scribe from the proper writing of hieroglyphs to the basics of grammar to writing sentences and deciphering inscriptions. 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $130. 202-633-3030. **Make Your Point!: Practical Skills for Everyday Advocacy,** Paul Hayes, George Washington University’s director of debate, introduces you to the art of advocacy, drawing on the skills and processes that championship debaters use, helping you find own voice as an advocate as you construct and deliver compelling arguments with conviction and confidence. 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $130. 202-633-3030. **Ordinary Lives in the American Revolution,** Richard Bell, associate professor of history at the University of Maryland, College Park, examines a familiar topic from the less-familiar perspective of common people including soldiers, midwives, clerks, smugglers, shopkeepers, shoemakers, or slaves. 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $130. 202-633-3030. **Fun at the Folger for kids,** for age 6-12, family workshops featuring history and performance as you explore Shakespeare’s life and language, play with his works and learn about his world. 10 a.m., Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Free. 202-544-7077 or www.folger.edu. **************Building Museum CANstruction 2013,** learn about the best structures made of cans and watch the “deCANstruction,” as teams of architects and engineers dismantle the structures and pack them for delivery to the Capital Area Food Bank. 10 a.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Free. 202-272-2448. www.nbm.org. **Science fair nature projects: how plants work,** children’s education specialist Lee Coykendall discusses how to create science fair projects on topics such as DNA extraction, chlorophyll extraction, phototropism, nitrogen fixing, stomata density and plant propagation. 10 a.m.-1 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Classroom, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free, registration required. 202-225-8333. **Elizabethan garden tours,** docent-led tours of the library’s knot garden, which features Shakespeare-inspired statues by Gregg Wyatt. 10 and 11 a.m., Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Free. 202-544-7077. **Tour the garden of good and evil: medicinal and poisonous plants,** biochemist Beth Burrous discusses the important medicines derived from plants and the potential risks associated with them. 10:30 a.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333. **Art and Michael Jordan program,** listen to a story about the basketball legend and create a piece of art to take home. 1-4 p.m. Saturday, 2-5 p.m. Sunday, National Portrait Gallery, Education Center, Room E151, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Art for families: Kawung bandanas,** a museum staff member discusses the textiles once reserved for the royal court of the sultan of Jogjakarta; create and color a kawung design on a bandanna. 2-4 p.m., Textile Museum, 2320 S St. NW. Free. 202-667-0441, Ext. 64. **Guided bike ride,** about three hours, led by a National Park Service ranger, with stops to discuss the myths and half-truths of U.S. history; take your own bike, water and snacks, helmets required. 2-5 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays, through Sept. 29, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, 900 Ohio Dr. SW. Free. 202-426-6841. **Tango lesson,** for all experience levels, Bahman Aryana of Rendezvous Tango shows how to practice the dance. 2:30 p.m. Saturdays, through Sept. 21, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **“Le Petit Soldat,”** Jean-Luc Godard’s 1963 film, formerly banned by the French government because of politics, about the deserter-turned-photographer Michel Subor. In French with English subtitles. 2:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building Concourse, auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-842-6799. ******L’Acadco performs,** one of Jamaica’s leading contemporary dance companies fuses Caribbean folklore with contemporary themes. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Washington Sinfonietta concert,** with pipe organist Charles Miller in a performance of works by Georg Frederic Handel, Mozart and Brahms. 7 p.m., National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Cir. NW. $20; seniors and students, $15; age 18 and younger, free. 202-797-0103. ******Conversation with ballet dancer David Hallberg,** David Hallberg and Kennedy Center President Michael Kaiser discuss the dancer’s technique and training, the world of ballet and Hallberg’s work as principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre and Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet. 7:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Eisenhower Theater, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Memorial concert,** presented by the National Association of Professional Asian American Women, the Metropolitan Women’s Choir, guest artists Flutopia Baltimore, pianist Yong Hi Moon and others honor the memory of Susanna “Susie” Kim. 7:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $40. 202-467-4600. **The “Star-Spangled Banner,”** Uncle Sam and the War of 1812, a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour of the memorials and discusses the burning of Washington, the flag and more. 8-10 p.m., National World War II Memorial, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Lowell Fry, 202-438-9603. **** **************“After the Revolution,”** by Amy Herzog, with music by Matthew Nielson, performed by Peter Birkenhead, Nancy Robinette and others. Pay-what-you-can previews, 7:30 p.m. Monday-Tuesday; other previews, 8 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Sunday; regular performances, 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays- Thursdays; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 3 and 7:30 p.m. Sundays; noon Oct. 4. Theater dark Sept. 14, 19 and 26, Washington D.C. Jewish Community Center, Theater J, 1529 16th St. NW. Saturday-Sunday previews, $30; Monday-Tuesday, pay what you can; regular shows, $30-$65. 800-494-8497 or www.boxofficetickets.com. **********Tour and rare orchid talk,** artist Jackie Bailey Labovitz leads an UNDERSTORY tour and discusses her search for rare woodland orchids in natural light. 2-3 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory East Gallery, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free, registration required. 202-225-8333. **“Yes, No, Maybe: The Art of Making Decisions,”** curator Judith Brodie discusses “Yes, No, Maybe: Artists Working at Crown Point Press,” the book she co-authored with Adam Greenhalgh. 2 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **Cine-Concert: Abstract Animation Since 1970,** a selection of recent short abstract animations, composer Andrew Simpson performs new music to accompany the program. 4:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building Concourse, auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **Cathedral pipe organ recital,** cathedral organist Christopher Betts performs works by Percy Whitlock, Leo Sowerby, Richard Wagner and Louis Vierne. 5:15 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, Great Choir, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Suggested donation, $10. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org. **“Elvis and George: Related?,** ” a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour and discusses the mystery of George Washington’s life and legacy. 6-8 p.m., Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro station, 2301 I St. NW. Free. Call Lowell Fry, 202-438-9603. ******U.S. Air Force Concert Band,** a program of works that pay tribute to those who have served the country. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **** ******“The Last Blank Spaces: Exploring Africa and Australia,”** Dane Kennedy discusses his book. Noon, Library of Congress, Madison Building, Mumford Room, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-5221. **“Simpler: The Future of Government,”** Cass R. Sunstein discusses his book. Noon, National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Checkmates chess for youths,** Vaughn Bennett teaches children and teens how to play chess, using strategies that also apply to other life situations. 5:30 p.m. Mondays, through Sept. 23, Woodridge Library, 1801 Hamlin St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. **Isabelle De Leon,** **drummer and songwriter,** the Strathmore Artist-in- Residence fuses the intensity of rock music with the harmonic complexities of jazz. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **“Mad Men” Style: Janie Bryant on Fashion and Character,** an evening with the Emmy-winning creator of the fashion worn in the AMC series. Hear about her inspirations behind the costumes and how the show has influenced contemporary style, then view a selection of Bryant’s original sketches while sipping Mad Men-inspired cocktails; for age 21 and older. 7-9:30 p.m., National Museum of Natural History, Baird Auditorium, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. $50. 202-633-3030. **** **************** **Library of Congress hurricane lecture,** NASA research scientist Owen Kelley discusses “Discovering Hot Towers in Hurricanes.” 11:30 a.m., Library of Congress, Madison Building, Mary Pickford Theater, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-5664. **Fall Into Phenology,** Project BudBurst contractor Emily Porter leads a tour and discusses how to make contributions to scientific understanding of local plants by observing their changing leaves and buds; take sunscreen, protective clothing and water. Noon, U.S. Botanic Garden, terrace by the conservatory entrance, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333. **Levine School faculty classical concert,** violinist Natasha Bogachek and pianist Dasha Gabay perform native and African American music. 12:10 p.m., Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Suggested donation, $10. 202-347-2635, Ext. 20. **“The soft underbelly of Europe,”** a National Park Service ranger discusses these words spoken by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill as he described the difficult invasion of Italy during World War II. 5 p.m., National World War II Memorial, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Call Paul O’Brian, 202-438-7066. **Joan Soriano, bachata singer and guitarist,** the Dominican Republic-born artist performs music with influences from Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Anacostia youth chess club,** for ages 10-16, learn the game or improve your skills. 6 p.m. Tuesdays, Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. Free. 202-715-7707. ******Bellvue library chess for teens,** for all skill levels, an informal environment. 6 p.m. Tuesdays, William O. Lockridge/Bellevue Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW. Free. 202-243-1184. ****** ** **“Shakespeare in Love” (1998),** starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes and Judi Dench. 6 p.m., Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. Free. 202-727-0232. **Revealing lost texts in the Sinai,** Michael B. Toth discusses the work being done at St. Catherine’s ancient Greek Orthodox monastery, atop a mountain in the Sinai Peninsula, to reclaim texts once thought lost forever. 6:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $42. 202-633-3030. ******** **“Veils and Words”: Iranian women poets of the 20th Century,** Farzaneh Milani discusses the works of three Iranian poets. 7 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Great Hall, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **** ****** ** **“Six Months in 1945: FDR, Stalin, Churchill and Truman — From World War to Cold War,”** Michael Dobbs discusses his book. Noon, National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Los Texmaniacs in concert,** a traditional conjunto dance music ensemble from Texas, led by bajo sexton legend Max Baca. Noon, Library of Congress, Coolidge Auditorium, 10 First St. SE. 202-707-5510; and 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. Free. **Mayan writing and mathematics: the Dresden Codex and Materials from the Jay I. Kislak Collection** , discussed by John Hessler of the Geography and Map Division, in the “Exploring the Early Americas” exhibit. Noon, Library of Congress, Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-4604. **Chess for kids,** all skill levels welcome. 4 p.m. Wednesdays, **Cleveland Park Library,** 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-282-3080; and 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays, **Francis A. Gregory Library,** 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. 202-645-4297. Free. ******Deanwood Library chess for beginners,** all ages. 6 p.m. Wednesdays, Deanwood Library, 1350 49th St. NE. Free. 202-698-1175. **Game night at the Southwest library,** Wii games, board games and more. 6:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. Free. 202-724-4752. **“Vaclav Havel, Prague Castle,”** a film about the early days of Havel’s presidency and the goal of leading the country to its first free elections, in Czech with English subtitles. 8 p.m., Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. $11; students, $9; seniors, $8.25; age 12 and younger, $8. 202-966-6000. **************************** ******Olmsted Woods walk,** birder Sheila Cochran leads a walk in the restored woods and discusses the native groundcovers, shribs and trees that attract bird and other wildlife; take binoculars. 8:30 a.m. Thursdays through Sept. 19, meet at the George Washington statue on Pilgrim Road on the grounds of Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Free. 202-537-2319 or www.nationalcathedral.org. **Longevity of human civilization symposium,** David H. Grinspoon, the Baruch S. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology at the Kluge Center, leads discussions among scientists, humanists, journalists and science-fiction authors. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Library of Congress, Room 119, Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-0213. **Step Afrika! Reads,** for ages 2-5, a program that promotes reading and literacy skills with a special story time, then invites kids to get up on their feet to participate in a mini workshop with the artists from the dance troupe. 11 a.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free. Registration: www.hillcenterdc.org or 202-549-4172. ******Cooking eggplant demonstration,** gardening specialist Adrienne Cook and nutritionist Danielle Cook Navidi show new ways to use eggplant. Noon and 12:45 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333. **“I Done What I Could: Occupational Folk Poetry in the Pacific Northwest,”** folklorist Jens Lund discusses his book. Noon, Library of Congress, Madison Building, Mary Pickford Theater, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-5510. **********Portraits on Time magazine covers,** historian James Barber, curator of the Portrait Gallery’s Time collection, leads a tour of the exhibition of paintings by Boris Chaliapin, whose many works appeared in the magazine. Noon, National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Art Signs: American Sign Language,** an American Sign Language gallery guide leads conversations about various artworks. 5:30 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, F Street Lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000 or wilsoncl@si.edu. **“Four Little Girls: Birmingham 1963” staged reading,** written by Christina Ham and directed by Phylicia Rashad, a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the bombing that killed four young girls at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, a post-performance discussion follows. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Family Theater, 2700 F St. NW. Free tickets, two per person, distributed at 5 p.m. in the Hall of States. 202-467-4600. **Jakarta Stripes and Japanese Kimono: Indonesian Influence on Japanese Textiles,** Ann Marie Moeller, a scholar of Japanese textiles, discusses how exotic Indonesian ikat and batik designs, including the emblematic parang stripe, have left their mark on Japanese garments and tea-ceremony textiles. 6 p.m., Textile Museum, 2320 S St. NW. $25, registration required. 202-667-0441, Ext. 64. **D.C. funk band,** a performance that offers a dance groove with elements of blues, soul, rock and more. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **“Let Freedom Ring: Stanley Tretick’s Iconic Images of the March on Washington,”** author Kitty Kelley and journalist Soledad O’Brien discuss Kelley’s book with never-before-published photos of the day. 7 p.m., National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **U.S. Navy Band concert,** the Cruisers ensemble performs. 7:30 p.m., Yards Park, Third and Water streets SE. Free. 202-433-2525 or www.yardspark.org. **************************“Measure by Measure,”** Jonathan Munby directs the William Shakespeare comedy play about what happens in a city when the duke leaves on a diplomatic mission. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays, Lansburgh Theatre, 450 Seventh St. NW. $40-$100, discounts for students, seniors, military, groups and age 35 and younger. 202-547-1122 or www.ShakespeareTheatre.org. **“Detroit,”** Lisa D’Amour’s explosive dark comedy about a couple whose upwardly mobile life begins to crumble when a new couple comes to town. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. most Saturdays; 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays; 8 p.m. Wednesdays, continues through Oct. 6, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D St. NW. $35-$75, subject to availability. 202-393-3939. ** — Compiled by Gerri Marmer  ** **E-mail:** districtlocalliving@washpost.com (to the attention of Gerri Marmer) **   Mail:** Community Events, District Local Living, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20071. **   Details:** Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.

TV highlights: ‘The Bachelorette’ finale on ABC

_(All times Eastern.)_ **American Ninja Warrior** (NBC at 8) The top competitors from the city qualifier in Daytona Beach, Fla., return to tackle even more challenging obstacle courses. **So You Think You Can Dance** (Fox at 8) The top 10 perform. **Preacher** (AMC at 9) Jesse follows a new lead. **People of Earth** (TBS at 10:30) Gerry returns to Earth. **Man v. Food** (Travel at 9) This rebooted travel series returns with new host Casey Webb, who will take on impossibly large dishes served at beloved restaurants across the country. **Brillo Box (3¢ Off)** (HBO at 10) Lisanne Skyler’s short documentary explores the journey of the Andy Warhol “Brillo Box” sculpture her parents bought in 1969 for $1,000 and traded two years later, only to have it fetch $3 million at a recent Christie’s auction. **Vera** (Acorn TV streaming) Season 7. **Escaping Polygamy** (A&E; at 10) Season 3. **Conan** (TBS at 11) Bob Newhart, Tom Segura, Sheryl Crow. **Fallon** (NBC at 11:34) Jeff Bridges, Aubrey Plaza, The Roots, Bilal. **Colbert** (CBS at 11:35) Laura Dern, Leah Remini, Trombone Shorty. **Kimmel** (ABC at 11:35) Matt LeBlanc, Emily Ratajkowski, Vince Staples featuring Juicy J. **Corden** (CBS at 12:37) Anthony Mackie, Lily Collins, Borns. **Meyers** (NBC at 12:37) Billy Eichner, Ashley Graham and musical guest The All-American Rejects. **— Bethonie Butler  **

Give flowers and vegetables equal status in the home garden

I just discovered a new and beautiful book called “Outstanding American Gardens.” It celebrates 25 years of the Garden Conservancy, established to prevent important gardens from fading away. Most people may know the group for its Open Days Program, which gives the public a chance to see hundreds of private gardens around the country. Leafing through the book, which is edited by Page Dickey, I kept looking for edibles among the flowers, having grown up in a family that gave them equal status. And edibles there were — at least a quarter of the 50 gardens include fruits and vegetables. My favorite, created by landscape designer Bill Noble, has two gorgeous plots, one with flowers, one with veggies, sharing a place of honor on a gently sloping hill. Recently, I chatted with a garden designer while waiting in line for a buffet. “My clients never want vegetable gardens,” she said, “unless they’re a restaurant or B&B.” That’s odd, I thought. So I phoned three of my favorite designers, who told a different tale. Heather McCargo, who now runs the Wild Seed Project in Portland, Maine, is best known for her work with native plants. In her own charming and colorful organic garden, “all the plants are native, edible or — in the case of nodding onion — both.” She grows lettuce but also loves unusual edibles such as the spinach-like green named Good King Henry, and Painted Hill corn (“great for polenta”). People often ask her for advice in putting in a kitchen garden. Why? “To grow healthy food for their kids,” she says. Ellen Ecker Ogden is a Vermont-based author and landscape designer who specializes in kitchen gardens. She’s known for small, colorful, tidy gardens that are pleasant to spend time in. “Not just a workhorse garden,” she told me, “but a place to grow things that you can’t get at the store. It should be close to the door, with a bench. Your garden evolves over time, and changes your vocabulary. Work becomes play.” Like me, she includes flowers, close enough to attract pollinators that veggies need, but in separate beds so that they don’t encroach on growing space. Deborah Nevins, a high-profile designer based in New York, creates expansive, classic landscapes for clients throughout the United States and abroad. Known for the brilliant way she organizes spaces, often defined by monumental hedges, she speaks with special warmth about three large food gardens that have now been part of the owners’ lives for about 20 years — one in Los Angeles, one near Chicago and one in Roxbury, Conn. “There’s nothing like having your own lettuce and tomatoes to pick. These people are into old varieties too, and committed to organic gardening, to compost.” All have a formal, decorative structure, with flowers judiciously mixed in. I was jealous when she told me the one in California has bay hedges and grows four successions of corn each year. Deborah grows lemons at her own Long Island house by bringing them indoors in winter. Her secret: a cool but sunny room. These days she has requests for small potagers, but “now that there are such good farmers markets and CSAs, there’s less need to have a big vegetable garden.” I say, that’s fine. Your “own” local farmer might be just as handy as that archetypal, tweed-vested estate gardener, with his trusty spade.

One pine tree’s incredible 10-year journey around the globe

On Oct. 23, Zhulong Gallery in Dallas will feature an exhibition of sculpture and photographic works by renowned floral sculptor Azuma Makota called ‘Shiki: Landscape and Beyond.’ Suspended mid-air, a 5-foot “timeless pine tree” encapsulated by an open steel frame organizes an invisible axis in the gallery.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico Makoto’s internationally exhibited ‘Shiki I’ sculpture will be surrounded by large-format photographs illustrating its almost 10-year path around and above the globe. From derelict government spaces, to sublime landscapes, Azuma challenges the notions of landscape, portraiture, and still life traditions in western art by setting it up as a natural item in extreme environments where it would not naturally occur. “These galactic snapshots of the sculpture propose an ethereal almost spiritual journey that begs the association of the work and its journeys with the life of the sculptor, and ours as well,” Azuma stated in a news release for his latest exhibition. Since 2002, he has teamed up with collaborator and photographer, Shunsuke Shiinoki, and in 2005, Azuma began to explore the expressive potential of flowers, coining the genre “botanical sculpture.” In April 2014, Azuma and a 10-person crew launched two botanical objects into the upper atmosphere for his collaborative project “Exobiotanica.”    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico Related: Why is this 50-year old bonsai tree suspended in space?    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico

Simon Schama to be next guest at Hay-Adams Author Series

The historian Simon Schama will be the next guest at the Hay-Adams Author Series on March 27.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University An Englishman who teaches at Columbia University, Schama has written popular and critically acclaimed books about Dutch history, the Rothschilds, the French Revolution, British history and art history. His study of slavery and the American Revolution, “Rough Crossings,” won a National Book Critics Circle Award in 2006. He is also well known for his popular television documentaries. In 2009, Schama published a wide-ranging and reflective history of the United States titled “The American Future,” which accompanied his BBC television series. Reviewing the book for The Washington Post, Michael Kazin said, “Schama is a writer of gorgeous prose, and he has a deep and clear-eyed love for his adopted land.”    *[WSU]: Wayne State University The Hay-Adams Author Series is Washington’s most elegant literary salon. Held on the glass-lined top floor of the Hay Adams Hotel, across from the White House, each luncheon features a three-course menu inspired by the guest author’s work. Tickets, limited to about 100, can be purchased for $85 by calling 202-638-6600.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University Since its founding in 2005, the series has hosted some of the nation’s most accomplished writers, including John Grisham, Toni Morrison, Joyce Carol Oates and Walter Isaacson. Former Book World editor Marie Arana serves as a co-host of the program.

Artists works show how their gardens grow: The seeds of creativity

“I paint flowers so they will not die,” wrote Frida Kahlo. She painted them for other reasons, too, as you can see in a show at the New York Botanical Garden: “Frida Kahlo: Art, Garden, Life.” Kahlo had deep feelings for greenery and flowers. We think of her as consumed by darkness — with her injuries and pain, her tempestuous marriage, her early death. But this illuminating exhibition in the Bronx reveals the artist’s brighter side. More than a dozen of Kahlo’s botanically focused artworks are on display there: still lifes with fruit and parrots, self-portraits framed by fuchsias and zinnias, surreal depictions of engorged vegetation and magical mandrakes. Loss and injury are present in some of these, but in many cases those themes are softened by whimsy and a connection to the natural world. The conservatory is planted to evoke the origins of such imagery: Kahlo’s vast courtyard garden of tropical and desert plants at Casa Azul, her “Blue House” near Mexico City. This was her lifelong home — where she was born, where she died and where she surrounded herself with lushness: scarlet bougainvillea; ruffly pink canna lilies; elephant ears with exuberant open-faced leaves, like choir members singing at full volume. Kahlo isn’t the only visual artist who was pulled to the soil as much as the easel. Monet was “just an absolute nut,” says Karen Daubmann, who should know. She’s the New York Botanical Garden’s associate vice president for exhibitions, and proudly identifies as a gardening nut herself. In addition to overseeing the Kahlo exhibition, which runs through Nov. 1, Daubmann was involved with the garden’s Monet show in 2012. The plein air impressionist was obsessive about plants, Daubmann says. He hoarded textures and colors, bought new varieties every season and kept extensive records of his water lilies and other specimens. He considered his garden at Giverny, outside Paris, as one of his greatest masterpieces. “Nothing in the whole world is of interest to me but my painting and my flowers,” he once declared. Not every artist is a gardening nut. But the popular Kahlo exhibition — a blockbuster for the NYBG — prompts reflection on those artists who unearth inspiration in their gardens. How can those who experiment and fail and struggle with pests, drought and derechos like the rest of us — and love it — inspire our own backyard, balcony and container-garden dreams? Their creativity is nourished by loamy mess, by dried-up death and leafy success, by the quest for the perfect shade of red or the best spot for a stone. For many of these artists, gardening is an extension of the brush. “It is a way of thinking out loud, actually, about painting — proportion, mixture of things, changing,” Robert Dash once said. The abstract expressionist had works in the Corcoran Gallery, the Guggenheim and other collections. He was also known for his whimsical two-acre home garden, called Madoo, in Sagaponack, Long Island. In a 1974 interview for the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, he said that gardening, like painting, illustrates “the unlimited possibilities in a small area, because the garden is very small.” Dash shaped his all-organic garden over decades, “carving the very air,” as he put it, creating living tableaux of boxwood balls and graceful gingkos, cascades of climbing roses, fluffy mounds of asparagus, allium and other native plants. He died in 2013, but visitors can still tour the Madoo Conservancy. “Gardening is an obsession. You can’t stop, and once you start, you’re doomed,” he said. Kahlo, who pinned bougainvillea from her own vines into her iconic updo, was one of the doomed. She transformed her garden over the years into a showcase of native plants and sculptures she collected with her husband, muralist Diego Rivera. It also was a habitat for her beloved menagerie of monkeys, eagles, hairless Mexican dogs and parrots. Kahlo’s studio overlooked the garden. In 1954, having lost a leg to gangrene, she died at Casa Azul in the bedroom with the best view of her flowers and fruit trees. She was 47. The NYBG’s conservatory conveys Kahlo’s plant passions. As in her paintings, she had an eye for drama in the garden, and those dramatic elements are re-created there: bright colors, bold shapes, intense sensations. A jasmine vine perfumes the air as you walk past spiked cacti and creamy oleander, deep-cupped calla lilies and zinnias in flaming red and orange. It’s easy to think flowers like these must have given the artist joy. “You’re told to write what you know,” says Georgia Nassikas, standing in the rain under an elm on her sprawling property in McLean. Her boots are plastered in mud; she has been weeding in the downpour. “For painters it’s the same thing. I would have to say the landscape, nature and gardening have infused my DNA.” Nassikas, 56, who has a bright smile and easy laugh, is an artist and a gardening nut. Her artwork springs directly from her garden. She works in encaustic, a painting process that dates back to the ancient Greeks. She grinds and melts a mixture of pigment, fir tree sap and wax from her beehives. To raise happy bees, she grows plants for pollinators: fennel, milkweed, fuzzy Joe-pye weed. She dug a pond where the bees drink amid water lilies. She grew up with a love of art and land. Her father was John Chafee, former governor of Rhode Island and later secretary of the Navy and a U.S. senator. He often parted ways with his fellow Republicans to champion environmental legislation, such as the Clean Water Act. Organic gardening was part of Nassikas’s childhood. Her great-grandfather was the artist George De Forest Brush, whose Native American paintings have been featured at the National Gallery of Art. Her house, on several acres of meadow and woodland near the Central Intelligence Agency, was built toward the end of the Civil War. She converted the barn into her studio, where lavender and spotted squash vines fan out around the entrance. She painted it red so her yard would have a focal point. “You always want to draw the eye into the distance,” she says. “It allows the eye to find a point and extend, beyond the frame.” Inside, her restrained, soft-toned works on birch board lean against the walls. She shows her work locally at Touchstone Gallery. She often paints what she sees from the windows, but rather than capture the fullness of her landscape, Nassikas pulls back and distills it into geometric forms: the slope of a roof, the dip of the meadow by the pool. “In my own way, I deconstruct it, getting rid of the noise, the distraction as you look at forms,” she says. “There’s so much drama out there — ” she gestures to the trees at the far edge, where birds are singing so loudly you would think they were directly overhead. “So I don’t bring it in here. We walk past the chicken coop and vegetable plot to the beehives — “the source of my medium,” she says. Five towers of wooden boxes, painted yellow and blue, stand in the grass. The bees in all five survived the winter; some years only one or two make it. The bees reward the artist in many ways. “Put your ear next to the hive in the middle of winter, and they’re so powerfully active inside,” she says. “Maybe that’s indicated in my art. It’s quiet yet powerful.” Nassikas describes caring for the bees and harvesting honey and wax as a kind of meditation. “It’s one of the few places where you’re using all your senses. It’s very Zen,” she says. “You can’t hurry; you’re seeing and smelling and touching. You have to be very clear about what you’re doing, or you’ll screw up.” She has been stung a few times. “Yes, there’s a little pain and suffering!” Nassikas says with a laugh. “Maybe there’s more Frida Kahlo in me than I realized.” “One man’s weed is another man’s art project,” says Janet Fry Rogers, pulling at a leafy clump with pale green pods. “My next drawing will be Chinese Lantern. It’s invasive!” Rogers welcomes mess and chaos. Her half-acre property in a quiet Annapolis neighborhood near the Severn River had a tidy Japanese garden when she and her husband bought it 20 years ago. She kept it up, though she didn’t love it. But in April 2014, the night before it was to be featured in the neighborhood garden tour, the careful landscaping was destroyed in a mini-derecho that also took down her deck and three of her poplar trees. “Rather than being devastated, I saw it as an opportunity,” she says. Rogers is 75, and her face, framed in a soft bob, has a kind, patient expression. She turned what had been a manicured plot into a meadow, with new young dogwoods and wildflowers. “It’s all going native,” she says, pointing out maple and ash saplings that popped up on their own. “Oh! There’s a butterfly — I’m so excited! This is exactly what’s supposed to be happening.” “When you plant things at 75, it’s an act of faith,” she adds with a laugh. “Our peers are moving to Florida. But this is such a pleasure to us. “I find the personality that brings me to art is the same that brings me to gardening. I truly don’t have a green thumb, but I like the before and after. The design is what I like doing in the garden, pushing these plants around and coming up with a fun arrangement.” In her lower-level studio, which overlooks the garden, Rogers works with china marker or silver leaf on paper, re-creating the line and form of daffodils, spiderwort and hellebore from her garden. She exhibits at Susan Calloway Fine Arts in Georgetown. “Hard edges, soft edges, integrating the subject into the background: It’s the same pleasure I have here in the garden,” she says. “It’s the fascination with shapes that gets to me.” A cardinal hops along a stone path and starts to sing. A tiny yellow bird, no bigger than a butterfly, lands on a coneflower. Creativity is inherent in puttering around with the natural world, Rogers says. “I don’t think there’s a gardener who isn’t somehow an artist.”

D.C. community calendar, April 21-28

**“Garbage to Gardens: An Earth Week Exploration”** Smithsonian naturalists from the Green Team in the Haupt Garden of the Castle give the scoop on how compost becomes dirt and show how throwing a “seed bomb” can make a bare patch of ground bloom. Lots of hands-on activities. 10 and 11 a.m. and noon. Smithsonian Castle, Haupt Garden, entrance outside of Ripley Center, 1000 Jefferson Dr. SW. discoverytheater.org. 202-633-1000. $8, ages 2-16 $6, 1 and younger $3. **Memorials of the Reflecting Pool** National Park Service rangers lead walking tours of the Lincoln, Vietnam Veterans, Korean War Veterans and World War II memorials. Daily at 10 a.m. 2 and 6 p.m. Through April 30. Lincoln Memorial, Meet at the Hawaii-Alaska Plaque, below the Lincoln Memorial Steps, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. 202-426-6841. **“We the People: Making a More Perfect Union, One Generation at a Time”** A 20-minute film celebrating the national ideals of democracy, opportunity and freedom. Thursdays at 10:30, 11:30 a.m. 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. National Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-1000. http://americanhistory.si.edu. Free. **Washington Cathedral behind the scenes** Age 11 and older. See gargoyles and stained-glass windows and climb stairs for a panoramic view of the city. Take a camera. Weekdays except holidays at 10:30 a.m. Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. 202-537-6200. nationalcathedral.org. $25, age 11 and 12 $21. **Spring garden tours** Knowledgeable tour guide discusses the history, design and the plants and flowers of the 13 acres of formal gardens in this one-hour tour. Daily at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Through June 26. Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. 202-686-5807. http://www.hillwoodmuseum.org. $15; 65 and older, $12; 6 to 18, $5; 5 and younger, free. **Thursday therapeutic yoga** Kiersten Gallagher leads gentle yoga classes; all levels welcome. 10:30-11:45 a.m. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St. NW. 202-483-8600. smithcenter.org. $10 per class, $25 for a month of classes. **Preschool series: spectacular statues** Bring your 2-5 year-old and experience the wonder of a new garden each week through make believe, art projects and imaginative play. 10:30-11:15 a.m. Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. 202-686-5807. $10 per child + one adult. **Garden tour with parents and kids in snugglers** A 45-minute guided tour with different aspects weekly, strollers and older siblings will not be admitted. Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. Through April 28. U .S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333 or http://www.usbg.gov. Free, registration required. **Memorials of the Tidal Basin** National Park Service rangers lead walking tours of the Martin Luther King Jr., Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson memorials. Thursdays at noon p.m. and 4 p.m. Through April 30. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, 1964 Independence Ave. SW. 202-426-6841. Free. **Thursdays at Noon** A museum educator provides vivid, detailed verbal description of selected works. Tactile objects may also be included. These tours are particularly well-suited to those who are blind or partially sighted, but are open to all who enjoy close looking. Thursdays at Noon. National Portrait Gallery, G St. lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free. **Baby lap time** Babies and their adult companions are introduced to books, songs, rhymes, tickles and bounces for 20 to 30 minutes. Thursdays and Tuesdays at 1:30 p.m. Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. clevelandparklibrary@dc.gov. 202-282-3080. Free. ******U.S. Botanic Garden afternoon tour** Visit a jungle, desert and tropical paradise, travel back to the Jurassic period or tour with a guide who will connect the exotic plant world to everyday life. See bananas, cacao and coffee ripening on trees or learn about the next big breakthrough in medical plant research. Fridays, Mondays and Wednesdays at noon. Tuesdays at 2 p.m. Through April 29. U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. usbg.gov. Free. **America InSight: verbal description tour** Docent-led tour designed for blind or low-vision visitors, visit highlights of the collection through rich verbal description and sensory discussion. 3:30 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, F Street Lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free. **Baby lap time** Babies and their adult companions are introduced to books, songs, rhymes, tickles and bounces for 20 to 30 minutes. Thursdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m. Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-282-3080. clevelandparklibrary@dc.gov. Free. **Afterschool lounge** For ages 11-19, group study facilities, space for board and card games, conversation and snack area, crafts, trivia, tournaments, video games and other activities on a rotating basis. Thursdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-727-1488. Free. **Afterschool** For ages 11-19, group study facilities, space for board and card games, conversation and snack area, crafts, trivia, tournaments, video games and other activities on a rotating basis. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 3:30 p.m. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-727-1488. Free. **Afterschool lounge** For ages 11-19, group study facilities, space for board and card games, conversation and snack area, crafts, trivia, tournaments, video games and other activities on a rotating basis. Thursdays, Mondays, Wednesdays-Thursdays at 3:30 p.m. Takoma Park Library, 416 Cedar St. NW. 202-727-1488. **Baby lap time** Babies and their adult companions are introduced to books, songs, rhymes, tickles and bounces for 20 to 30 minutes. Thursdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m. Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-282-3080. clevelandparklibrary@dc.gov. Free. **America InSight: verbal description museum tour** Docent-led tour designed for blind or low-vision visitors; collection highlights shared through rich verbal description and sensory discussion. 3:30 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, F Street Lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free. **After-school workshops** AALEAD, an after-school program for middle and high school students, runs workshops on leadership development, educational empowerment and community. Thursdays and Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m. Northwest One Library, Meeting Room, 155 L St. NW. 202-939-5946. northwestonelibrary@dc.gov. Free. **Game night at the library** Kids and teens, ages 7-16, may play competitive games from video games to card games to board games. Thursdays at 5 p.m. Parklands-Turner Library, 1547 Alabama Ave. SE. parklandsturnerlibrary@dc. 202-645-4532. Free. **Take 5! Todd Marcus Quintet** 5-7 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Kogod Courtyard, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. americanart.si.edu. Free. **Learn to play chess** For all ages and experience levels.Thursdays and Tuesdays at 6 p.m. Deanwood Library, 1350 49th St. NE. deanwoodlibrary@dc.gov. 202-698-1175. Free. **“Shear Madness”** A comedy-mystery set in Georgetown, audience participation helps solve a mock murder. Thursdays at 6 and 9 p.m. Fridays at 5 p.m. Saturdays at 6 and 9 p.m. Sundays at 3 and 7 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center, Theater Lab, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. $50. **Evening of poetry with Louise V. Gray** This noted poet and graduate of the State University of New York at Old Westbury and Columbia University reads to an audience of all ages. 6 p.m. Capitol View Library, 5001 Central Ave. SE. capitolviewlibrary@dc.gov.. 202-645-0755. Free. **Yoga at Northwest** One Beginner and intermediate levels, wear comfortable clothing, mats and blocks provided. Thursdays at 7 p.m. Northwest One Library, 155 L St. NW. 202-939-5946. northwestonelibrary@dc.gov. Free. ******“Eye on the ’60s: The Iconic Photography of Rowland Scherman”** An intimate portrait of the former Life magazine and Peace Corps photographer, a Kennedy and Shriver family insider, and how his photographic eye captured the essence of a remarkable decade. Filmmaker Chris Szwedo and Edith Lee-Payne lead a discussion after the screening. 7 p.m. National Archives, William G. McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street NW. 202-357-5000. Free. **C.S. Lewis Onstage: The Most Reluctant Convert** One of the most engaging Christian intellectuals of the 20th century comes to life as Max McLean leads the audience on a theatrical adventure tracing Lewis’s journey from atheism to belief. Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m., Sundays 3 p.m. Through May 8. Lansburgh Theatre, 450 Seventh St. NW. 202-547-1122. info@fpatheatre.com. fpatheatre.com. $29-$59. **Upper northwest knitters** Learn to knit or crochet, supplies are free. Thursdays 7-9 p.m. Through May 19. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. tenleylibrary@dc.gov. 202-727-1488. Free. **“110 in the Shade”** A classic American musical about cowboys, confidence and courtship, based on N. Richard Nash’s 1954 play “The Rainmaker.” Local singer-actress Tracy Lynn Olivera stars as Lizzie. Thursdays, Mondays- Thursdays 7:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays 2 and 7:30 p.m. Through May 14. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. 202-347-4833. http://www.fords.org. fords.org/event/110-in-the-shade. $22-$71. **“Moment”** A man returns to his family home in Dublin and is met with strife from his siblings over his criminal past. Directed by Helen Hayes- and Tony-nominated director Ethan McSweeny in his Studio debut. Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 and 7 p.m. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. 202-332-3300. studiotheatre.org. $30-$65, seniors $40-$60, age 29 and younger $25, students $20. **“The Nether”** Jennifer Haley’s futuristic psychological thriller about virtual reality and its role in human interaction and existence in 2050. Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m., Fridays at 3 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 and 7 p.m. Through May 1. Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D St. NW. 202-393-3939. woollymammoth.net. $35-$68, age 30 and younger $20. **“Twelfth Night, or What You Will”** A new take on Shakespeare’s comedy, with high theatricality and a hint of “Carnivale.” Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m. Georgetown University, Davis Performing Arts Center, 37th and O streets NW. 202-687-2787. performingarts.georgetown.edu. $7-$18. **Jazz at the Atlas Presents:** City of Poets. 8 p.m. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993, Ext. 2. http://www.atlasarts.org. $28. **“Konstantin Makovsky: The Tsar’s Painter”** Paintings from the artist’s boyar series, with the work “A Boyar Wedding Feast” (1883) as the centerpiece. The exhibition also includes 17th-century objects of boyar life. Thursdays, Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. 202-686-5807. mwhite@hillwoodmuseum.org. $18, seniors $15, college students $10, ages 6 to 18 $5. **Conversation Circles** Adults can practice their English and learn about U.S. history and culture through the art of portraiture, beginning with an interactive gallery talk led by a Portrait Gallery educator. Fridays from 10 a.m.-noon., National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free. **Baby and toddler story time** Age 2 and younger, 20-30 minute programs full of books, songs, rhymes and fingerplays, introduce your child to language skills in a positive and fun environment. Most Fridays at 10 a.m. Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library, 1630 7th St. NW. wathashawlibrary@dc.gov. 202-727-1288. Free, ticket required. **Bilingual Spanish story time** Fridays at 10 a.m. Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. mtpleasantlibrary@dc.gov. 202-671-3121. Free. **Children’s safety seats and belts inspection** DC Safe Kids ensures the proper installation of seats and belts. Fridays at 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. THEARC, parking lot, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-476-3618. www.thearcdc.org. Free. **Move, Learn, Create** Features a variety of dance styles; all experience levels welcome. 11 a.m. through April 29. Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. 202-483-8600. 202-671-3121. www.smithcenter.org. $10/class, $25/month. **Lunchtime conservatory tour** Want to visit a jungle, desert and tropical paradise? Want to travel back to the Jurassic period? Take a tour with a knowledgeable guide who will connect the exotic plant world to everyday life. Fridays, Mondays and Wednesdays at noon., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. Free. **“She Who Tells a Story: Women Photographers from Iran and the Arab World”** An exhibition of contemporary photographs exploring politics and personal identity in the Middle East. Opens Friday. National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. 202-783-5000. reservations@nmwa.org. nmwa.org. $10, age 65 and over and students, $8, NMWA members and age 18 and under free. **Classical organ concert** Organist Wesley Parrott performs works of Giacomo Meyerbeer, J. S. Bach, John Philip Sousa, Arthur William Foote and Louis Vierne. 12:15 to 1 p.m. National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Cir. NW. 202-797-0103. www.nationalcitycc.org. Free, donations welcome. **Classical piano concert** John Kamistuka performs J.S. Bach’s “Goldberg” Variations. 1:15 p.m. Georgetown University, McNeir Hall, 37th and O streets NW. 202-687-2787. Free. **Georgetown Art show and sale** Professional and amateur artists will donate at least 50% of all sales to Christ Church for an expansion of its many parish outreach efforts in the community. Opening reception. 5-8 p.m. Show and sale continue: Saturday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Christ Church, Georgetown, Keith Hall, 31st and O streets NW. 202-333-6677. www.christchurchgeorgetown.org. **“Disgraced”** Timothy Douglas directs Ayad Akhtar’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about a Pakistani-American lawyer living the American dream in an Upper East Side apartment in New York, with Italian suits and a beautiful wife, until a friendly dinner party conversation threatens to destroy all he has achieved. Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Noon matinees on Wednesdays, May 4, 11 and 17. Through May 29. Arena Stage, Kreeger Theater, 1101 Sixth St. SW. 202-488-3300 or arenastage.org. $40-$90, subject to change and based on availability. **“To Have Done with the Judgement of God”** Theatre Du Jour brings spectacle to a small stage with Antonin Artauds 1947 radio play. Written and produced for French Radio, the cacophonous rant against government and religion was shelved until after Artauds death. Using the play as a road map, this production utilizes sound, imagery, projections, and music to explore the author’s conviction of the futility of man’s relation to government, nature, God and his body. Directed by B. Stanley. Soundscapes by Nate Taylor and Rob Gould, sculptural costuming by Stephanie Williams. Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. through May 7, D.C. Arts Center, 2438 18th St. NW. 202-462-7833. info@dcartscenter.org. dcartscenter.org/performance3.htm. $20 / $15 for DCAC members. ******American Sign Language class for beginners** Learn 100 ASL vocabulary words and rules of grammar and practice your conversation; all skill levels welcome. Feel free to stay on for the intermediate level class. Sundays at 2 p.m. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-0321. Free, reservations suggested. **Fitness event: Practice With Love yoga gatherings** WithLoveDC, a movement to spread love, joy and acceptance throughout the city; bring a mat. Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov. Free. **Portrait Story Days: Abraham Lincoln** Listen to a story about the 16th President of the U.S. and the third to die in office, and complete an art project to take home. Saturday at 1-4 p.m. Sunday at 2-5 p.m. National Portrait Gallery, Education Center, , Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free. **Evening of contemporary dance** Dancer and choreographer Jessie Laurita- Spanglet with Meredith Bove, Matthew Cumbie and Sarah Beth Oppenheim perform “Alongside,” with members of the Wake Forest University Dance Company. 6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. Free. **“Cosi Fan Tutte Goes Hollywood”** The In Series presents Nick Olcott’s comedic reimagining of Mozart/DaPonte’s work, which follows two sisters from Sandusky, Ohio as they move to Hollywood with their fiances, a vaudeville act. Saturdays 8 p.m. Sundays 4 p.m. Through May 1. Atlas Performing Arts Center, Lang Theatre, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993. luz@inseries.org. www.atlasarts.org. $45, seniors $42, age 35 and younger $25, students $22. **Lakou Mizik** This collective of Haitian musicians includes voudou drummer Sanba Zao and young artists Jonas Attis and Steeve Valcourt. 8 p.m. Dance Place, 3225 Eighth St. NE. 202-269-1600. www.danceplace.org. **Women of Wagner’s “The Ring”** The museum and the Washington National Opera present a conversation on the role of women portrayed in Wagner’s four-opera cycle, “The Ring.” 4-6 p.m. National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. 202-783-5000. Reservations required: http://nmwa.org. Free. **Georgetown University Orchestra concert** Professor and music director Angel Gil-Ordóñez leads the orchestra and cellist Roy Park in a performance of Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major, Opus 107, movements 1 and 2. 5 p.m. Georgetown University, Gaston Hall, 37th and O streets NW. 202-687-2787. www.performingarts.georgetown.edu. $5. **Funk Parade** One-of-a-kind parade, street fair and music festival that seeks to bring people together and make them feel all right through music, dance and the visual arts. 6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. 202-467-4600. Free. **Therapeutic yoga classes** Alaina Sadick and Beth Lawrence teach various yoga postures and techniques in progressive relaxation, breathing practices and meditation to reduce stress and balance the mind, body and spirit, all experience levels welcome. Monday and Thursday from 10:30-11:45 a.m. and Wednesdays from 6-7:15 p.m. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St. NW. 202-483-8600. www.smithcenter.org. $10 per class, $25/month. **Viniyoga with Robin** Bring your own yoga mat. Mondays from 10:30-11:45 a.m. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. tenleylibrary@dc.gov. 202-727-1488. Free. **Preventing falls in the bathroom and kitchen** Stephen Hage, of Strategies for Independent Living, discusses ways to help facilitate the use of your home, especially for those with disabilities or seniors aging in place. 3:30-5 p.m. Sponsored by Dupont Circle Village Live and Learn. Hamilton House apartments, 1255 New Hampshire Ave. NW. Reservations: Linda Harsh, 202-234-2567 or lindajkh@mac.com. Wheelchair accessible. $10. **Reader’s theatre** For readers in grades 2-4, bring stories to life by reading aloud from scripts created from children’s books, parent participation is welcome and encouraged. Mondays except holidays at 4 p.m. Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW. 202-671-3121. mtpleasantlibrary@dc.gov. Free. **Kitchen 101: knife skills** Chef Wendi teaches the essentials the essentials of knife skills for beginners including knife selection, care, basic cuts and proper form, materials will be provided. 6:30-8 p.m. Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-549-4172. hillcenterdc.org. Register: www.hillcenterdc.org. $39. **Talk: Luminous Landscapes: Photographs by Alan Ward** Landscape architect Alan Ward discusses how he uses traditional dark room photography, primarily in black and white, to interpret designed landscapes. The museum will show an exhibition of Ward’s photos through September 5. 6:30-8 p.m. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. 202-272-2448. pressoffice@nbm.org. http://go.nbm.org/site/Calendar/50916937 view=Detail&id;=120931. $12 Museum and ASLA Member | $12 Student | $20 Non-member. **Shakespeare’s life stories** Lecture by Dr. Stephen Greenblatt, Harvard University Professor of the Humanities. 7 p.m. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. 202-544-7077. $15. **Zumba at Southwest Library** Instructor Roshaunda Jenkins will lead this one-hour fitness and dance workout—all fitness levels welcome! The class is free and no registration is required. Dance your way to fitness. Mondays at 7 p.m. Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. southwestlibrary@dc.gov. 202-724-4752. Free. **Tudor Tots Tuesdays** Ages 2-4 with a caregiver may learn about the world with songs, stories, crafts and movement, new theme every Tuesday, through April. Tuesdays at 10-10:45 a.m. Tudor Place, 1644 31st St. NW. 202-965-0400. http://bit.ly/1RHbGE9. $5, child + caregiver. **Beau Soir Ensemble concert** Harpist Michelle Lundy, violist Jennifer Ries and flutist Lauren Sileo perform works by Scarlatti and Respighi. 12:10 p.m. Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. 202-347-2635, Ext. 20. www.epiphanydc.org. $10. **Sketching: draw and discover** Draw inspiration from artists’ sketches and objects on display in the Luce Foundation, then sketch on the center’s workshop, bring a sketchbook and pencils, other materials provided. 2:30-4:30 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free. **Eclectic Tuesdays** This 13-week performance series features a wide array of performers including dance, music, poetry, magic, and theater. Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-631-6291. anacostiaartscenter.com. Free. **Jazz concert** The Georgetown University Jazz Ensemble performs the music of multi-Grammy Award-winner Quincy Jones and jazz standards. 8 p.m. Georgetown University, Davis Performing Arts Center, Davis Performing Arts Center, Gonda Theatre, 37th and O streets NW. 202-687-3838. performingarts.georgetown.edu. 202-687-2787. **Hatha yoga with Alexis** Bring a mat. Wednesdays from 10:30-11:45 a.m. Through May 11., Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. tenleylibrary@dc.gov. 202-727-1488. Free. **Creative writing in the afternoon** Reza, a library associate with an MA in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University, leads the class. Wednesdays at 1 p.m. Northeast Library, 330 Seventh St. NE. northeastlibrary@dc.gov. 202-698-0058. Free. **Lunder behind the scenes** Staff member discusses how conservators use science, art history and skilled hands to preserve objects from the museum collection in the Lunder Conservation Center. Wednesdays at 3 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free. **Petworth Pacers, still on the move** Dress in comfortable, weather- appropriate, movement-oriented clothing and bring water and a face towel for perspiration, check with a doctor, liability waiver required. First and third Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. 202-243-1188. petworthlibrary@dc.gov. Free. **The Birth of Russian Nationalistic Music** Music historian Carl Yaffe discusses Russian composition and the influence music and musical subjects had on Konstantin Makovsky’s paintings, cellist Vasily and pianist Ralitza Patcheva perform two works by César Cui., curator Wilfried Zeisler sets the stage by discussing Hillwood’s exhibit “Konstantin Makovsky: The Tsar’s Painter,” presented by Levine School of Music. 5:30-8:30 p.m. Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. 202-686-5807. $20, students $7. **Evenings with extraordinary artists: Aneta Georgievska-Shine** The University of Maryland presents a lecture on Vermeer. 6:30 p.m. Arts Club of Washington, 2017 I St. NW. 202-331-7282, Ext. 3, or administrator@artsclubofwashington.org. $20, includes a reception. **Brews and Banter: The Reduced Shakespeare Company** A special evening for the Folger’s young patrons featuring a conversation about William Shakespeare’s “Long Lost First Play,” (abridged) with the Reduced Shakespeare Company, a beer and light fare reception is included. 6:30 p.m.Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. 202-544-7077. $15. **“Congress, Presidents, and American Politics: 50 Years of Writings and Reflections with Lee Hamilton”** The recently awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient discusses Congress and the Presidency and the lessons to be learned from years past. 7 p.m. National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street NW. 202-357-5000. Free. **Nadine Sierra** The acclaimed soprano gives a recital. 7:30-9:30 p.m. National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. 202-783-5000. reservations@nmwa.org. nmwa.org. Free, reservations required. **Top to toe: Cooking with the whole plant** The Cook sisters demonstrate how to cook sweet potatoes, beets and other plants that are entirely edible.Noon-12:45 p.m. and 12:50-1:30 p.m. U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov. Free. **Talk: Re-Ball!** Re-Ball! is an open design competition to turn 650,000 3-inch, white, translucent plastic balls into a site-specific installation in the Dupont Undergrounds 14,000-square-foot east platform. The balls were previously part of the National Building Museums blockbuster summer destination The BEACH. Be the first to see the winning design team’s concept before Re-Ball! opens to the public in May. For information, visit go.nbm.org/reball. 6:30-8 p.m. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. 202-272-2448. pressoffice@nbm.org. http://go.nbm.org/site/Calendar/50916937 view=Detail&id;=120930. $12 Member | $12 Student | $20 Non-member. **Chamber music concert** Students from Georgetown University’s Chamber Music Ensemble perform works that explore the connections between the musical piece and the epoch in which it was created. 8 p.m. Georgetown University, Davis Performing Arts Center, Gonda Theatre, 37th and O streets NW. 202-687-2787. $10, students and veterans $8, general $5. ** — Compiled by Gerri Marmer  ** **Email:** districtlocalliving@washpost.com (to the attention of Gerri Marmer) **   Mail:** Community Calendar, District Local Living, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20071. **   Details:** Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.

If furloughed workers aren’t back in the office by Monday, little offers the hope of renewal like the fall planting season, with its promise of spring flowers. At the 50-acre Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, thoughts are squarely centered on bulb-planting, holiday lights and the hard work required to keep plants blooming year-around. Recognized by the Travel Channel as one of the nation’s best botanical gardens and a BBC Travel top 10 pick as a North American garden worth traveling to, it attracted nearly 350,000 visitors last year and offers both inspiration for a day trip and a reminder to tend to our own gardens. **— Lonnae O'Neal Parker**

“Seed by Seed: The Legend and Legacy of John ‘Appleseed’ Chapman,” by Esme Raji Codell. Illustrated by Lynne Rae Perkins

SEED BY SEED The Legend and Legacy of John “Appleseed” Chapman By Esme Raji Codell. Illustrated by Lynne Rae Perkins Greenwillow. $16.99. Ages 4 and up An American figure celebrated more often in tall tales and song than in history books, Johnny Appleseed was indeed an actual man, John Chapman, born in Massachusetts in 1774. Esme Raji Codell and illustrator Lynne Rae Perkins begin their picture-book ode with an appeal to children to imagine the early landscape of America: “a tangle . . . of roots and branches and wide tree trunks.” They’re not suggesting we all return to the woods but rather that we appreciate Chapman’s kind-hearted rules for living, such as “Use what you have,” “Share what you have,” “Respect nature” and “Try to make peace where there is war.” A friend to Native Americans and pioneers heading West, and to animals large and small, Chapman was a highly personable soul, and Perkins’s images are likewise extremely engaging. From the shiny apples on the book jacket to the scenes of Chapman roaming the countryside, the artwork invites readers to settle down and enjoy the view. Deftly incorporating the figures of a boy and girl throughout, Perkins also includes an embroidered sampler that conveys the expanse of Chapman’s tree-planting enterprise. The book ends with an invitation to “make our country and our world a better place,” as Chapman did — “seed by seed, deed by deed” — and a welcome recipe for apple pie. **— Abby McGanney Nolan  **

Where the wild things are

Everybody from Winnie the Pooh to Pippi Longstocking to Harry Potter is palling around in one big room, and you’re invited to join them. The New York Public Library has recently opened an exhibit called “The ABC of It: Why Children’s Books Matter.” Spanning more then 300 years, this fantastic show at the main branch on Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street offers a chance to spend some quality time with the characters who shaped our earliest memories.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University What’s particularly wonderful is the way curator Leonard Marcus has constructed displays that will educate scholars and entertain kids at the same time.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University The exhibit of 250 books and artifacts begins with a cheery 17th-century New England Primer: “In Adam’s fall/ We Sinned All,” but things pick up quickly from there. The rest of the show moves freely from biographical sketches to cultural analysis to the mechanics of publishing. We’re reminded, for instance, that Mary Poppins was a character in P. L. Travers’s stories before she floated into Walt Disney’s empire. Another display shows samples of Eric Carle’s richly colored collage paper. Illustrations by 19th-century artist Randolph Caldecott show the man who inspired the prestigious Caldecott Medal. There’s a silly old bear that once belonged to Alan Milne’s son Christopher. Early editions of a new series about a boy wizard introduce us to the magic of a then-unknown author named J.K. Rowling. The most elaborate elements let us watch Alice’s neck grow as long as a giraffe’s, or walk into Margaret Wise Brown’s famous bedroom and say, “Goodnight, Moon.” For children who want to get right down to business, plenty of great books are lying around, too. There’s always a reason to read between the lions, but now is a particularly good time. The exhibit, which is free, will run through March 23, 2014. @RonCharles    *[WSU]: Wayne State University

Move over Jimmys! (And Jon. And Stephen. And Larry.) Neil deGrasse Tyson is getting his own late-night show.

America’s favorite astrophysicist is coming to late night. Neil deGrasse Tyson will host the National Geographic Channel’s first ever late-night talk show featuring pop culture personalities and science commentary from people like Tyson’s buddy, Bill Nye. There’s no word yet on what the intro will look like, but you can bet if it involves a model of the Earth spinning on its axis, the thing will be turning in the right direction. So, take that, Jon Stewart!    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico “Star Talk,” based on Tyson’s podcast of the same name, will premiere in April. Tyson made the announcement at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour in Pasadena, Calif., on Wednesday. The show will tape at the Hayden Planetarium, where Tyson serves as director. “Cosmos allowed us to share the awesome power of the universe with a global audience in ways that we never thought possible,” Tyson said in a statement. “To be able to continue to spread wonder and excitement through Star Talk, which is a true passion project for me, is beyond exciting. And National Geographic Channel is the perfect home as we continue to explore the universe.”    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico Tyson had a massive hit when he revived Carl Sagan’s “Cosmos” last year. Even the president weighed in with an endorsement.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico The first episode of “Star Talk” will be accompanied by a one-hour special commemorating the Hubble telescope’s 25th year orbiting Earth. Tyson will host “Hubble’s Cosmic Journey,” too. This should be great news for science purists with cable — especially those disappointed in Discovery’s march away from the subject and toward, well, men getting “eaten alive” by giant snakes.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico Want an idea of what the show may be like? You can listen to a recent episode of “Star Talk” below, in which Tyson and and Nye sharpen their wit and fling it at creationists who use iPhones and social media and LED lighting. “They have the most modern technology and they also handle snakes,” Tyson said.

James van Sweden dies at 78; innovative landscape architect

James van Sweden, a landscape architect who in the 1970s successfully reinvented the look and character of the American garden, died Sept. 20 at his home in Washington. He was 78. Mr. van Sweden died from complications from Parkinson’s disease, said Lisa Delplace, who succeeded him as chief executive of Oehme, van Sweden & Associates, the firm that Mr. van Sweden founded with designer Wolfgang Oehme in 1975. Within a few years, the company became known internationally for its radically different approach to landscape design — replacing staid evergreen hedging, bedding annuals and groomed lawns with broad sweeps of long, flowering perennials and ornamental grasses. The vision was a rejection of passive vegetative architecture in favor of the bold massing of grasses and perennials that placed the observer in the midst of a living tapestry. The result was a garden that actively responded to light, wind and seasonal change. “They move in the breeze and sparkle like stained glass,” he stated in “Gardening With Nature” (1997), one of five books he wrote. The look became known as the “New American Garden” and seized the imagination of clients and the design press with its associations with the prairies of Mr. van Sweden’s native Midwest, as well as the grass gardens of progressive designers in Oehme’s German homeland. The duo’s work ranged from private homes, including Oprah Winfrey’s, to major public spaces such as the National World War II Memorial on the Mall and the Nelson A. Rockefeller Park overlooking the Hudson River in lower Manhattan. Locally, the firm did work at Reagan National Airport, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial and Francis Scott Key Memorial Park in Georgetown. In 1990, the late landscape architect John O. Simonds described their work as “unlike anything yet seen in America.” It presaged today’s emphasis in landscape architecture on naturalistic and ecologically sensitive design. “People without knowing it were thirsty for a change,” said native plant expert and designer Darrel Morrison, explaining the immediate appeal of their work. “It was a reaction to the dullness of the designed landscape at that time.” From the beginning, Mr. van Sweden advocated his style in even small urban spaces as a way of capturing the natural exuberance of the prairie and meadow. He also espoused the idea that gardens should be planted for year-round interest. The design partners set out to prove their theories — and win clients — by converting the deep but narrow backyard of Mr. van Sweden’s Georgetown rowhouse into a space layered with grasses, perennials and small trees in a way that blurred boundaries and paths. The object, Mr. van Sweden wrote, was “to lead the eye deeper into a scene which is not completely revealed, even in so tiny a space.” “I think the two of them really did help to accelerate the recognition that the landscape of the city is a planted, managed, dynamic and changing landscape,” said Gary Hilderbrand, a partner of Reed Hilderbrand landscape architects and Harvard University adjunct professor of landscape architecture. In the early years, their work was assailed by some in a design profession who viewed plants and flowers with a degree of contempt. “People thought it was a boutique form of landscape architecture,” Delplace said. Both men later became fellows of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Oehme died in 2011. By the time Oehme, van Sweden & Associates had made its mark, and was based out of a historic bank building on Capitol Hill, Mr. van Sweden offered his team of landscape architects some advice: Never turn down a chance to speak to a garden club or other small setting, “because you never know who’s going to be in the audience.” Such a talk earlier had led to the firm’s first major public commission, on the grounds of the Federal Reserve headquarters in Northwest Washington. The son of a builder, James Anthony van Sweden was born in Grand Rapids., Mich., on Feb. 5, 1935. As a youth, he was interested in gardening, art and music, creative pursuits he later credited with informing his design career. He was a 1960 architecture graduate of the University of Michigan. The following year, he moved to the Netherlands, the land of his ancestors, to study landscape architecture and urban design at the University of Delft. One of his early mentors was a professor in Delft who impressed on his student the social value of town planning. He also suggested that on returning to the United States, Mr. van Sweden look up a young landscape architect who was making his mark in Baltimore, an East German emigre named Wolfgang Oehme (pronounced UR-ma). From the start, they both designed with bold gestures — for Oehme that meant large groupings of herbaceous plants, for Mr. van Sweden, who was also a plantsman, the creation of an expansive architectural framework of walls, patios and ponds. With early success came larger commissions, which allowed Mr. van Sweden and Oehme to craft rural gardens on a big scale. Mr. van Sweden, an art collector, said various artists informed his work: abstract expressionists taught him to mass colors, while painters such as Edward Hopper and David Hockney showed the value of creating hard edges and delineation. He also learned to play the cello and the harpsichord. He said he returned from study trips to Japan in the 1980s realizing that he needed to devote more attention to architectural detail and to hone his sense of scale. “After seeing exquisitely proportioned Japanese pools surrounded by the simplest details of buildings, stones and plants, my approach to design would never be the same,” he wrote in his 1995 book, “Gardening With Water.” Mr. van Sweden’s marriage to the former Linda Nordyke ended in divorce. Survivors include two sisters. Although his work attracted wealthy clients, Mr. van Sweden collaborated with his friend Marilyn Melkonian and others on redeveloping forgotten inner-city neighborhoods, including Paradise at Parkside, a 650-unit garden-apartment community in Northeast Washington near the Anacostia River. “He felt that gardens lifted the spirit,” said Melkonian, president of Telesis Corp., which plans and finances such projects. “He always tried to design paths in a way that people could walk side by side.” While Oehme was introverted and taciturn, Mr. van Sweden was an ebullient promoter of their design philosophies and mixed freely in political, corporate and especially cultural circles in Washington. In an oral history interview with the Cultural Landscape Foundation, Mr. van Sweden discussed the importance of the Federal Reserve project and the call summoning him and Oehme to a luncheon meeting. “I said, ‘Wolfgang, this is our big break. You’re going to have to wear a tie.’ ”

Going Out Guide, Northern Virginia

**“Select 2015”** Washington Project for the Arts (WPA) presents its 34th annual art auction exhibition featuring more than 100 works by local, national and international artists selected by eight curators and WPA’s board of directors. Opening reception 7-9 p.m. Through March 7. Artisphere, 1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. www.artisphere.com. Free. **Crys Matthews** The singer-songwriter released “Come What May” in May. With Andrea Nardello and Kipyn Martin. 7:30 p.m. Jammin’ Java, 227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna. 703-255-1566. www.jamminjava.com. $10-$15. **Jonathan Edwards** The folk and Americana singer-songwriter is known for hits “Sunshine” and “Sometimes in the Morning.” 8 p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Rd., Vienna. 877-965-3872. www.wolftrap.org. $25. **“Bodylore”** Artists, including Eames Armstrong and Jackie Hoysted, explore the human figure. Through Feb. 6. Olly Olly, second floor, 10417 Main St., Fairfax. 703-789-6144. www.ollyollyart.com. Free. **“Gun Love”** Dawn Whitmore’s exhibit focuses on women and their relationship with American gun culture. Through April 4. Arlington Arts Center, 3550 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. 703-248-6800. www.arlingtonartscenter.org. Free. **“Reference”** Curated by Northern Virginia Community College assistant professor Erin Devine, this multimedia exhibit looks at who and what influenced the participating artists. Through April 5. Workhouse Arts Center, 9601 Ox Rd., Lorton. 703-584-2900. www.workhousearts.org. Free. **Sugarloaf Crafts Festival** More than 250 artisans from across the country will sell one-of-a-kind art, crafts, furniture and home accessories. The event includes live music, children’s entertainment, demonstrations and food vendors. Friday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Dulles Expo Center, 4320 Chantilly Shopping Ctr., Chantilly. 703-378-0910. www.sugarloafcrafts.com. $8 in advance, $10 at the door, 11 and younger free. **“Excuse Me”** A zombie comedy written by Rodrigo Pool and produced by Zemfira Stage. Friday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. James Lee Community Center, Theater, 2855 Annandale Rd., Falls Church. 703-615-6626. www.zemfirastage.org. $18; seniors, military, students and matinee $12. **Jim Breuer** Known for his Goat Boy character on “Saturday Night Live,” this comic went on to star in “Half Baked” and host his own Sirius Satellite Radio show, “Breuer Unleashed.” Friday at 7:30 and 10:30 p.m., Saturday at 10 p.m. Arlington Cinema ’N’ Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington. 703-486-2345. www.arlingtondrafthouse.com. $35. **Marshall Crenshaw & the Bottle Rockets** During his 30-year career, Crenshaw has released more than 13 albums and launched a subscription-only service funded in part by a Kickstarter campaign. 7:30 p.m. Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. 703-549-7500. www.birchmere.com. $27.50. **“13”** In this musical presented by McLean Community Players, a teen attempts to navigate a new school, his parents’ divorce and growing up. Friday-Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. Through Feb. 15. McLean Community Center, Alden Theatre, 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean. 703-790-0123. www.mcleanplayers.org. $25, seniors and students $23. **“Comedy of Errors”** Shakespeare’s comedy of mistaken identity is staged by the Arlington Players. Friday-Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2:30 p.m., through Feb. 14. Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre, 125 S. Old Glebe Rd., Arlington. 703-549-1063. www.thearlingtonplayers.org. $20, seniors and youth $15. **Swing Dance** Alexandria singer-songwriter David Kitchen performs with the Cutaways. Drop-in beginner swing lesson 8:30-9 p.m., open dance 9 p.m.-midnight. Hilton Washington Dulles Airport, 13869 Park Center Rd., Herndon. 703-359-9882. dc.gottaswing.com. $15. **Winter Ice Fest** The second annual event features a Mega Block ice-carving competition sanctioned by the National Ice Carving Association, hot chocolate and s’mores, a DJ and the Capitals’ Red Rockers cheerleaders. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The Village at Leesburg, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. 571-294-8536. www.villageatleesburg.com. Free. **“Moonlight Tangos (Luna de Tangos)** ” Tango music performed by singers Claudia Gargiulo and Tucu Medina with dancers Tino Bastidas and Susan Reynolds. Cabaret-style seating and a cash bar. 7-10:30 p.m. National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Conference Center, 4301 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. 703-548-3092. www.teatrodelaluna.org. $30, seniors and students $25. **Charles Ross’s “One-Man Star Wars Trilogy”** Following his childhood dream, Ross takes on all the characters and scenes in a condensed version of the trilogy. 7:30 p.m. Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. 703-549-7500. www.birchmere.com. $35. **State Symphony Orchestra of Mexico** Led by conductor Enrique Bátiz, the Toluca ensemble performs works by Manuel de Falla, Enrique Grandos, Isaac Albeniz and others with pianist Irina Chistiakova and guitarist Alfonso Moreno. 8 p.m. George Mason University, Center for the Arts Concert Hall, 4400 University Dr., Fairfax. 703-993-8888. cfa.gmu.edu. $30-$50. **Blue Oyster Cult** The heavy metal rock band has been performing for more than four decades with hits including “Godzilla” and “Burnin’ for You.” 8:30 p.m. Tally Ho Theatre, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. 703-777-1665. www.tallyholeesburg.com. $69, in advance $59. **Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Association** A concert of Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 15; the world premiere of Ross Wixon’s “Sparkling Dialogue” for trombone and strings; and Liszt’s “Les Preludes,” Symphonic Poem No. 3. 3 p.m. George Washington Masonic National Memorial, 101 Callahan Dr., Alexandria. 703-799-8229. www.wmpamusic.org. $20, age 18 and younger free. **“Valentine’s Day Music You Love” lecture** American Festival Pops Orchestra founder and music director Anthony Maiello and the orchestra’s composer and arranger Bryan Kidd discuss love songs and romantic music standards. 10:30 a.m. Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater, 10960 George Mason Cir., Manassas. 703-993-7759. www.hyltoncenter.org. Free. **“To Spring or Not to Spring”** This exhibit features photographs by Gerry Gantt of Fairfax and wood turning by Bob Horowitz. Through March 2. Artists’ Undertaking, 309 Mill St., Occoquan. 703-494-0584. www.theartistsundertaking.com. Free. **“Bead”** More than a dozen artists, including Sonya Clark, Chris Allen and Ingrid Bernhardt, explore the use of beads in contemporary mixed-media art. Through Feb. 28. Greater Reston Arts Center, 12001 Market St., Reston. 703-471-9242. www.restonarts.org. Free. **Julia Galloway** Galloway, a potter and professor at the University of Montana, displays her latest work in ceramics. Through March 8. Workhouse Arts Center, 9601 Ox Rd., Lorton. 703-584-2900. www.workhousearts.org. Free. **“Tower”** Brian Kelley’s recent paintings focus on how the grand ambitions of architecture can fall, change and linger. Opens Wednesday. Artist reception Feb. 6 6-8 p.m. Through March 13. Candy Factory, Kellar Theater, 9419 Battle St., Manassas. 703-330-2787. www.center-for-the-arts.org. Free. **“Menopause, The Musical”** GFour Productions presents the musical parody about four women at a lingerie sale with nothing in common but the symptoms of menopause. Wednesday and Feb. 5 at 8 p.m. Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall, 10960 George Mason Cir., Manassas. 703-993-7759. www.hyltoncenter.org. $44-$59.50. ** — Compiled by Sarah Lane  ** 3This exhibit featuring photographs by Gerry Gantt of Fairfax and wood turning by Bob Horowitz opens Tuesday. Through March 2. Artists’ Undertaking, 309 Mill St., Occoquan. 703-494-0584. www.theartistsundertaking.com. Free.

Embassies can be a cultural oasis

Art has its own diplomatic currency, and many embassies work hard at the cultural exchange. So don’t sleep on the gems right under your nose. At the Mexican Cultural Institute, the only talk of walls focused on the art they hold. “Cultural attaches know they can speak directly to the American people through their artists,” says Gustavo Morales, deputy director of the institute, housed in a Beaux-Arts mansion two miles from the White House (2829 16th St. NW) in Columbia Heights. Murals by Roberto Cueva del Río — running up three floors — depict Mexican history in a colorful, Diego Rivera style. Tours of the century-old mansion are available in English and Spanish. The Spanish Embassy’s cultural program is next door (2801 16 St. NW) in the Former Residence of the Ambassadors of Spain. Begoña Díaz-Urgorri and Edgar González are the respective curators for two exhibits about design by contemporary Spanish architects that run through June 4. “Alternativas/Alternatives” looks at homes, schools and parks in videos and scale models. “Export” centers on Spanish architecture outside the country. At the light-filled Slovenian Embassy (2410 California St. NW), “History of Ribnica Peddling,”   or woodworking, is on display through June 22. “Though the trade survived 500 years, it’s now in decline because cheaper products are available,” says Borut Zunic, an embassy counselor. “Hopefully, the trend will reverse.” A few blocks away, the ongoing exhibit “Pearls of Excellence: An Exploration of Haitian Contributions to American Society” adorns the Haitian Embassy’s elegant lobby (2311 Massachusetts Ave. NW). Black-and-white photographs of renowned women, such as author Edwidge Danticat, and the unfamiliar, such as educator Elizabeth Clarisse Lange, are on display. Visitors enter through a rear garden packed with flowering plants and metal sculptures created by artisans from the village of Noailles, north of Port-au-Prince. “Very often people think first of our poverty and disasters,” says embassy consultant Dave Fils-Aimé, “but we have so much more to share.”

Grandma Gatewood survived domestic violence to walk the Appalachian Trail alone at 67

Even now, six decades later, Emma Gatewood’s story still resonates. Grandma Gatewood, as she became known, was the first woman to hike the entire 2,050 miles of the Appalachian Trail by herself in 1955. She was 67 years old at the time, a mother of 11 and grandmother of 23. She’d survived more than 30 years of marriage to a brutal husband who beat her repeatedly.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico Gatewood hiked the trail carrying a homemade knapsack and wearing ordinary sneakers — she wore out six pairs of them in 146 days from May to September. She  brought a blanket and a plastic shower curtain to protect her from the elements, but she didn’t bother with a sleeping bag, a tent, a compass or even a map, instead relying on the hospitality of strangers along the way and her own independent resourcefulness. She’d sleep in a front porch swing, under a picnic table or on a bed of leaves when necessary, and she ate canned Vienna sausages, raisins and peanuts plus greens she found on the trail and meals offered by strangers. Her story, as author Ben Montgomery describes it, is one of “overcoming hardship and finding yourself and finding peace.” Montgomery, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and reporter for the Tampa Bay Times, wrote “Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail.” Published in April 2014, the book made the New York Times bestsellers list last August.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico Interest in Gatewood continues. In the works is a documentary, “Trail Magic,” that will premiere May 29 in Sheffield Village, Ohio. The program will be shown on PBS in Toledo, Ohio to mark the 60th anniversary of Gatewood’s first hike on the Appalachian Trail.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico “Everyone who hikes the trail sooner or later becomes aware of the grandma who hiked,” said Peter Huston, the director of “Trail Magic.” Her story, though, “is a lot more complex and interesting” than people realize. Bette Lou Higgins, artistic director of Eden Valley Enterprises, is producing the documentary. She became interested in Gatewood after being asked to do the voice-over for a history project in 2009. The few lines about Ohio native Gatewood piqued Higgins’s curiosity. That led to the Grandma Gatewood project, which includes a storytelling program and a play.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico “Emma Gatewood is a person who deserves not to be forgotten,” Montgomery told me. Her story doesn’t stop with that first hike. Gatewood returned to thru-hike (hiking straight through in less than 12 months) again in 1957, making her the first person, male or female, to successfully tackle the Appalachian Trail twice. Gatewood said the second time was so she could enjoy it. She completed the trail again in 1964, doing it in sections, becoming the first to hike it three times. In 1959 she headed west, walking from Independence, Mo. to Portland, Ore. as part of the Oregon Centennial celebration. She left two weeks after a wagon train, but passed it in Idaho. The trip covered nearly 2,000 miles and took 95 days. She was instrumental in establishing the Buckeye Trail in her home state of Ohio. It began with a 20-mile stretch in 1959 and has since grown to more than 1,444 miles; one section is named after her. She died in 1973 at the age of 85.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University   *[Tue]: Tuesday   *[Wed]: Wednesday   *[UNM]: University of New Mexico Why, though, is the question everyone has asked, starting with the first reporters who interviewed Gatewood as she hiked the Appalachian Trail. Why did this 67-year-old woman decide to take a 2,000 mile walk through 14 states, risking exposure to rattlesnakes, bears, flooded creeks and slippery mountain slopes? Montgomery offers his theories in his book. Gatewood was his mother’s great-aunt, and he said he grew up falling asleep “to tales about this adventurous grandma.” During his research, he met with Gatewood’s three surviving children, who handed over boxes of their mother’s diaries, trail journals, letters and other memorabilia. The book he wrote is really two stories: the tale of Gatewood’s first hike, which reads like a page-turning adventure, and the biography of her life, one of struggle and hardship and perseverance. “It’s not an Appalachian Trail book,” he said. “It’s the story of a remarkable woman.” Emma Rowena Caldwell was born in 1887 on an Ohio farm, one of 15 children, the daughter of a disabled Civil War veteran. She traded the hard life of the farm for marriage at age 19 to Percy Gatewood, but life didn’t get any easier. For more than 30 years, “she put up with being married to a stubborn, ignorant, hard-fisted man who beat her over and over again,” Montgomery said. Then one night he broke her teeth and cracked a rib, nearly killing her. A sheriff’s deputy arrived at the house, and arrested Emma, not Percy. She spent a night in jail until the mayor of the small West Virginia town where they lived intervened when he saw her blackened eyes and bloodied face. She managed to get a divorce — unheard of in those days — and raised her last three children alone. Sometime in the 1950s she saw a “National Geographic” magazine article about the Appalachian Trail. Her daughter, Lucy Gatewood Seeds, has said in interviews she believes the fact that no woman had yet hiked the trail presented a challenge to her mother. An obituary quoted daughter Rowena saying her mother stated, “If those men can do it, I can do it.” Gatewood attempted the trail in 1954, starting in Maine, but broke her glasses and gave up, determined to try again. She did the following spring. The article had painted a much rosier picture than the reality of the trail. “I would never have started this trip if I had known how tough it was, but I couldn’t and I wouldn’t quit,” Gatewood told a reporter from “Sports Illustrated” magazine. Media coverage of her hike led to repairs and restoration of the trail and may, indeed, have saved the trail from falling into ruin. It also inspired a new crop of hikers. She gave different reporters different answers when asked why she was hiking the trail. But those reporters believed they were talking to a widow; that’s how Gatewood described herself. They didn’t know the awful story of her marriage. They didn’t realize she was what we’d now call a survivor of domestic violence. “She was alone, she was free,” said Higgins. “She didn’t have to answer to anyone.” Montgomery puts it this way: “I’m not sure she was walking toward something so much as she was walking away.” I think he captures Gatewood’s mood when he quotes what she said to one reporter about why she did it. “Because I wanted to.”

Where grass roots are really unhappy: White House garden goes untended amid shutdown

Oh, Mrs. Obama, how does your garden grow? During the government shutdown, apparently wildly. The White House Kitchen Garden, planted with great fanfare by the first lady and the National Park Service in April 2009, is now gangly and weedy. The garden’s unruly state was first reported by Eddie Gehman Kohan, who blogs about White House food policy and has posted day-by-day updates of the garden during the shutdown. Wild mushrooms have begun to grow, she wrote. Weeds have sprouted. Sweet potatoes are unpicked. It is not the usual state of the picture-perfect garden, which had its own spread in Better Homes and Gardens two years ago. “National Park Service employees are only watering the kitchen garden as needed,” Jennifer Mummart, a spokeswoman for the park service’s National Capital Region said in an e-mail. “And, yes, this is consistent with how we are caring for other managed landscapes during the shutdown.” (Apparently, watering the garden is “essential,” otherwise the plants would die. Weeding is not.) The partial government shutdown has also effectively shut down Michelle Obama’s public schedule. Glimpses of the first lady outside the White House have been rare in the past 15 days. Her team, cut to the bone along with the rest of the White House staff, has announced no events. “We are hopeful the shutdown can come to an end soon so that we can be back up and running and executing the first lady’s various activities,” a White House official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, said Tuesday. In bits and pieces, a picture of how Obama has spent her time during the shutdown has emerged. In a “West Wing Week” video produced by White House videographers, the first lady is shown walking through the West Wing and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on Day 9 of the shutdown. “Thanks for looking out for our folks,” she said as she shook hands with one worker after another, all on duty despite the furlough. On Day 11, the White House released a photo of the president, first lady and their older daughter, Malia, in the Oval Office with Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani school girl turned activist. On Day 15, the first lady joined the president and vice president at the Medal of Honor ceremony for William Swenson, a former active-duty Army captain. Otherwise, Obama has been out of the public eye, as have her projects. Among the White House staffers furloughed is Sam Kass, the executive director of the first lady’s Let’s Move initiative. He canceled a speech about the importance of healthful eating because of the shutdown. On the residential side, the team of ushers, butlers, housekeepers, groundskeepers, curators, chefs and maintenance staff who care for the 132-room mansion is down from 90 to 15. If Richard Norton Smith could, the historian would force members of Congress and some of the political White House staff to watch the scene in the Lerner and Bernstein musical “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue” in which Abigail Adams says: “Care for this house, it’s the hope of us all.” “That says it all,” said Smith. “It’s a romantic view, but that’s fine. We have enough cynicism.” The current first lady could be sending a message of her own, said Katherine Jellison, a history professor at Ohio University. “She certainly doesn’t want to be out and about engaging in anything that could be interpreted as a frivolous activity,” Jellison said. “She would want to send a message that the first family recognizes that this is a crisis period and are taking it seriously.” Indeed, Obama canceled a planned trip to California last weekend to raise money for the Democratic Party. As for the White House’s weedy garden, it might be a blessing in disguise, said the professor. “It now maybe looks more like a lot of other people’s gardens,” Jellison said. “If the purpose is to try to get Americans to grow their own healthy food, maybe a garden that doesn’t look pristine is not such a bad thing.”

D.C. community calendar, Aug. 8 to 15, 2013

******Woodridge Checkmates,** chess instruction for ages 2-6. 10:15 a.m., Woodridge Library, 1801 Hamlin St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. **Slim Harrison and the Sunnyland Band,** for ages 5-12, the jug band artist performs American folk music to get children up and moving. 10:30 a.m., West End Library, 1101 24th St. NW. 202-724-8707; and 1:30 p.m., Chevy Chase Library, 5625 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-282-0021. Free. **Garden tour,** education technician Alex Torres discusses the diversity of American plants, drawing inspiration from the environments of the Mid-Atlantic region; take sunscreen, protective clothing and water. 10:30 a.m. Thursdays, through Aug. 29, U.S. Botanic Garden, National Garden Lawn Terrace, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov. **Behind the scenes cathedral tour,** for age 11 and older, see gargoyles and stained-glass windows and climb a lot of stairs for a panoramic view of the city; take a camera. 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. most weekdays, Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $15. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org. **Create an art book,** artist Karen O. Brown teaches ages 6-12 how to use everyday materials in this workshop. 11 a.m., **Southeast Library,** 403 Seventh St. SE. 202-698-3377; and 2 p.m., **Woodridge Library,** 1801 Hamlin St. NE. 202-541-6226. Free. **Short films,** “Elisha and the Cacao Trees” (2010), about the role of chocolate in the world; and “From the Ikpeng Children to the World” (2002), four Ikpeng children introduce their Brazilian village to kids in Sierra Maestra, Cuba. 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays through Aug. 31, National Museum of the American Indian, Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Puerto Rican migration,** Elena Martinez of City Lore, a New York-based cultural heritage and folklife nonprofit organization, presents “I’d Still Be Puerto Rican, Even if Born on the Moon: Documenting Puerto Rican Migration and Community through the Arts.” Noon, Library of Congress, Madison Building, Mary Pickford Theater, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-1743. ******Flag folding,** learn how to fold a full-size replica of the 30-by-42-foot banner. 2:30 p.m. most Tuesdays through Saturdays, National Museum of American History, second floor, Flag Hall, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Mini golf at the National Building Museum,** barbecue and drinks available. 5-9 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. $5 per course per person, or $3 per course per person with full-price admission: $8; youth, students and seniors, $5. 202-272-2448. www.nbm.org. **Art Signs: Gallery Talk (American Sign Language),** a volunteer American Sign Language gallery guide leads conversations about various artworks. 5:30 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, F Street Lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Food in the garden,** tastes, tours and talks in conjunction with the “FOOD: Transforming the American Table 1910-2000,” exhibit, with local gardeners, practitioners and researchers discussing what we eat and how we grow it. Includes two cocktails and food from local farms. 6-8 p.m. Thursdays through Aug. 15, National Museum of American History, Victory Garden at the corner of 12th Street and Constitution Ave. NW. $20. 202-633-1000 or www.americanhistory.si.edu/events. **Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington,** a performance highlighting the talents of local youth. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Films of Nam June Paik,** curator Michael Mansfield introduces a series of curated film and video works by Paik and his contemporaries. 6:30 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **************“The Pirates of Penzance,”** the Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera in two acts. 7 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. $20, evenings; $10, matinees. 202-547-6839 or victor@chaw.org or www.chaw.org. **Clearing clutter,** professional organizer Judy Tiger discusses the basics of getting and staying organized. 7 p.m., Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. 202-282-3080. ******U.S. Marine Band concert, **a performance of works by Steven Bryant, Frank Ticheli and John Philip Sousa. 7:30 p.m., Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. Free. 202-433-4011. **“Shear Madness,”** performance of a comedy-mystery set in Georgetown, with audience participation to help solve a mock murder. 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 6 and 9 p.m. Saturdays, 3 and 7 p.m. Sundays, Kennedy Center, Family Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $48. 202-467-4600. ****** ** ******“Salome,”** the Oscar Wilde play about the beguiling princess who danced for King Herod and got her wish: the head of John the Baptist. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays, through Aug. 18, Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. $20-$40. 202-399-7993. ** ** ****** ** **************************************************“The Dark Knight Rises,”** the 2012 action-adventure film starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Gary Oldman; coolers, friendly leashed dogs and picnic cooler welcome, bring a blanket. 8:10 p.m., Canal Park, Second and M streets SE. Free. www.capitolriverfront.org. **************Pipe organ recital,** organist and graduate student Cristiano Rizzotto performs works by Reger, Piazolla and Dupre. 12:15-1 p.m., National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Cir. NW. Free, donations welcome. 202-797-0103. **U.S. Air Force Band concert,** 12:30-1:30 p.m., National Air and Space Museum, Sixth Street and Independence Avenue SW. Free. 202-633-1000 or 202-767-5658. ******Crawl through caves at the library,** for ages 6-12, “Bill Nye, the Science Guy,” leads participants through an underground world where the sun never shines but a unique universe exists. 3 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **Museum Jazz in the garden,** guitarist Josh Bayer performs. 5-8:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **Shanghai Students Arts Troupe,** a performance of Chinese folk music. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. ******Eclectic rock/bluegrass music,** a performance by 19th Street Band. 6:30-8:30 p.m., Yards Park, Third and Water streets SE. Free. 202-289-0111 or www.yardspark.org. **Reggae night at Carter Barron,** sponsored by The Washington Post Going Out Guide. 7:30 p.m., Carter Barron Amphitheatre, 4850 Colorado Ave. NW. Free. 202-426-0486 or www.nps.gov/rocr. ******U.S. Marine Parade,** U.S. Marine Silent Drill Team, Drum and Bugle Corps, Color Guard, Silent Drill Platoon and Ceremonial Marchers; visitors with reservations are admitted at 7:15 p.m.; attendees must arrive no later than 8 p.m. Parade, 8:45 p.m. Marine Barracks, Eighth and I streets SE. Free, reservations required. 202-433-4011, 202-433-6060 or www.barracks.marines.mil. ******** **************************************************Running through history,** a National Park Service ranger discusses and leads a run around the Mall’s memorials. 8-9 a.m., Washington Monument, Bookstore, 15th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Nikolette Cochran, 202-345-6361. **Architecture on the Nation’s Front Lawn,** urban studies lecturer Bill Keene discusses the 1791 plan for the Mall, the influential 1902 McMillan Plan, what happened to the museum park and the railroad station, why the Mall does not align with compass directions and other little-known facts. 8:30-11:15 a.m., meet at the Smithsonian Metro Blue/Orange line exit, 1200 Independence Ave. SW. $35. 202-633-3030 or www.smithsonianassociates.org. **Used book sale,** most books $1; proceeds benefit library programs. 10 a.m., Southeast Library, 403 Seventh St. SE. 202-698-3377. **Park ranger talk,** discover why Mahatma Gandhi was Martin Luther King Jr.’s model for leadership. 10 a.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, West Potomac Park, between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials, Independence Avenue SW. Free. JoAnn Garcia, 202-426-6841. **“Mary Poppins,”** for age 7 and older, the 1964 Disney musical film about a magical nanny, starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. 10:30 a.m. Saturday, 11:30 a.m. Sunday, National Gallery of Art, East Building Concourse, Auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-842-6799. **Civil War Georgetown,** a staff member leads a tour and discusses life during the war, how masters and workers managed on the estate and where Union soldiers were boarded alongside them. House tour. 10:30 a.m. Walking tour. 1 p.m., Tudor Place, 1644 31st St. NW. House or walking tour, $10; house and walking tour, $15. 202-965-0400 or register: www.tudorplacecivilwartour.com. **Create an art book,** artist Karen O. Brown teaches ages 6-12 how to use everyday materials in this workshop. 11:15 a.m., Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. Free. 202-243-1188. **Nationals baseball family day,** the Washington Nationals team up with the Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum to pay tribute to America’s pastime using crafts, activities and music for all ages. Take a camera for photo-ops with some major league guests. 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m., National Portrait Gallery, Kogod Courtyard, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Who’s Who at Woodlawn Cemetery?** Tyrone F. General, president of the Woodlawn Memorial Association, discusses the notable Washingtonians interred there. 1 p.m., Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. Free. 202-281-2583. **“Napoléon vu par Abel Gance,”** **lecture,** Anna Winestein, historian and executive director of the Ballets Russes Cultural Partnership, discusses Abel Gance’s legendary film. 2 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building Auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **Arts for families: Indonesian shadow puppets,** create and assemble your own character of mystery and myth inspired by Indonesian puppet theater, then write a story to present with your new puppet as the star of the show. 2-4 p.m., Textile Museum, 2320 S St. NW. Free. 202-667-0441, Ext. 64. **Guided bike ride,** about three hours, led by a National Park Service ranger, with stops to discuss what is on the Mall. Take your own bike, water and snacks. Helmets required. 2-5 p.m., Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Ranger Station, 900 Ohio Dr. Free. 202-426-6841. **“Dr. Strangelove,” **Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 classic black comedy and Cold War film, starring Peter Sellers, George C. Scott and Sterling Hayden. 2 p.m., Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Free. 202-727-1488. **Tango lesson,** Bahman Aryana of Rendezvous Tango teaches all experience levels and shows how to practice the dance. 2 p.m. Saturdays, through Sept. 21, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **“Scheherazade,”** Alexandre Volkoff’s 1928 Orientalist fantasy film with boldly exotic sets and costumes by Ivan Lochakoff and Boris Bilinsky, an illustration of the sort of international energy that flowed through late 1920s cinema, musical accompaniment by Ben Model. 4 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building Concourse, Auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. ******Indian Summer Showcase Concert,** multiple Grammy-award-winning singer Rita Coolidge performs her classic hits and some new standards. 5 p.m., National Museum of the American Indian, Outdoor Welcome Plaza, Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Blues music at Fort Dupont Park,** performances by Secret Society and Sylver Logan Sharp. Gates open 4:30 p.m., concert. 6 p.m., Fort Dupont Park, 3600 F St. SE. Free. 202-426-7723 or www.nps.gov/fodu. **Jazz vocalist Integriti Reeves,** the Strathmore artist-in-residence performs music that infuses jazz standards with original flair. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. ************ **********Pennsylvania Avenue: America’s Main Street,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour in the footsteps of politicians and protesters, revealing some of the avenue’s famous and lesser-known events, places and people. 10:30 a.m., Sundays through Aug. 25, Old Post Office Tower, Benjamin Franklin statue, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. 202-606-8691. ******Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company,** a performance of dances inspired by the spirit of the Ballets Russes. 1 and 3:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building Mezzanine, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **“Tang Wong,”** Kongdej Jaturanrasmee’s 2013 comedy centering on four teen boys who win a science competition and must perform a traditional Thai dance in public — the last thing they want to do. In Thai with English subtitles. 1 p.m., Freer Gallery of Art, Meyer Auditorium, Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Luce artist talk with Pointless Theatre Company,** company founders Patti Kalil and Matt Reckeweg discuss a work in the museum’s collection and tell why it resonates with them and show how Pointless uses play and interaction as the basis for their work; performance content intended for mature audiences. 1:30 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, third floor, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Ideal or Idle?** Lorena Baines discusses “Artists’ Views of the Peasant Dance from Brueghel to the Ballets Russes.” 2 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building Concourse, Auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **Story behind the UNDERSTORY tour,** artist Jackie Bailey Labovitz leads a tour and shares her tales of what happened during her search for rare exotic woodland orchids in natural light. 2-3 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory East Gallery, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333. **Summer Steps with Step Afrika!,** students perform with the nation’s leading professional touring step troupe. 2 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Free. 202-272-2448. www.nbm.org. **Guided bike ride,** about three hours, led by a National Park Service ranger; take your own bike, water and snacks, helmets required. 2-5 p.m., Thomas Jefferson Memorial, 900 Ohio Dr. SW. Free. Ranger Station, 202-426-6841. **“Mekong Hotel,”** Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s 2012 film showing casual conversations between two friends and portraying a seductive study of reincarnation and supernatural mysteries, in Thai with English subtitles. 3 p.m., Freer Gallery of Art, Meyer Auditorium, Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Classical piano recital,** Carlos César Rodríguez performs European and North and South American masterworks by Chopin, Astor Piazzola, Edward MacDowell and Alberto Ginastera. 3 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. Free tickets distributed in the G Street Lobby at 2:30 p.m. 202-633-1000. **“Le Lion des Mogols,”** Jean Epstein’s 1924 silent film about Tibetan Prince Roundghito-Sing, a romantic rival of the Grand Khan, and a leading lady he meets as she heads for Paris by boat, musical accompaniment by Ben Model,. 4 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building Concourse, Auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **Hurray for the Riff Raff,** a New Orleans-based indie folk group led by singer/songwriter/banjo player Alynda Lee, performing a blend of folk-blues and Southern Gothic Americana. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. ******Broad Stripes and Bright Stars,** a portrayal of seamstress Mary Pickersgill. The reenactor will enlist visitors’ help in assembling a huge “garrison flag.” 10:30 a.m. and 12:30, 2 and 3:30 p.m., Sundays through Thursdays except Aug. 11, National Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Love on the range,** museum visitors meet Nat Love, a cattle driver of the American West, before he sets out on the trail. 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Mondays- Tuesdays except Aug. 26-27, National Museum of American History, first floor, East Wing, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Botanic Garden lunchtime tour,** museum volunteers lead a tour and discuss what manila folders, Chanel No. 5, vanilla and fossil fuels have in common. Also, a discussion of possible breakthroughs in medicinal plant research. Noon, Mondays and Wednesdays through Aug. 28, U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov. **“Grizzly Man,”** the 2005 film depicting the true story of amateur naturalist and wildlife advocate Timothy Treadwell who spent 13 summers in Alaska’s Katmai National Park where he came to know and love the grizzly bears that eventually killed him and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard. 1 p.m., Southeast Library, 403 Seventh St. SE. Free. 202-698-3377. ******Library game night,** for ages 12-19, play Wii or Xbox with your friends or meet some new ones to challenge. 4:30-6 p.m. except holidays, Mt. Pleasant Library, 3160 16th NW. Free. 202-671-3121. **Science and the art of the cosmos,** for ages 13-19, explore the vast distances of our universe using art and imagination to grasp abstract concepts. 5:30 p.m., **Capitol View Library** , 5001 Central Ave. SE. 202-645-0755; and 5:30 p.m., **Francis A. Gregory Library** , 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. 202-645-4297. Free. **Woodridge Checkmates,** Vaughn Bennett teaches children and teens winning chess strategies. 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Sept. 23, except Labor Day, Woodridge Library, 1801 Hamlin St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. **Short German films,** “We Shall Overcome,” about the attitude of East Germany to the U.S. civil rights movement, in German with English subtitles; “Break the Power of the Manipulators,” about the Springer Press network and the role of newspapers in Germany, in German with English subtitles; and “Inextinguishable Fire,” a film that contributed to the growing outcry against the use of napalm, in German with English subtitles. 6:30 p.m., Goethe- Institut, 812 Seventh St. NW. $7; seniors and students, $4. 202-289-1200. ******Game night for teens,** play a variety of Wii video games or a board game. 6:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. Free. 202-724-4752. **“The Gringo: A Memoir,”** local writer J. Grigsby Crawford discusses his book about his two years of adventure as a Peace Corps volunteer in South America. 7 p.m., Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th NW. Free. 202-671-3121. **Yoga class,** 7 p.m. Mondays through Aug. 26 and 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Aug. 28, Yards Park, Third and Water streets SE. Free. 202-289-0111 or www.yardspark.org. **Concert at the Capitol,** the U.S. Navy Band Concert Band performs. 8 p.m., U.S. Capitol (west steps). Free. 202-433-2525. **** **Screen on the Green:** “Tootsie,” Sydney Pollack’s 1982 film about an out- of-work actor who lands a soap opera role by posing as a woman, starring Dustin Hoffman, Teri Garr, Jessica Lange and Dabney Coleman.  8:30 p.m., the Mall, between Seventh and 12th streets NW. Free. 877-262-5866. **** **************** **“Uno, Dos, Tres with Andres,”** Andres Salguero leads ages 3-12 in song and dance through different Latin American cultures. 10:30 a.m., **Parklands-Turner Library** , 1547 Alabama Ave. SE. 202-645-4532; and 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, **Georgetown Library** , 3260 R St. NW. 202-727-0232. Free. **Classical music concert,** Levine School of Music faculty members Maria Montano, viola, Jorge Orozco, violin, and Seth Castleton, cello, perform a program, “The Power of Inspiration.” 12:10 p.m., Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Suggested donation, $10. 202-347-2635, Ext. 20. **** ******Brown v. Board of Education,** a National Park Service Ranger discusses segregation laws and practices in the South during the 1960s. 3 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, West Potomac Park, between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials, Independence Avenue SW. Free. Kawther Elmi, 202-438-6841. **“Out of Africa,”** Sydney Pollack’s 1985 film about the life of Danish writer Karen Blixen, better known as Isak Dinesen, who travels to Kenya to be with her German husband but falls for an English adventurer, starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep. 6 p.m., Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. Free. 202-727-0232. ******Democracy of images,** curator for photography Lisa Hostetler leads a tour of the “Democracy” exhibit and discusses the museum’s photography collection. 6 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, G Street Lobby, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. ******Jayme Stone,** the award-winning banjo player performs music inspired by folk traditions from Norway, Sweden, Bulgaria, Brazil, Italy and North America. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Conscious Moves chess club,** for ages 10-16. 6 p.m. Tuesdays. Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. Free. 202-715-7707 or 202-715-7708. **Images of the historic march,** scholar Paul Farber discusses the role of photography in the events of Aug. 28, 1963, the March on Washington, on its 50th anniversary. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **Concert on the avenue,** the U.S. Navy Band Concert Band, the Cruisers and the Sea Chanters perform. 7:30 p.m., U.S. Navy Memorial, Naval Heritage Center, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. 202-737-2300 or 202-433-2525. ** ** ******** **** ****** ** **Kalanidhi Dance Company,** the ensemble performs one of India’s seven classical dance styles, combining fast rhythms with fluid movements. ** **Noon, Library of Congress, Coolidge Auditorium, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-5510; and 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Gallery talk:** curatorial assistant Stephanie Midon discusses the exhibit “Bice Lazzari: Signature Line.” Noon, National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. Free. 202-783-5000. **U.S. Capitol history talk,** architectural historian Don Alexander Hawkins discusses his research on the evolution of the Capitol design from the L’Enfant plan through the Capitol design competition. Noon, Veterans of Foreign Wars Building, Ketchum Hall, 200 Maryland Ave. NW. Free, reservations recommended. 202-543-8919, Ext. 38, or www.uschs.org. **American Craft Masterpieces,** Fern Bleckner, deputy chief of operations, discusses Dale Nish’s Nagare Bowl. Noon, Renwick Gallery, 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **“Women Adrift: The Literature of Japan’s Imperial Body.”** Noriko J. Horiguchi discusses her book. Noon, Library of Congress, Room LJ113, Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-2990. **Story tapestries,** for ages 6-12, storyteller Arianna Ross weaves together the power of storytelling, dance, music, visual arts and the theatre. 1:30 p.m., **Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library,** 1630 Seventh St. NW. 202-727-1288; and 4:30 p.m. **Rosedale Library,** 1701 Gales St. NE. 202-727-5012. Free. **What the Tower Sees,** ****a National Park Service ranger discusses the city’s geography, architecture and history; take a camera. 3:30 p.m., Wednesdays through Aug. 28, Old Post Office Tower, Observation Deck, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. 202-606-8691. **Is This Art?,** a guided tour by a staff member, focusing on contemporary works with a discussion that encourages free-flowing conversation and debate. 6 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Lincoln Gallery, third Floor, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Staged reading: “The Picture of Dorian Gray,”** excerpts of Oscar Wilde’s novel about a man’s portrait that ages with each debaucherous act and vice he commits. 7 p.m., Warehouse Theater DC, 645 New York Ave. NW. $25; in advance, $20. 202-399-7993. **********“Love is Love,”** a film about an 18-year-old blind pianist who longs to fall in love, despite objections by her overprotective grandfather, in Czech with English subtitles. 8 p.m., Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. $11; students, $9; seniors, $8.25; age 12 and younger, $8. 202-966-6000. **U.S. Marine Band concert,** a performance of works by John Philip Sousa, Richard Wagner and Aaron Copland. 8 p.m., U.S. Capitol, west terrace. Free. 202-433-4011. **“Broke-ology,”** by Nathan Louis Jackson, the start of Theater Alliance’s season begins with a play directed by Candace L. Feldman, a powerful family drama that grapples with dreams realized, dreams deferred and responsibility to family and community. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 7 p.m. Sundays, continues through Sept. 8, Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon Pl. SE. Pay-what-you-can previews Wednesday and Aug. 15. Regular shows: $25; students and seniors, $15. 202-241-2539 or www.theateralliance.com. **“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,”** John Hughes’s entertaining film starring Matthew Broderick, Jennifer Grey and Alan Ruck; coolers, children and leashed dogs welcome. Opens 7 p.m. Film, 8:20 p.m., NoMa Summer Screen, Second and L streets NE. Free. 202-289-0111 or www.nomasummerscreen.com. **************** ******National Building Museum Design Show,** the first-ever in the museum’s history and hosted in the historic Great Hall, meet the artists and explore a wide range of custom decorative and functional objects including home furnishings, fine art and photography, flooring, fabric, lighting, and outdoor fixtures. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Aug. 15-16, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 17, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 18, National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. $10, age 12 and older; age 12 and younger, free to Design Show only. 202-272-2448. www.nbm.org/Design-Show. **Woodridge Checkmates,** chess instruction for ages 2-6. 10:15 a.m., Woodridge Library, 1801 Hamlin St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. ******“Moon Plane,”** a staff member reads Peter McCarty’s book about a boy who imagines himself flying to the moon and what he sees along the way; a hands-on activity follows. 11 a.m. Aug. 15-16, 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Aug. 17, National Air and Space Museum, Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight Gallery, Sixth Street and Independence Avenue SW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Short films, “Elisha and the Cacao Trees” (2010),** about the role of chocolate in the world; and “From the Ikpeng Children to the World” (2002), four Ikpeng children introduce their Brazilian village to kids in Sierra Maestra, Cuba. 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays through Aug. 31, National Museum of the American Indian, Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Time Trial of John Brown,** join a jury as the public deliberates on John Brown’s contested legacy, meet the man who committed his life to ending slavery and used violent tactics to do it, decide how history should remember this disputed figure. 11 a.m., 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m. most Thursdays-Saturdays, National Museum of American History, Price of Freedom Theater, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **D.C. Beat Club,** for ages 13-19, a digital music workshop that gives participants the opportunity to create music together in a welcoming environment and using touch-screen digital synthsizers, playing different instruments to create and record songs on the fly, no experience necessary. 11:15 a.m., Southeast Library, 403 Seventh St. SE. Free. 202-698-3377. **Cooking demonstration: late summer bounty,** gardening specialist Adrienne Cook and nutritionist Danielle Cook show uses for tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and late squash as the garden peaks. Noon-1:30 p.m., U.S. National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave. NE. Free. 202-245-4521. **Story tapestries,** ****for ages 6-12, storyteller Arianna Ross weaves together the power of storytelling, dance, music, visual arts and the theatre. 2 p.m., Southeast Library, 403 Seventh St. SE. Free. 202-698-3377. **Create an art book,** artist Karen O. Brown teaches ages 6-12 how to use everyday materials in this workshop. 3 p.m., William O. Lockridge/Bellevue Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW. Free. 202-243-1184. **D.C. Beat Club,** for ages 13-19, a digital music workshop that gives the opportunity to create music together in a welcoming environment, no experience necessary. 4 p.m., Southeast Library, 403 Seventh St. SE. Free. 202-698-3377. **Take 5! The Music of vocalist Andrea Wood,** the D.C. native and her group perform the music of Shirley Horn, one of Washington’s idols. Register for an opportunity to paint as the audience mingles. 5-8 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Kogod Courtyard, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000 or www.artjamzdc.com. ******“Julie & Julia,”** a screening of the 2009 Nora Ephron film about blogger Julie Powell’s 2002 challenge to cook all of the recipes in Julia Child’s first book, shown in celebration of Julia Child’s 101st Birthday. 6 p.m., National Academy of Sciences, 2100 C St. NW. 202-334-2436. **Caz and the Day Laborers,** the D.C. band performs rock-steady reggae sounds. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Food in the garden,** tastes, tours and talks in conjunction with the “FOOD: Transforming the American Table 1910-2000,” exhibit with local gardeners, practitioners and researchers discussing what we eat and how we grow it, includes two cocktails and features Green Hat Gin, WildCraft Soda and food from local farms. 6-8 p.m., National Museum of American History, Victory Garden at the corner of 12th Street and Constitution Ave. NW. $20. 202-633-1000 or http://americanhistory.si.edu/events/food-garden. **”Shyamal Uncle Turns Off the Lights,”** Suman Ghosh’s 2012 film about an 80-year-old retiree on a mission to get his neighborhood street lights turned off after sunrise, in Bengali with English subtitles. Northwest One Library, 155 L St. NW. Free. 202-939-5946. **********U.S. Marine Band concert,** a performance of works by Steven Bryant, Frank Ticheli and John Philip Sousa. 7:30 p.m., Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. Free. 202-433-4011. **** ** — Compiled by Gerri Marmer  ** **E-mail:** districtlocalliving@washpost.com (to the attention of Gerri Marmer) **   Mail:** Community Events, District Local Living, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20071. **   Details:** Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.

‘Curb Appeal’ host John Gidding on lush lawns, pretty porches and other outdoor room improvements

As the host (and design brain) behind HGTV’s “Curb Appeal,” architect- landscape designer John Gidding transforms homeowners’ yards and porches from blah to blazingly cool. The Turkish-born, New York City-based greenspace guru, who also starred on “Designed to Sell,” will chat about outdoor design at the Capital Home + Garden Show from Friday through Sunday at the Dulles Expo Center.    *[WSU]: Wayne State University **You did some modeling before you were a designer. How did that impact your design career?**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University I think that people talk down to you in modeling, and they also talk down to you in architecture school. So it gave me a thicker skin! **How have design shows changed how Americans visualize their outdoor spaces?**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University In the beginning of “Curb Appeal,” some people pushed back and said, “Why would I want to sit in my front yard?” But now I think people think of yards as an extension of their living spaces. **What are some of the things you do to make yards and porches more appealing?**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University I feel strongly about creating a path to the front door. And I always try to delete the hegemony of the car by de-emphasizing the garage door. **Well, what should I emphasize if the garage is out?**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University Your front door. If you paint it a saturated color, you’ll focus on that. **What are some quick fixes for yards or porches?**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University Check out what entering your home is like. Make sure your mailbox is nice and erect, and that it’s hopefully shiny and black. Make sure metal fixtures on the door hardware and light fixture match. **What would you like to banish from every yard in America?**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University One-hundred percent, fountains. They’re so popular, but almost all the ones I see are broken. I’m also not a fan of the traditional lawn. They’re not great for the environment. I try to steer people toward ornamental grasses. **Are there any hot trends in gardening or flowers?**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University Xeriscaping [landscaping with low-water, often native plants] is getting more popular. **What do you recommend for people with tiny outdoor spaces?**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University Container gardening is getting popular in cities. The containers themselves have gotten so beautiful, and you can switch things in pots out whenever you like. **What’s your position on garden gnomes?**    *[WSU]: Wayne State University Flamingos and gnomes, they don’t up your curb appeal. I think those and other lawn ornaments are an effort at being playful. But I’d rather see something that means something to the homeowner, like wind chimes. _Dulles Expo Center, 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center; Chantilly, Va.; Fri.-Sun., $10; capitalhomeandgarden show.com._    *[WSU]: Wayne State University

Remembering garden designer Lanning Roper

Years ago, a magazine sent me to write about a grand Elizabethan garden outside London with a peculiarly un-English display of the Union Jack, fashioned from roses and lavender. An editor was sending a helicopter for the photographer to get aerial shots of the flag garden and suggested I climb aboard as well. In time, the machine arrived. It was about the size of a gnat and seemed to have trouble holding its hovering position against an approaching squall. The photographer, Christopher, said the contraption was too small to take both of us up. “Go right ahead,” I said, feigning disappointment. The flag garden doesn’t really stay with me, but a small, charming double border does. It was created in another part of the grounds by a consummate plantsman and designer named Lanning Roper. This year marks the centennial of his birth, and while his work is inherently fleeting, his credo persists: Know your plants, have fun with them, but pay attention to structure and design. Roper was born of blue-blood New England stock in West Orange, N.J., and died before his time in 1983. He lived most of his life in England, where he became a respected and prolific designer of, for the most part, private gardens. Somewhat overgrown and tired by the time I saw it, the border still possessed a distinctly different character. It had more shrubs than was fashionable, and though there was a considered color scheme, the most striking aspect was the lively composition of leaf texture. By now, most of his work has been lost to time and changing tastes, and his legacy has mostly vanished with his gardens, except perhaps for a book about him and his gardens by Jane Brown, published by Rizzoli in 1987. I turn to it often for inspiration, perusing the plant border plans, for Roper had a deft and easy touch when it came to forming artful plant groupings, a skill that does not come easily or quickly to most of us. “The Oxford Companion to the Garden” describes Roper as a designer who “practiced in a relaxed English style with exuberant mixed borders and a refined sense of architecture.” English but with an American eye. With a little tweaking of the plant selection, his compositions would fit elegantly into our gardens and climate. (No romneyas, hebes or ceanothus, alas.) What is remarkable about Roper is that while he designed large gardens for industrialists, aristocrats and even royalty, he seemed to do his most pleasing work in small domestic settings. What do I like about his borders? They are both architectural and effusive, combining flowery perennials such as echinops, helianthemums and lilies with soothing mounds of lavender, lamb’s ears or phlomis, along with small and medium-sized shrubs as visual anchors. He liked to use mahonias, viburnums and sumacs for this role. For his borders, he used the whole bag of tricks short of annuals and grasses, employing evergreen and deciduous shrubs, perennials, herbs and bulbs. He was telling us: Use loads of plants, but make the design clear. His compositions were soft but not mushy; they had form and a certain rhythm achieved by repeating plants here and there. He loved to insert roses into his borders, and his refined taste drew him to some beauties: Nevada, Frau Dagmar Hastrup, Buff Beauty, Charles de Mills and Cardinal Richelieu. His four favorite climbers, wrote Brown, were New Dawn (the now ubiquitous, silver pink beauty); Wedding Day (rampant and with eye-catching fruits); Felicite Perpetue (soft pink blooms and vigorous growth) and Adelaide d’Orleans (a blushed, profuse and soft-petaled beauty). Roper also used boxwood to provide strong forms to his compositions. Given the astonishing low-care, long-flowering roses that have been developed since his death, one could imagine him refining his borders with even better material. The same thought extends to boxwood, where new hybrids have almost the same fine texture as some of the old English and dwarf Kingsville box, but are healthier and more handsome for it. Color schemes were important to Roper, though the black-and-white photos in the book demonstrate that without attention paid first to assemblages of texture and form, color is nothing. When he employed color, he used signature themes. Importantly, the hues were carried by the foliage as much as with the more fleeting flowers. He liked color schemes of “soft pinks, mauvy-blues and silvers,” wrote Brown, or yellows, creams and grays. He also wanted his gardens to have “blood-red roses on a stone wall, glossy green leaves, puffs of lavender or lavender-cotton, sweeps of autumn’s russets and golds, and always the scents of roses and his aristocratic loves, lilies and tulips,” she wrote. Roper may have become better known if his last commission had come to fruition. In 1981, Prince Charles had bought his estate, Highgrove, and had turned to Roper to develop the gardens. (Brown wrote that he had been recommended by the prince’s future wife, Camilla Parker Bowles. Roper had designed her parents’ garden in the 1960s.) But by the early 1980s, Roper had become weakened by his cancer, and he begged off. Prince Charles used other designers to help him, but in time he became his own skilled gardener, driven by his organic interests. Roper would have been sensitive to nature, but his gardens existed in a purer time when horticulture was less freighted by ecological imperatives. His gardens and, particularly, his borders were assembled by a master for their own simple beauty and joyfulness. Imagine such a thing. **Also at washingtonpost.com**   To read Higgins’s previous columns, go to washingtonpost.com/home. Follow @adrian_higgins on Twitter.

TV highlights: “Girls” and “Togetherness” return to HBO

_(All times Eastern.)_ The **funeral Mass for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia** will air live from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (C-SPAN at 11 a.m.). The documentary **“Telescope”** (Discovery at 9) follows international efforts to build NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Set to be deployed in October 2018, the telescope will offer an unprecedented look at the origins of the universe and planets outside our solar system. _Sunday talk shows_ : **“Capital Download”** (WUSA at 8:30 a.m.) talks to Lonnie Bunch, director of the National Museum of African American History; **“Fox News Sunday”** (Fox at 9) hosts Tad Devine, senior adviser to Bernie Sanders’s presidential campaign; **“White House Chronicle”** (WETA at 9) talks to the Providence Journal’s G. Wayne Miller; **“State of the Union”** (CNN at 9) features Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.); **“Government Matters”** (WJLA at 9) has Marc Pearl, president and chief executive of the Homeland Security and Defense Business Council; **“Newsmakers”** (C-SPAN at 10) talks to Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee; **“Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo”** (Fox News Channel at 10) hosts Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican presidential candidate; **“This Is America and the World”** (WETA at 10 and WHUT at 7:30 p.m.) re-airs a 2006 roundtable discussion featuring Justice Scalia sharing his thoughts on the American Dream, immigration and diversity; **“Face the Nation”** (CBS at 10:30) hosts Kasich and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.). Also on Sunday, **“Must-See TV: A Tribute to James Burrows”** (NBC at 9 p.m.) salutes the veteran television sitcom director, who recently helmed his 1,000th episode. No, it’s not a “Friends” reunion, but (most) of that beloved show’s cast will be there, along with cast members from shows such as “Cheers,” “Taxi,” “The Big Bang Theory” and “Will and Grace.” Mrs. Patmore’s bed-and-breakfast attracts a scandal, and relationships get complicated for Mary and Edith in the penultimate episode of **“Downton Abbey”** (WETA and MPT at 9). The series finale airs March 6. **RETURNING SHOW** : Hannah, Shoshanna, Marnie and Jessa return for Season 5 of **“Girls”** (HBO at 10). In the opener, Marnie tries to keep it together while getting ready for her big day, but the wedding prep leads to some awkward moments all around, including an uncomfortable conversation between Fran and Adam. **RETURNING SHOW** : In the Season 2 premiere of **“Togetherness”** (HBO at 10:30), Alex gets a surprise visit on the New Orleans set of his new film. **— Bethonie Butler  **

D.C. community calendar, Sept. 19 to 26, 2013

******Olmsted Woods walk,** birder Sheila Cochran leads a walk in the restored woods and discusses the native groundcovers, shrubs and trees that attract birds and other wildlife; take binoculars. 8:30 a.m., meet at the George Washington statue on Pilgrim Road on the grounds of Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Free. 202-537-2319 or www.nationalcathedral.org. ******“Uno, dos, tres. . . Andres!”**for ages 2-6, counting, playing and dancing with Andrés Salguero to songs familiar and new as he uses sing-alongs and movement to share Spanish words. 10 and 11:15 a.m. Thursday-Friday, Discovery Theater at S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $8; ages 2-16, $6; 1 and younger, $3. 202-633-8700 or www.discoverytheater.org. **Woodridge Checkmates,** chess instruction for ages 2-6. 10:15 a.m. Thursdays, Woodridge Library, 1801 Hamlin St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. **Garden tour and kids in “snugglies,”** volunteers take turns leading parents or care providers with one child in a snuggly for a tour of the conservatory. 10:30 a.m. Thursdays, through Sept. 26, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov. **Plant talk at National Garden,** education technician Alex Torres discusses the diversity of American plants; take sunscreen and water. 10:30 a.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Garden Court, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov. ******Behind-the-scenes cathedral tour,** for age 11 and older, see gargoyles and stained-glass windows, climb a lot of stairs for a panoramic view of the city; bring a camera. 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. most weekdays, Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $15. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org. **************Students “sit-in” training,** meet a civil rights activist; take part in a training session based on a 1960s manual and prepare for your first sit-in. 11:30 a.m. and 1:30, 3 and 4:30 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays, National Museum of American History, second floor, East Wing, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Constitution book talk,** David Robertson discusses his work “The Original Compromise: What the Constitution’s Framers Were Really Thinking,” an examination of each debate from the convention, showing how it emerges piece by piece, the product of a web of agreements. Noon, National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Vardanant’s Day lecture,** Charles de Lamberterie discusses “The Armenian Language and the Indo-European Linguistic Family.” Noon, Library of Congress, Northeast Pavilion, Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-5680. ******Library of Congress lecture,** Kluge staff fellow Adrienne Lundgren discusses “The Photographs of F. Holland Day, Creating a Materials-Based Catalogue Raisonne for Photography.” 4 p.m., Library of Congress, Jefferson Building, Room LJ119, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-0213. **Pilates in the park,** taught by certified instructors; take a mat. 5:30 p.m. Thursdays through Oct. 10, Farragut Square, 17th and K streets NW. Free. 202-463-3400. **Local Dance Commissioning Project: The Meaning of Buck Dance,** directed by D.C. choreographer Emily Oleson, features Urban Artistry with Good Foot Dance Company and Baakari Wilder. 6 p.m. Thursday-Friday, Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Graffiti and Street Art,** graffiti historian and author Roger Gastman, founder and publisher of While You Were Sleeping and Swindle pop culture magazines, discusses contemporary graffiti and traces its roots to the late 1960s in New York and Philadelphia’s subway cars, ice cream trucks, park benches and other locations. Gastman introduces a screening of “The Legend of Cool ‘Disco’ Dan”; a question-and-answer session follows. 6:30-8:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $25. 202-633-3030. **U.S. Navy Band concert,** the Commodores jazz ensemble performs. 7:30 p.m., Yards Park, Third and Water streets SE. Free. 202-433-2525. **“After the Revolution,”** by Amy Herzog, with music by Matthew Nielson, performed by Peter Birkenhead, Nancy Robinette and others. 7:30 p.m. most Wednesdays-Thursdays; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 3 and 7:30 p.m. Sundays; noon Oct. 4. Theater dark Sept. 19 and 26. Washington D.C. Jewish Community Center, Theater J, 1529 16th St. NW. $30-$65. 800-494-8497 or www.boxofficetickets.com. ******************************“Shear Madness,”** performance of a comedy- mystery set in Georgetown, with audience participation to help solve a mock murder. 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 6 and 9 p.m. Saturdays, 3 and 7 p.m. Sundays, Kennedy Center, Family Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $48. 202-467-4600. ****** ** **********“Measure for Measure,”** Jonathan Munby directs the Shakespeare comedy about what happens in a city when the duke leaves on a diplomatic mission. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sundays; 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays. Through Oct. 27. Lansburgh Theatre, 450 Seventh St. NW. $40-$100, discounts for students, seniors, military, groups and age 35 and younger. 202-547-1122 or www.shakespearetheatre.org. **“Detroit,”** Lisa D’Amour’s explosive dark comedy about a couple whose upwardly mobile life begins to crumble when a new couple comes to town. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. most Saturdays; 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays; 8 p.m. Wednesdays. Through Oct. 6. Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D St. NW. $35-$75, subject to availability. 202-393-3939 or www.woollymammoth.net. ****“ **Don Juan** ,” Faction of Fools Theatre Company presents the Moliere play adapted and directed by Matthew R. Wilson. 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays; 7:30 p.m. Sept. 30. Through Oct. 6. Gallaudet University, Elstad Auditorium, 800 Florida Ave. NE. $25; students, military, seniors and groups, $15; age 12 and younger, $10. 202-503-9760 or www.factionoffools.org/donjuan. **“The Velocity of Autumn,”** performance of Eric Coble’s play about a 79-year-old woman who lives alone in a Brooklyn brownstone with her memories — and enough explosives to take down most of her block. Starring Estelle Parsons and Stephen Spinella. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays; 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays; noon Oct. 8, 9 and 16. Through Oct. 20, Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. $40-$90, subject to change and based on availability. 202-488-3300 or www.arenastage.org. **********“The Marriage of Maria Braun,”** a stage version of the powerful World War II drama of love, lust, and loss by German filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder, suitable for age 16 and older. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays, Tuesdays-Wednesdays. Through Oct. 11, Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Call for ticket prices. 202-399-7993 or www.scenatheater.org. ******************AARP driver safety course,** for age 50 and older, certificate given upon completion. 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Friday and Monday, Sibley Memorial Hospital, Renaissance Building, Room 2. 202-364-7602; 12:30-4:30 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, Hattie Holmes Senior Center, 324 Kennedy St. NW. 202-291-6170. $14 per course, registration requested. **Beekeeping for beginners,** New Jersey State Apiarist Tim Schuler discusses the necessity for honey bees for pollination and honey production, why people keep bees and how to start the process. U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Classroom, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free, registration required. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov. **Japanese folk song lecture,** Franklin Odo, founding director of the Asian Pacific American program at the Smithsonian, will speak on ** “Voices from the Canefields: Folksongs from Japanese Immigrant Workers in Hawaii.”** Noon, Library of Congress, Madison Building, Mary Pickford Theater, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. 202-707-5510. ******************************Arts@Midday** classical guitarist Charles Mokotoff performs works by Albeniz, Granados, Reis, Cardosa and others. 12:15-1 p.m., St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 3001 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Free. 202-363-8286 or www.StAlbansDC.org. ****Pipe organ concert,** **John Cannon performs works by J.S. Bach, Max Reger, Andrew Clarke, Ennio Morricone and Errki Melartin. 12:15-1 p.m., National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Cir. NW. Free, donations welcome. 202-797-0103. **Aaron Broadus and the Georgetown University Jazz Ensemble,** a program of big band classics recalling the years when artists such as Benny Goodman and Gene Krupa performed. 1:15 p.m., Georgetown University, McNeir Hall, 37th and O streets NW. Free. 202-687-2787. **“The Hidden History of Black Internationalism in the U.S,”** Greg Carr, chair of Howard University’s Afro-American studies department, and historian Gerald Horne, professor of history and African American studies at the University of Houston, discuss Syria, Iran and the international movement to end racial oppression, colonialism and class exploitation. Hosted by Ubiquity, Inc., a non-profit, Pan-African community outreach social organization. 6:30-9 p.m., Howard University, Blackburn Center, 2397 Sixth St. NW. Free. 202-744-2641. www.nommospeakersbureau.com. **India’s maestros of music and dance,** a Kathak dance performance featuring Aditi Mangaldas, one of India’s prominent classical dance artists. 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $35. 301-267-1188. **Classical music concert,** Avanti Orchestra of the Friday Morning Music Club performs Baroque works by Vivaldi, Piatti and J. S. Bach. 8 p.m., Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Free. **703-243-7047**. **Revolution in Washington,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour and discusses Washington and Jefferson, John Paul Jones and Casimir Pulaski, figures of the American Revolution. 8-10 p.m., National World War II Memorial, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Paul O’Brian, 202-438-7066. ******Baroque favorites concert,** the Avanti Orchestra performs works by Vivaldi, Piatti and J. S. Bach. 8 p.m., Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Free. 202-333-2075. **************************************************National Book Festival,** more than 100 authors, illustrators and poets making presentations in the children and teens category, along with fiction and mystery, history and biography, contemporary life, poetry and prose, graphic novels and science fiction and special programs pavilions; appearances by Giada De Laurentiis, Andrea Davis Pinkney, Steve Vogel, Margaret Atwood, Joyce Carol Oates, Fred Hiatt, Stuart Eizenstat, Linda Ronstadt and many others. Sponsored by the Library of Congress. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday, noon-5:30 p.m. Sunday, the Mall, between Ninth and 14th streets NW. Free. 888-714-4696 or www.loc.gov/bookfest. ******President Lincoln’s Cottage Family Day,** a day of Civil War reenactments, live entertainment, children’s activities including pony rides, peacock chasing and a petting zoo with Tad Lincoln’s favorite animal, tour of the cottage and more. 10 a.m.-3 p.m., President Lincoln’s Cottage (enter through Eagle Gate), on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home, Rock Creek Church Road and Upshur Street NW. $15; ages 6-12, $5. 800-514-3849. www.lincolncottage.org/FamilyDay2013. **Mark Lohr: hooked on books!** A children’s show designed to use juggling and classic comedy to show kids how many more surprises come from reading than from watching TV. 9:30 and 11 a.m., National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free ticket, one per person, distributed 30 minutes before each show. 202-783-3372. **Imperial China: 2,000 Years of Political Evolution,** Chinese historian Edward McCord reveals that contrary to the popular image of China as a timeless and unchanging empire, dynastic leaders built on the achievements of their predecessors to make their own contributions to improving governance and strengthening territorial security. 9:30 a.m.-4:15 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $130. 202-633-3030. **Fin-de-Siecle Vienna: A Golden Age of Music and Art,** David Gariff, Catholic University art history professor, discusses how and why fin-de-siecle Vienna saw this rich flowering of masterworks with seminal personalities in arts, letters, and philosophy crossed paths, among them Gustav Mahler, Sigmund Freud, Hugo Wolf, Gustav Klimt, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Arnold Schoenberg, Oskar Kokoschka and Egon Schiele in its sphere of influence. 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. , S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $130. 202-633-3030. **Day of the dog,** a celebration of everything we love about them; activities for people and pups include contests, games, demonstrations, visits with pet adoption agencies, shelters and more; take your leashed dogs and join members of the K9 Corps. 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. Free, some activities and contests require tickets. 202-543-0539 or www.congressionalcemetery.org. **The Big Build: A Hands-On Family Festival,** visitors can try building a brick wall, carving stone and other construction jobs while learning about tools, trucks and the building arts and meeting plumbers, electricians, ironworkers, landscape architects and others; visit the building industry exhibit on building green through environmentally friendly practices. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Free. 202-272-2448. www.nbm.org. **Junior Botanist Festival,** staff and volunteers lead hands-on activities and discussions, interact with Emily Porter of Project BudBurst, nutritionist Danielle Navidi and beekeeper Tim Schuler. 10 a.m.-2 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Terrace, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov. **Elizabethan garden tours,** docent-led tours of the library’s knot garden that features Shakespeare-inspired statues by Gregg Wyatt. 10 and 11 a.m., Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Free. 202-544-7077. **Guided bike ride,** about three hours, led by a National Park Service ranger, with stops to discuss the myths and half-truths of U.S. history; take your own bike, water and snacks, helmets required. 2-5 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays, through Sept. 29, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, 900 Ohio Dr. SW. Free. 202-426-6841. **India’s maestros of music and dance,** a performance by sisters Ranjani and Gayathri, Carnatic singers. 2 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $35. 301-267-1188. **Tango lesson,** for all experience levels, Bahman Aryana of Rendezvous Tango shows how to practice the dance. 2:30 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Free. 202-727-0321. **“The lamps are going out all over Europe,”** a National Park Service ranger discusses the words that created World War I in 1914, a war nobody saw coming. 3 p.m., D.C. War Memorial, Independence Avenue between the National World War II and Lincoln memorials. Free. Paul O’Brian, 202-438-7066. **Georgetown University Orchestra symphonic workshop,** a performance of Steve Antosca’s “moment,” a work commissioned to accompany the Charles Ritchie exhibit “Night and Reflection,” a panel discussion on the intersection of music, art and technology follows. 4 p.m., Georgetown University, Walsh Building Lobby, 37th and O streets NW. Free. 202-687-2787. **Symbolism at the Navy Memorial,** a National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour of the memorial and discusses its symbolism. 5 p.m., U.S. Navy Memorial, Naval Heritage Center, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. Ron Grissom, 202-604-8422. **Guy Davis in concert,** the musician, composer and storyteller revives the traditions of acoustic blues. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. ******** ************ I **ndia’s maestros of music and dance,** a performance by one of India’s foremost Odissi dance companies, Nrityagram performs Samyoga, featuring artists Surupa Sen and Bijayini Satpathy. 7:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $35. 301-267-1188. **Flory Jagoda and Friends,** a concert of Sephardic music from Virginia. 8 p.m., Library of Congress, Coolidge Auditorium, 10 First St. SE. Free, tickets required. 202-707-5510. **** **********World’s largest stamp gallery opening,** the National Postal Museum hosts an event for kids, a Medal of Honor enshrinement ceremony with Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno, a special first-day-of-issue ceremony by the Postal Service, a children’s stamp collection workshop with free stamps and more; meet and greet Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Tweety Bird. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., National Postal Museum, 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE. Free. 202-633-5555 or www.npm.si.edu. **Global hunger forum,** Cathedral Missioner Patty Johnson talks with George Jones, chief executive officer of Bread for the City, and Alexandra Ashbrook, director of D.C. Hunger Solutions, about the realities of global hunger and hunger in the District. 10:10 a.m., Washington National Cathedral, Front Nave, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Free. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org. **Portrait Story Days:Rachel Carson,** listen to a story about the biologist, writer and ecologist, then create a simple print. 2-5 p.m., National Portrait Gallery, first floor, Education Center, Room E151, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **Utsav: India’s maestros of music and dance,** a performance by Carnatic violinists Lalgudi Krishnan and Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi, children of the legendary Lalgudi Jayaraman. 2 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $35. Stephanie Campbell, 301-267-1188. **War Memoranda: A Conversation with Binh Dahn and Robert Schultz,** artist Dahn and Schultz, Roanoke College English professor, discuss the exhibit “Tell It with Pride: The 54th Massachusetts Regiment and Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ Shaw Memorial.” 2 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building Concourse, Auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **Lee’s Invasions of the North,** a National Park Service ranger discusses Robert E. Lee’s reasons for his two invasions of the Union North, Antietam and Gettysburg, and his failure to anticipate the results. 3 p.m., Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. Free. Jan Buerger, 202-497-1397. **Persian classical music concert,** performed by Nader Majd and the Chakavak Ensemble. 3:30 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free. Registration: www.hillcenterdc.org or 202-549-4172. **“Le Joli Mai,”** Chris Marker and Pierre Lhomme’s restored 1963 film that captured interviews with Parisian passers-by on the meaning of happiness, music by Michel Legrand, English commentary by actress Simone Signoret, in French with English subtitles. 4:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building Concourse, Auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-842-6799. **Pipe organ recital,** Brian Mathias performs works by Gigout, Schumann, Charles-Marie Widor, Stephen Paulus and Durufle. 5:15 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, Great Choir, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Suggested donation, $10. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org. **Elvis and George: related?,** a National Park Service Ranger leads a walking tour and discusses the mystery of George Washington’s life and legacy. 6-8 p.m., Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro station, 2301 I St. NW. Free. Call Lowell Fry, 202-438-9603. **U.S. Army Band concert,** the Downrange ensemble performs contemporary repertoire of rock, pop, country, and rhythm and blues. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Forough-Kim-Lipman Trio in concert,** a performance of works by Reza Vali and Franz Schubert. Latecomers not admitted. 6:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, West Building Garden Court, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-842-6941. **Indian dance performance,** Mythili Prakash performs classical bharatanatyam dance. 7:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $35. Stephanie Campbell, 301-267-1188. **********Art talk,** curator Charles Ritchie discusses “An American Artist in Rural Ireland: My Ballinglen Adventures.” 12:10 and 1:10 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building Concourse, Small Auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **Chess for girls,** ****for ages 4-14, learn how to play and how to strategize. 5:30 p.m., Woodridge Library, 1801 Hamlin St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. **Checkmates chess for youths,** Vaughn Bennett teaches children and teens how to play chess, using strategies that also apply to other life situations. 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Sept. 23, Woodridge Library, 1801 Hamlin St. NE. Free. 202-541-6226. **Väsen in concert,** the Swedish band performs Swedish folk music blending elements of roots, Nordic and world music. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Theater Lab, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **“The Women,”** George Cukor’s 1939 film about a calculating shop girl who lures another woman’s wealthy husband away from her, with Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, Rosalind Russell, Paulette Goddard and Joan Fontaine. 6:30 p.m., National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free ticket, one per person, distributed 30 minutes before each show. 202-783-3372. **“The Island,”** Freedom Theatre performs the South African apartheid-era drama by Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona. 7:30 p.m. Monday- Tuesday, Georgetown University, Davis Performing Arts Center, Devine Studio Theatre, 37th and O streets NW. $15; seniors, $12; students, $7. 202-687-2787. **** **** **************** **Tudor Place landscape,** a guided tour of the historic mansion’s 5 1 / 2  .acres of landscape design, including lawns, rose gardens, fountains and more. 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tuesday and Oct. 1 and 22, Tudor Place, 1644 31st St. NW. $10; registration recommended: www.tudorplacehistoricandgrowing.eventbrite.com. 202-965-0400. **Classical music concert,** violinist Jocelyn Adelman and pianist Amanda Halstead perform works by Zemlinsky, Ernst Krenek and Olivier Messiaen, Jewish composers whose music was suppressed during the 1930s and 40s. 12:10 p.m., Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Suggested donation, $10. 202-347-2635, Ext. 20. **Cathedral tour and tea,** docents lead an hour-long cathedral highlights tour followed by tea in the Pilgrim Gallery. 1:30 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, West End Docent Station, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $30. 202-537-5581 or www.allhallowsguild.org. **Creating Sustainable Landscapes,** Travis Beck, author of “Principles of Ecological Landscape Design,” leads a walk through the National Garden, highlighting specific examples of applying ecological concepts to create sustainable landscapes. 3 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, National Garden Lawn Terrace, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free, registration required. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov. **Homework help,** and help with special projects for ages 13-19. 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. Free. 202-645-4297. **Illustrated tour: Catholic University’s history,** Robert Malesky and John Feeley lead a tour and discuss Thomas Jefferson’s guest status on the campus, the area’s “Little Rome” nickname, Fort Slemmer and the Brooks Mansion. 4 p.m. Tuesday in the Library’s May Gallery; Malesky leads a tour of the campus, 4 p.m. Next Thursday in front of the library. Catholic University, John K. Mullen of Denver Memorial Library, 620 Michigan Ave. NE. Free. 202-319-5600. **Concert in the courtyard,** Alma Tropicalia performs a mix of samba, bossa nova, and rock and roll. 5:30-7:30 p.m., National Geographic Courtyard, 1600 M St. NW. Free. 202-463-3400. **Cathedral Crossroads,** writer Randon Billings Noble discusses how different writers describe the spiritual journey and invites participants to write a piece of their own, 7:30-8:30 p.m. in Bethlehem Chapel; tap into your inner healing ability and mind-body wellness in an evening of contemplative practice and labyrinth walking. 6-8:45 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Free. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org. **“Anna Karenina,”** the 2012 film adaptation of a Tolstoy novel about a 19th century Russian high society woman who falls in love with another man, starring Keira Knightley, Jude Law and Emily Watson. 6 p.m., Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. Free. 202-727-0232. **Dutch-based quartet, Arifa,** ensemble members from Romania, Turkey, the Netherlands and Germany perform music as diverse as their origins, moving from traditional Turkish and Balkan sounds to jazz and classical music. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Anacostia youth chess club,** for ages 10-16, learn the game or improve your skills. 6 p.m. Tuesdays, Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. Free. 202-715-7707. ******Bellevue Library chess for teens,** for all skill levels, an informal environment. 6 p.m. Tuesdays, William O. Lockridge/Bellevue Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW. Free. 202-243-1184. ******D.C. Builds: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library,** Philip G. Freelon, president of the Freelon Group, discusses his firm’s conceptual study of the building, current renovation efforts and the future of the library, with chief librarian Ginnie Cooper. 6:30 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. $20; students, $12. 202-272-2448. www.nbm.org. **Ecological landscape design for a changing world,** author Travis Beck discusses how an understanding of contemporary ecology can help us design landscapes for our ever-changing world. 6:30 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Classroom, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free, registration required. 202-225-8333 or www.usbg.gov. **Marian Anderson, artist and icon,** Dwandalyn R. Reece, curator of music and performing arts at the African American History and Culture Museum, uses music, films and items in the museum’s collection to explore the black contralto’s roles as an artist and icon in the context of the changing social, political and cultural landscapes of the 20th century. 6:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $42. 202-633-3030. **“The Smartest Kids in the World,”** journalist Amanda Ripley discusses her book about the reasons behind the failure of U.S. students to keep up with those in other countries. 7 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free. Register: www.hillcenterdc.org or 202-549-4172. **** ****** ** **Gallery talk,** John Hessler of the Geography and Map Division discusses “Astronomy and Astrology in Mayan Writing: The Codex Peresianus and Materials from the Jay I. Kislak Collection.” Noon, Library of Congress, second floor, Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-4604. ******Art gallery talk,** a staff member discusses “Awake in the Dream World: The Art of Audrey Niffenegger.” Noon-12:30 p.m., National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. Free. 202-783-5000. **“The Prodigal Son,”** a film of Ballets Russes Dances originally premiered by Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, shown in conjunction with the exhibit “Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes, 1909–1929: When Art Danced with Music.” 12:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building Large Auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. ******Banda Magda in concert,** the New York-based band performs its own blend of French pop, South American rhythms, jazz and more. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. **Yoga class,** 6 p.m. Wednesdays, through Oct. 30. Yards Park, Third and Water streets SE. Free. 202-289-0111. www.yardspark.org. **Chess for kids,** all skill levels welcome. 4 p.m. Wednesdays, **Cleveland Park Library,** 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-282-3080; and 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays, **Francis A. Gregory Library,** 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. 202-645-4297. Free. ******Deanwood Library chess for beginners,** all ages. 6 p.m. Wednesdays, Deanwood Library, 1350 49th St. NE. Free. 202-698-1175. **Game night at Southwest Library,** Wii games, board games and more. 6:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. Free. 202-724-4752. **Picasso: Beyond Innovation,** art historian Nancy G. Heller, a professor at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, reviews the highlights of Picasso’s extraordinary career, examining the sociopolitical and cultural contexts in which he lived and worked, and discusses his rich relationship to earlier art history and his continuing relevance for art lovers and emerging artists in the 21st century. 6:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $42. 202-633-3030. **The Real JAG,** Fred Borch, a former Army lawyer and now regimental historian for the Army’s JAG (Judge Advocate General), discusses the past and present role of lawyers who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. 6:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $42. 202-633-3030. ******************************Current events conversation,** radio host Bill Press and retired Episcopal bishop Gene Robinson discuss current events. 7 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free. Registration: www.hillcenterdc.org or 202-549-4172. **“Red Speedo,”** Lucas Hnath’s dark and stylish comedy about swimming, survival of the fittest and the American dream of a level playing field — or of leveling the field yourself. 8 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays. Through Oct. 13, Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. $20. 202-332-3300. www.studiotheatre.org. ******“Trials Without End: Political Violence and Democracy in Bolivia after World War II,”** a lecture by Laura Gotkowitz. Noon, Library of Congress, Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-0213. **Smart Growth: Vacant Lots: Liabilities or Assets?** Tamar Shapiro, president and chief executive officer of the Center for Community Progress, discusses how innovative community and civic leaders are working to understand how vacant lots can be used as assets to strengthen communities. 12:30 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Free, registration required. 202-272-2448. www.nbm.org. **Illustrated tour: Catholic University’s history,** Robert Malesky and John Feeley lead a tour and discuss Thomas Jefferson’s guest status on the campus, the area’s “Little Rome” nickname, Fort Slemmer and the Brooks Mansion. 4 p.m., Catholic University, in front of the John K. Mullen of Denver Memorial Library, 620 Michigan Ave. NE. Free. 202-319-5600. **Pilates in the park,** taught by certified instructors; take a mat. 5:30 p.m. Thursdays through Oct. 10, Farragut Square, 17th and K streets NW. Free. 202-463-3400. **Classical music concert,** the Rosslyn-based National Chamber Ensemble, Artisphere’s Ensemble in Residence, performs classical and contemporary compositions performed by internationally-acclaimed chamber musicians. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600. ******Expressions of Balinese Spirit through Gamelan,** I Ketut Suadin, director of the Gamelan Mitra Kusuma ensemble, and his fellow musicians explore the dynamic sound of Balinese gamelan through the percussive rhythms of gongs, drums and metallophones as they perform traditional and contemporary pieces; take a blanket or lawn chair for garden seating. 6 p.m., Textile Museum, 2320 S St. NW. $25, advance registration required. 202-667-0441, Ext. 64. **Spotlight on Design: Walter Hood,** the Berkeley, Calif.-based landscape architect and public artist discusses his work, including Splashpad Park, the de Young Museum and Lafayette Square Park plus the new town square for the Nauck neighborhood near Shirlington. 6:30 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. $20; students, $12. Free. 202-272-2448. www.nbm.org. **The Age of Eisenhower: America and the World of the 1950s,** William Hitchcock, a University of Virginia history professor, makes the case that between 1945 and 1961, no single person dominated American public life more than Dwight D. Eisenhower and examines the paradoxical legacy of the Eisenhower years. 6:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $42. 202-633-3030. **Islam’s Answers to Universal Questions,** Jonathan Brown, an associate professor of Islam and Muslim Christian Understanding in the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, discusses how the Muslim faith tradition and the civilization that it inspired have tried to address questions regarding man’s purpose in the world, “right vs. wrong vs. just,” how we should govern ourselves and more. 6:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $42. 202-633-3030. **“Berga: Soldiers of Another War,”** a screening of Charles Guggenheim’s final film, the extraordinary story of 350 American soldiers, taken prisoner at the Battle of the Bulge, then caught in the Holocaust tragedy. 7 p.m., National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **Baseball book talk,** author Frederic Frommer talks with CBS News journalist Bob Schieffer about his book “You Gotta Have Heart: A History of Washington Baseball from 1859 to the 2012 National League East Champions.” 7 p.m., Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free. Registration: www.hillcenterdc.org or 202-549-4172. **************************“The Marriage of Maria Braun,”** a stage version of the powerful World War II drama of love, lust, and loss by German filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder, suitable for age 16 and older. 8 p.m. Thursdays- Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays, Tuesdays-Wednesdays. Through Oct. 11, Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Call for ticket prices. 202-399-7993. **“Red Speedo,”** Lucas Hnath’s dark and stylish comedy about swimming, survival of the fittest and the American dream of a level playing field — or of leveling the field yourself. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays, 8 p.m. Wednesdays. Through Oct. 13, Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. $20. 202-332-3300. www.studiotheatre.org. ** — Compiled by Gerri Marmer  ** **E-mail:** districtlocalliving@washpost.com (to the attention of Gerri Marmer) **   Mail:** Community Events, District Local Living, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20071. **   Details:** Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.

The doting, devoted love letters of Ulysses S. Grant

During the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant sent a lock of hair to his wife, Julia, nestled inside a sweet love letter to her. And years before, while serving in the Mexican War, he sent her a note with this postscript: "Before I seal this, I will pick a wildflower off the bank of the Rio Grande to send to you." And even today, when you look at that faded piece of paper, you can see the 170-year-old imprint of the little flower. The Library of Congress has volumes and volumes of these original love letters, which paint a softer portrait than history tends to remember of the determined general who led the Union to victory in the Civil War—and who would then go on to be 18th president of the United States.  You can listen to the new episode here:  As listeners tune in each week, the podcast reveals the ways in which our collective sense of what’s ’presidential’ has evolved over the years and how each president—esteemed, loathed or nearly forgotten—has something to tell us about what it takes to hold the nation’s highest office. A new episode comes out every Sunday. Here's how to follow along:

More vegetables, less work: Lessons from the mother of mulch

The famous gardener Ruth Stout did not invent mulch. By her account, God did. Leaves that fall — and other organic materials — feed the soil through their decomposition, protect it from erosion and drought, and sustain soil creatures that aerate it. By placing such materials around plants, a gardener can smother competing weeds as well. That’s mulching. It’s almost a religion among some gardeners, with Stout their patron saint. Stout’s life story is interesting, and the first 60 years of it have nothing to do with mulch. Born in 1884, with Quaker parents and eight siblings, she had ambitions of being an actress or a writer. At 16, she smashed saloons with the prohibitionist Carry Nation, then worked as a bookkeeper and business manager, owned a tearoom in New York’s Greenwich Village, hung out with Socialists, did famine relief work in Russia, and booked lectures and debates for freethinkers. Her stories were published in magazines. In 1929, at 44, she married a man named Fred, and the two retired to Connecticut. She took up gardening, and he made wooden bowls. For 14 years, she ran a large and perfectly conventional vegetable garden, applying chemical fertilizers and pesticides and having a man come by in spring to plow it up. But each year she was frustrated when he turned up late, with seeds needing to be sown. So one day she looked at her asparagus, which, as a perennial, was all mulched and going about its business, and had an epiphany. As she later wrote in a book: “One never plows asparagus and it gets along fine. Except for new sod, why plow anything, ever?” She went ahead and sowed her seeds. As usual, she’d left a lot of cornstalks and other debris in the garden over winter, and when she brushed it aside, the ground underneath was moist and easy to make furrows in. The seed sprouted, the plants thrived, and because she left the decaying plant waste alone, it provided a mulch of sorts. As the years went by, she never plowed, spaded or even made a compost pile. Perfecting her technique, she knew it would work better with a thicker mulch, the better to deter weeds. She rounded up more organic materials: hay, leaves, straw, seaweed, pine needles, sawdust, weeds, garbage and rotting vegetable matter. To sow or transplant, she just pulled some mulch aside, then put it back when the plants were big enough. Aside from a little lime and cottonseed meal, the garden needed no fertilizer other than the decaying mulch. As that became part of the soil, she mulched some more. She started writing articles for Organic Gardening magazine and a book about her method, which her publisher titled “How to Have a Green Thumb Without an Aching Back.” Along with its sequels, it was aimed at “the aging, the busy and the indolent” or anyone else who wanted more vegetables with less work. It won thousands of converts. What struck me most about Stout’s great mulch revelation was the paragraph that followed it, where she experiences it as “a deafening roar” and the culmination of her entire life of radicalism. That made me curious, so I read some of her other books, which are autobiographical and cover a wide range of subjects. They’re all guided by a philosophy of self-determination, instilled by her mother, who “had the habit of letting everybody follow his own inner light without any remarks from her.” Though opinionated, Stout was trained to be broad-minded, and offered her own late-life joy in gardening as an example, not an imperative. When she died at 96, she was still gardening. For a glimpse of that, watch Arthur Mokin’s 23-minute documentary on YouTube, “Ruth Stout’s Garden.” You see her at 92, planting potatoes she has just brought up from winter storage, with long white sprouts. She rakes away the mulch, tosses them on the ground and puts the mulch back. Done! She is wearing a housewife-y dress and cardigan, her usual garden outfit, but describes to the camera her former daily habit of gardening in the nude: “I’ve always loved the air on my body.” Then, sitting in a lawn chair, she lifts a glass of wine, with apologies to Carry Nation. I often follow Stout’s advice in the garden, though I’m too much of a mosquito magnet for the naked part. But my hat’s off to her — if not my T-shirt — for her gumption. **More fromLifestyle:** Dead plants’ evolutionary secrets might save the planet, or at least take its pulse Spring bloom is coming early, and not just for D.C.’s cherry blossoms Vegetables for patio gardens are more abundant than ever The right way to care for one of nature’s most neglected creatures: The houseplant

TV listings: ‘Penny Dreadful’ returns for Season 3 on Showtime

_(All times Eastern)_ There are several options for those seeking coverage of this year’s **White House correspondents’ dinner** (C-SPAN at 6 p.m.; CNN at 7; MSNBC at 9). “The Nightly Show” host Larry Wilmore will no doubt “keep it 100” as he tells jokes at Washington’s expense. The event marks President Obama’s last turn at delivering his own stand-up set of political humor. The president and first lady Michelle Obama host **“Jazz at the White House”** (ABC at 8). The hour-long tribute to the artful genre features performances by Herbie Hancock, Sting, Aretha Franklin, Trombone Shorty, Diana Krall, Chick Corea, Buddy Guy and Esperanza Spalding. Cheap Trick, Chicago, Deep Purple, N.W.A. and Steve Miller are honored at the **“2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony”** (HBO at 8), which was taped April 8 and features performance tributes to David Bowie and Glenn Frey. The special will also pay tribute to Prince with footage from the music icon’s 2004 induction. _ Sunday talk shows_: **“Fox News Sunday”** (Fox at 9 a.m.) hosts Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz; **“White House Chronicle”** (WETA at 9) discusses how national fatigue brings about change, and how science drives social revolutions; **“State of the Union”** (CNN at 9) features Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton; **“Government Matters”** (WJLA at 9) has Chris Calabrese, vice president of policy at the Center for Democracy and Technology; **“Newsmakers”** (C-SPAN at 10) talks to Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.); **“Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo”** (Fox at 10) hosts former GOP candidate Ben Carson and former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge; **“This Is America & the World”** (WETA at 10 and WHUT at 7:30 p.m.) visits Tokyo; **“Meet the Press”** (NBC at 10:30) has Cruz and CIA Director John Brennan; and **“Face the Nation”** (CBS at 10:30) hosts Cruz and Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders). Sunday night on **“Game of Thrones”** (HBO at 9) Bran trains with the Three- Eyed Raven. At King’s Landing, Jaime advises Tommen, and Tyrion looks for good news. At Castle Black, the Night’s Watch backs Thorne. Ramsay Bolton continues his search for Sansa. Ahead of next week’s series finale, **“The Good Wife”** (CBS at 9) finds Alicia working desperately to keep Peter from returning to jail as his trial begins. **RETURNING SHOW** : **“Keeping Up With the Kardashians”** (E! at 9) returns for its 12th season. Amid the usual drama and sibling shenanigans, expect the show to explore Rob’s controversial engagement, Kourtney and Scott’s breakup, and Lamar Odom’s recovery. Also returning: the well-connected personalities of **“#RichKids of Beverly Hills”** (E! at 10). **RETURNING SHOW** : In the Season 3 premiere of **“Penny Dreadful”** (Showtime at 10), Vanessa seeks help from an unconventional American therapist in battling a new evil, as Ethan Chandler, Dr. Frankenstein and Sir Malcolm face their own demons in locations across the world. **— Bethonie Butler  **

Art review: ‘CSA: Forty Years of Community-Sourced Art’

In the most literal way, the Arlington Arts Center’s 40th-anniversary exhibition, “CSA: Forty Years of Community-Sourced Art,” looks backward and forward, as the show’s introductory wall text explains. Five established artists with long-standing ties to AAC, either as exhibitors or studio residents, picked five emerging artists; works from both selector and selectee make up the show. There isn’t a lot of thematic glue here, nor should there be. “CSA” is, after all, about the way regional art spaces such as AAC work, through a process of incubation and nurturing, of passing on the torch. The works that bear the most similarity, both for their materiality and conception, are by sculptor Foon Sham and his choice, sculptor Dane Winkler. Installed near each other on the AAC grounds, both are outdoor pieces built of wood. Winkler, a graduate student of Sham’s at the University of Maryland, has made an interactive sculpture that viewers can push, like a revolving door, while Sham contributed a contemplative enclosure that viewers may enter and, if they desire, sit inside. It smells wonderful and has an oculus (a hole in the roof) open to the sky. The artworks also evoke past and future in ways other than the artists’ mentoring relationship. Sham’s “Vessel” was fashioned from wood taken from a white oak that recently died on Maryland’s College Park campus, giving new life to something old. Winkler’s “Far and Away” also combines nostalgia and modernism, calling to mind both a barn door and the entrance to an office building. Elsewhere throughout the show, you’ll encounter themes of time, memory, childhood, old and new technology, hope for the future and a sense of honoring the past. Curated by Laura Roulet, the show expresses its themes both in its structure and in its content. Only rarely are the linkages between veteran and up-and-comer visible. When they are, it’s pretty obvious. The often surreal figures of painter Erik Thor Sandberg’s canvases, for example, are clearly echoed in sculptor Alex Podesta’s sculptures — multiple self-portraits of the bearded artist in adult-size bunny costumes. Both men’s work is a little funny, a little disturbing. You can see why one picked the other. Close followers of the area’s art scene won’t find many surprises. Mixed-media artist Soledad Salame’s “Gulf Distortions,” an environmentally themed series of deliberately degraded landscapes of Louisiana, were shown three years ago at the Art Museum of the Americas. The artist’s colorful plexiglass constructions, based on bar codes, were, however, a revelation (at least to me). And it’s nice to see so many images at once from photographer Ken Ashton’s ongoing “Megalopolis” series of decaying streetscapes from Washington to Boston. The photos aren’t mere documentary; they evoke a bittersweet emotional response. Less emotive — and more formal — are works by painter Tariq Tucker and mixed-media artist Nikki Painter, both of whom straddle the gap between painter and sculptor. Form, composition and color — along with a playful sense of three-dimensionality — delight the eye, even if they don’t bring tears to it. The most challenging work in the show belongs to performance artist J.J. McCracken. Like sculptor Martha Jackson Jarvis, who shares a studio building with the younger artist, McCracken evokes a sense of agriculture with the title of her installation, “Husk.” (Jackson Jarvis’s outdoor sculpture, “Markings II,” is based on a winnowing building, where grain is separated from chaff.) But McCracken’s two-gallery installation, which includes what she calls an outer “specimen room” and a darkened inner “reflective space,” where you can lie on real sod under a projection of fake stars, also is about the body, time and something McCracken calls “nonproductive eating.” What exactly does that mean? A bowl of chewing gum, sitting in the grass and free for the taking, should answer that question. It’s the ultimate junk food. Your own nonnutritive chewing is accompanied by a soundtrack of multiple clocks whose ticking sounds like loud, incessant munching. In the specimen room, you’ll find a stack of bricks. Like much of McCracken’s earlier ceramic work, the clay is unfired, with mold growing on it, the appearance of which will change over time. It’s bread mold, the result of the artist’s mixing Wonder Bread with the clay. The bricks, vaguely breast-shaped, are meant to contrast healthful with unhealthful nourishment. McCracken, a former vegetarian, now occasionally eats fish but describes herself as “careful” about what she eats. She says she doesn’t want to be preachy, and her work is anything but. Subtly yet powerfully, the ticking of the clocks — along with “Husk’s” other, quieter symbols — is meant to invite mindfulness about what goes on inside the temples of our bodies. **— Michael O'Sullivan**

From the horticultural greats, garden guidance for all of us

When I was cutting my teeth as a garden writer — this was in the 1980s — I thought I should visit as many famous gardens as I could and immerse myself in the work of esteemed horticultural writers. The latter quest led me to unexpected places, including the landscape design world of Edith Wharton. You may have “The Age of Innocence” on your bookshelf; I have “Italian Villas & Their Gardens.” Wharton’s concerns extended to how best to replicate the Renaissance villa in your own home. She was no doubt thinking of the abodes of her own Brahmin set, but the principles burdening the Renaissance architect also pertain to us little people: The garden “must be adapted to the architectural lines of the house it adjoined; it must be adapted to the requirements of the inmates of the house . . . and lastly it must be adapted to the landscape around it.” Sound advice until you learn that her idea of a garden included sunny bowling greens, majestic parterres and stylish orchards. The search for great writing about more down-to-earth aspects of gardening led me to three writers with dirt under their nails: Christopher Lloyd, Henry Mitchell and Allen Lacy. They had different backgrounds, experiences and tastes, but these differences were just a reminder that while all gardeners and gardens are unique, the quest for a profound connection to the natural world is the same. Dismissing the idea of gardening as a hobby, Lacy said that “being wholeheartedly involved with gardens is involvement with life itself in the deepest sense.” Lloyd was the brainy horticultural wiz and master of one of England’s most picturesque and interesting gardens, set in the grounds of a medieval manor house named Great Dixter. He died in 2006. Mitchell was for more than two decades the creator of the beloved Earthman column in The Washington Post. He died in 1994. Lacy was a philosophy professor with a garden column in the Wall Street Journal and, later, the New York Times. He wrote a newsletter for a while but eventually retreated from the publishing scene to his garden and a small arboretum he founded in Linwood, N.J. He died Dec. 27. His death prompted me to dip into their written work again, which presents gifts on many levels. I get a kick out of how the gardeners’ plant palette and tastes have changed since their observations, now decades old. I am still impressed by the breadth of their horticultural knowledge, particularly Lloyd’s. And as I think back to when I first read books such as Lloyd’s “Well- Tempered Garden” or Mitchell’s “Essential Earthman” or Lacy’s “Home Ground,” I measure my own journey along this path. In “Foliage Plants” (1973), Lloyd leads the charge against that Victorian holdover of massing tender annuals in public spaces. “Tropical bedding as practiced in London, in spas and at seaside resorts is probably the most repulsive manifestation of the parks and gardens mentality,” he wrote. This practice is still evident in the downtown parks of Washington and probably at faded English seaside resorts as well. Perhaps it has been banished from Boris Johnson’s trendy Londinium. But some things _have_ changed, even since the 1990s. The princess tree, _Paulownia tomentosa_ , is a fast-growing, coarse-leafed tree with showy exotic blooms that belie its hardiness. Lacy called it “the most beautiful flowering tree in my garden.” It has the sort of Southern Gothic qualities that would have appealed to Mitchell as well, though I don’t think he wrote about it. Today, it’s considered the biggest weed on the planet. Lacy never forgot his roots in Depression-era Texas, and in his prose he projects a person who is a realist and averse to fulsomeness, the princess tree notwithstanding. He wrote that waiting for spring made him cranky, although he could be playful in his writings. There was the time he visited the venerable English seed merchants Thompson & Morgan and came across a cucumber the size of a grape that, when ready, exploded to disburse its seeds. “I touched a plant. Half a dozen ripe fruits flew in every direction. I touched another plant. I forced myself to stop. Such amusement probably wasn’t seemly in a grown man.” If you want an introduction to their work, I’d suggest Lacy’s “In a Green Shade,” Lloyd’s “Well-Tempered Garden” and Mitchell’s “One Man’s Garden.” Anyone who visited Mitchell’s garden in the day — on Davenport Street in Northwest Washington — would not have found a garden in the sense that Wharton would have known, but rather a plant menagerie, each specimen closely observed and providing manna for the soul, not to mention Earthman’s column. To my mind, the richest prose belonged to Mitchell, who was droll, wise, lyrical and bighearted even when he pointed out the daftness of others. This is one of my favorite passages, for all those reasons: “For most gardeners, spring is when things at last start to grow again and snowdrops bloom and buds swell. The witch hazels are out; the new leaves of clematis are half an inch long. For others, spring means no shirt and coffee in the summerhouse. They will never acknowledge spring until April 14. But for us, the die-hard gardeners, spring is already here, even though we may have snow, an ice storm or two, and ground frost for another six weeks.” And this: “Nature is endlessly ingenious and, of course, unspeakably vicious and barbaric. Any complaints should be sent not to me but to the designer of the universe.” And, finally, this: “Peace comes to the gardener when at last he has all his flowers in reasonable and sane balance — the day after the undertaker comes.” **@adrian_higgins on Twitter**

TV highlights: Ronan Farrow and Seth Meyers make their debuts

******“Opening Bell With Maria Bartiromo”** (FBN at 9 a.m.) premieres this morning. The show will feature Bartiromo interviewing major financial leaders before and after the bell. **SERIES PREMIERE:** A highly educated offspring of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen (or is it Frank Sinatra?) begins his long-awaited afternoon show, **“Ronan Farrow Daily”** (MSNBC at 1 p.m.), focusing on foreign policy and other topics on the left-leaning cable news channel. **RETURNING SHOW:** **“The Voice”** (NBC at 8) is back for its sixth season with judging panel Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Shakira and Usher. Through interviews, archival film footage, radio broadcasts, and newspaper accounts during his administration, **“Marvin Mandel: A Complicated Life”** (MPT at 9) traces how Maryland’s 56th governor shaped and reorganized Maryland government while defending himself in court. Originally taped Feb. 8 at Washington’s Warner Theater, **“BET Honors 2014”** (BET at 9) has Wayne Brady as host and performances from Mariah Carey, Tamar Braxton, Jennifer Hudson and others. **RETURNING SHOW:** **“Dallas”** (TNT at 9) returns for its third season with the Ewings on top, but John Ross steps in and takes a jab at their solidarity. Acclaimed African American painter Mickalene Thomas makes her film directing debut with **“Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Woman”** (HBO at 9), a profile of the life and longings of her mother and artistic muse, former runway model Sandra Bush. **SERIES PREMIERE:** Set in and around the capital of the high-stakes country music business, **“Private Lives of Nashville Wives”** (TNT at 10) follows a group of accomplished, opinionated and driven women as they deal with professional challenges, family issues and relationships. **** **SERIES PREMIERE:** Reality series **“Cryptid: The Swamp Beast”** (History at 10) investigates and dramatizes local stories about a creature that lives in the Southern swamps. Actors Reese Witherspoon and Fred Armisen, right before his debut as Seth Meyers’s band leader, join **“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”** (NBC at 11:35), with a musical performance from Rick Ross. Actress Kaley Cuoco comes to the **“Late Show With David Letterman”** (CBS at 11:35), with music from the Fray. Actor Liam Neeson and animal trainer David Salmoni are on **“Jimmy Kimmel Live”** (ABC at 11:35), with a performance from Josh Groban. **LATE NIGHT PREMIERE:** To make staying up too late all the more appealing, **“Late Night With Seth Meyers’'** (NBC at 12:35 a.m.) premieres with Vice President Biden, actress Amy Poehler and music from A Great Big World. ** — Rachel Lubitz  **

D.C. community calendar, March 8 to 15, 2012

**Deanwood beginner computer classes,** for all ages. 9-10 a.m., Deanwood Library, Computer Lab, 1350 49th St. NE. Free. 202-698-1175. **“WEE Speak! French,”** for children accompanied by an adult, Quebec children’s author Annie Groovie uses French and English to teach children about French. 10:15 and 11:30 a.m. Thursday-Friday, Discovery Theater at S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $8; ages 2-16, $6; 1 and younger, $3. 202-633-8700 or www.discoverytheater.org. **“Benjamin Franklin” documentary,** first part of a 2002 PBS documentary about Franklin’s later years as a diplomat and revolutionary leader (the second part will be shown at noon March 15). Noon, National Archives, William G. McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **“What Makes an Orchid an Orchid?,”** Todd Brethauer discusses how orchids fit in the plant kingdom, how they evolved and their structural and biochemical adaptations. Noon and 6:30 p.m., U.S. Botanic Garden, conservatory classroom, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free; registration required. 202-225-1116. **Noon music talk,** Elizabeth Aldrich, Music Division, and Victoria Phillips Geduld discuss “Dance and Democracy: Politics and Protest, World War I through the Cold War. Noon, Library of Congress, Jefferson Building, Whittall Pavilion, 10 First St. SE. Free. 202-707-5347. **“Take 5!” with the Lovejoy Group,** the jazz ensemble performs jazz, funky blues and smooth Latin rhythms; food and beverages available. 5-8 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Kogod Courtyard, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000 or http://americanart.si.edu/calendar/event.cfm?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D98638360 **National Geographic concerts,** Jed Levy Quartet, a jazz ensemble, 6 p.m., and Earth String Band, bluegrass and contemporary acoustic music, 7:15 p.m., National Geographic, 17th and M streets NW. Free. 202-857-7700. ******Kennedy Center classical concert,** students from the New England Conservatory of Music perform works by Michael Sachs, Andrew Halchak, Maurice Ravel and others. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 467-4600. **Building industry talk, “** Women of Architecture: Architecture and the Great Recession,” a panel of female developers, architects and design experts examines how the building industry is responding to challenges created by the current recession. 6:30 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. $20; students, $12; registration required. 202-272-2448. **Piano duo recital,** Leon Fleisher and Katherine Jacobson Fleisher perform works by Brahms, Dina Koston and Ligeti, 8 p.m.; Fleisher and soprano Phyllis Bryn-Julson discuss their long friendship and the history of the Theater Chamber Players, 6:15 p.m., Library of Congress, Jefferson Building, Coolidge Auditorium, 10 First St. SE. Free tickets available by phone, with a $2.80 service charge per ticket. 202-397-7328 or 202-   707-5502. **Friday Morning Music Club recital,** works by Schumann, Gaubert and Brahms. Noon, Calvary Baptist Church, 755 Eighth St. NW. Free. 202-333-2075 or www.fmmc.org. **“Love in a Life: A Dramatic Recital,”** Ashley Alden performs her work (about a woman’s life from childhood through old age) in words, dance and song, with music by Samuel Barber, Amy Beach, Ned Rorem and Leonard Bernstein. 12:15-1:15 p.m., St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 3001 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Free. 202-363-8286. **Noon pipe organ recital,** Tyler Canonico performs works by Charles-Marie Widor, Cesar Franck, J.S. Bach, Joe Utterback and John Weaver. 12:15-1 p.m., National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Cir. NW. Free, donations welcome. 202-797-0103. **Silent movie music program,** students from Berklee College of Music’s Silent Film Orchestra perform a 2011 original score for the 1925 Sergei Eisenstein film “Battleship Potemkin.” 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 467-4600. **Tango lesson,** Jake and Danarae Stevens teach the tango to dancers of all experience levels. 7-9:30 p.m., Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. Free. 202-547-6839 or www.chaw.org. **Hip-hop dance performance,** for age 8 and older, a performance by Illstyle and Peace Productions. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. $25; students and seniors, $15. 202-399-7993. **Eugene O’Neill’s “Ah, Wilderness,” **performance of a rare O’Neill comedy, about youthful indiscretion in a New England town, with Rick Foucheux and Nancy Robinette. 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Thursdays, noon March 27 and April 4, through April 8. Arena Stage, Fichandler, 1101 Sixth St. SW. $40-$85, subject to change and based on availability. 202-488-3300. **“Musical Birthday Tribute to C.P.E. Bach,”** the Con Gioia early music ensemble, with soprano Julianne Baird and harpsichordist and fortepianist Preethi de Silva, perform works by Bach, Handel and Haydn, 8 p.m.; Daniel Boomhower discusses chamber music of 18th-century Berlin, 6:15 p.m., Library of Congress, Coolidge Auditorium, 10 First St. SE. Free tickets available by phone, with a $2.80 service charge per ticket. 202-397-7328 or 202-707-5502. **Zoo bird walk,** Bird House keeper Debra Talbott leads a walk to explore the world of cardinals, chickadees, white-breasted nuthatches, tufted titmice and other birds; bring binoculars and a field guide. 9-10 a.m., National Zoo, Bird House front entrance, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free, reservations requested. 202-633-4085. **“Stories From Around the World,”** Lynn Ruehlmann tells cheerful stories about childhood, historical figures and fairy tales. 9:30 and 11 a.m., National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free ticket, one per person, distributed 30 minutes before each show. 202-783-3372. **“Identifying and Collecting Fine Prints,”** artist Helen Frederick discusses printmaking techniques and etchings, engravings, lithographs, woodcuts, silkscreen works and monotypes. 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium, Eighth and F streets NW. $55. 202-633-3030. **“Paper Tigers and Folding Dinosaurs,”** for children 8 and older accompanied by an adult, origami specialist and math teacher John Montroll teaches how to divide and fold paper to create depictions of insects, frogs and other shapes. 10 a.m.-noon, S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. Adult-child pair, $40; adult and two children, $45. 202-633-3030. **Botanic Garden production facility tours,** staff members lead visitors through greenhouse complexes to view orchids, medicinal plants, insectivorous plants and rare and endangered species not displayed for the public; meet gardeners and ask gardening questions. 10:30 a.m., 11 and 11:30 a.m. and 12:30, 1 and 1:30 p.m, U.S. Botanic Garden Production Facility. $10, registration required, directions given at registration. 202-225-1116 or www.usbg.gov. **NSO “Teddy Bear Concert,”** for ages 3-5, by violinist Marissa Regni and trombonist Barry Hearn; arrive 30 minutes early for a “musical playtime” with movement activities. Sponsored by National Symphony Orchestra. 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Saturday, 1:30 and 4 p.m. Sunday, Kennedy Center, Family Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $18. 202-467-4600. **“Eros and Freedom: The Viennese Waltz,”** musicologist Saul Lilienstein discusses the history of the waltz. 2 p.m., Kennedy Center, atrium, 2700 F St. NW. $15. 202-467-4600. **“Louder Than a Bomb” documentary,** for age 13 and older, Greg Jacobs and Jon Siskel’s 2010 film about a youth poetry slam; a performance by the D.C. Youth Poetry Slam Team precedes the screening. 2 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building, auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-789-3030. **Textile Museum children’s program,** for ages 5-12, weave a colorful placemat using fabric strips and a cardboard loom. 2-4 p.m., Textile Museum, 2320 S St. NW. Free. 202-667-0441, Ext. 64. **Theatre Lab open house,** staff members and instructors answer questions about the children’s, teen and adult drama programs and invite visitors to participate in short acting workshops. 2-4 p.m., Theater Lab, 733 Eighth St. NW. Free. 202-824-   0449. **Friday Morning Music Club 125th anniversary,** performance of works by Debussy, Offenbach, Bloch and others. 3 p.m., Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Free. 202-686-5807. **Capitol Hill Arts Workshop reception,** for “Do Your Own Thing,” a collection of various media juried by photographer Pete Duvall. Reception, 5-7 p.m. Saturday; exhibit continues, 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Fridays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays, through March 31, Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. Free. 202-547-6839 or www.chaw.org. **Cathedral concert: Mozart’s “Requiem,”** Michael McCarthy leads by soprano Rosa Lamoreaux, alto Julia Mintzer, tenor Eric Barry, bass Nathan Stark, the Washington National Cathedral Combined Choir and National Cathedral School Chorister Alumnae as they perform a musical tribute to the late Isabelle Scott, founding benefactor of the Cathedral Girls’ Choir. 5 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $25-$80. 202-537-6200 or www.   nationalcathedral.org. **Kennedy Center classical concert,** students from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music perform works by Joseph Haydn, Luciano Berio, Zoltan Kodaly, Henri Dutilleux and Patrick Adams. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 467-4600. **“The State of Political Language:”** What Do We Say, and What Isn’t Being Said?” an address by Georgetown University’s associate professor of government Patrick Deneen. 10:10 a.m., Washington National Cathedral, Front Nave, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Free. 202-537-6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org. **Chinese painting talk,** Craig Clunas, a University of Oxford professor of art history, discusses “Chinese Painting and Its Audiences.” 2 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building Concourse, auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-842-6799. **“Sound Theory” concert,** pianist and composer Darin Atwater performs his work inspired by jazz and classical music. 3 p.m., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F streets NW. Free. 202-633-1000. **“Diary of a Country Priest,” **screening of Robert Bresson’s 1950 film about the journal of a young rural clergyman; in French with English subtitles. 4:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, East Building Concourse, auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-842-6799. **Cathedral organ recital,** Jeremy Filsell performs Marcel Dupre’s “Le Chemin de la Croix Op. 29” (“Stations of the Cross”). 5:15 p.m., Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. Suggested donation, $10. 202-537-   6200 or www.nationalcathedral.org. **“Three Cities Chamber Music Marathon,”** a series of concerts of music from Budapest, Prague and Vienna: Conservatory Project Chamber Ensemble performs a contemporary work, 2:30-4:15 p.m.; members of the National Symphony Orchestra perform19th-century works, 6-7:45 p.m., and Quatuor Thymos performs early 20th-century works, 8-9:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 467-4600. **Soprano and piano recital,** Carmen Balthrop and Jose Caceres perform; latecomers not admitted. 6:30 p.m., National Gallery of Art, West Building Garden Court, 600 Constitution Ave. NW. Free. 202-842-6941. **Herbie Hancock, jazz pianist,** concert, sponsored by Washington Performing Arts Society. 7 p.m., Kennedy Center, Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW. $35-$85. 202-785-9727 or www.wpas.org. **Bridge for seniors,** a rubber bridge group; games organized by skill level. 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays except holidays, Iona Senior Services, 4125 Albemarle St. NW.Free. 202-895-9448. **National Gallery Rubens lecture,** artist William Woodward discusses Peter Paul Rubens’s “Decius Mus Addressing the Legions.” Noon, National Gallery of Art, West Building, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. 202-737-4215. **Sustainability and the EPA,** Bicky Corman, Environmental Protection Agency deputy associate administrator for the Office of Policy, discusses proposed recommendations for incorporating sustainability into the agency’s principles and decision-making including its approach to smart growth. 12:30 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Free, registration required. 202-272-2448. **Kennedy Center classical concerts,** students from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance perform. 6 p.m., free; and pianist Christoph Eschenbach and violinist Dan Zhu perform Mozart sonatas, 7:30 p.m., $50, Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-   4600. **Deanwood computer classes,** for all ages, intermediate level. 9-10 a.m. Tuesdays, Deanwood Library, Computer Lab, 1350 49th St. NE. Free. 202-698-1175. **“Sacagawea’s Sisters,”** Thirza Dafoe re-creates the pioneering spirit of First Nations explorer Sacagawea, the only women in Lewis and Clark’s 1804 cross-country expedition, through story, dance, and chant and song, evoking all the First Ladies. 10:15 and 11:30 a.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, National Museum of the American Indian, Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW. $8; ages 2-16, $6; 1 and younger, $3. 202-633-8700 or www.discoverytheater.org. **Archival databases for genealogists,** archives specialist Daniel Law shows electronic records of interest to genealogists. 11 a.m., National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free, driver’s license or other photo ID required for admission. 202-357-5000. **Classical flute and piano recital,** flutist Rebecca Collaros and pianist Matt Van Hoose perform. 12:10 p.m., Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Suggested donation, $5. 202-347-2635, Ext. 18. **Tudor Place Victorian tea,** “What the Victorians knew,” age 12 and older, tea sandwiches, scones and dessert, followed by a tour of the historic mansion. 1-3 p.m., Tudor Place, 1644 31st St. NW. $25. 202-965-0400 or www.marchtea.   eventbrite.com. **Cathedral tour and tea,** docents lead an hour-long tour of the building’s architecture and art, followed by a traditional English tea and a scenic view of the city from the cathedral tower. 1:30 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues NW. $25, reservations required. 202-537-   8993, www.allhallowsguild.org or misbister@cathedral.org. **Kentucky State University Concert Choir performances,** 1:30 p.m., School Without Walls, 2130 G St. NW; and 7:30 p.m., Enon Baptist Church, 505 L St. NE. Free. 202-347-7561. **Kennedy Center classical concert,** students from the Peabody Institute perform works by Franz Schubert, Hugo Wolf, Richard Strauss, Samuel Barber and Ludwig van Beethoven. 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 467-4600. **“American Values or Imported Elegance?,”** art historian Linda Skalet discusses art collectors of the Gilded Age. 6:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $35. 202-633-3030. **19th-century games and dancing,** learn how to play 19th-century games, such those that would have been played at a ball in the past, in preparation for the March 24 Dumbarton Spring Ball, 7-9 p.m. Tuesday; 19th-dancing dancing class, 7-9 p.m. March 20, Dumbarton House, Belle Vue Room, 2715 Q St. NW. $12 per class. 202-337-2288. **“Switch,”** the 2012 documentary about what it will take to go from energies that built our world to energies that will shape our future in transportation, housing, food and water, communications, light, heat and cooling, filmmaker Harry Lynch fiels questions following the screening. 7 p.m., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Elihu Root Auditorium, 1530 P St. NW. Free. 202-342-2564 or www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org. **“You’ve Been Trumped” documentary,** Anthony Baxter’s 2011 film about a group of Scottish homeowners who challenge tycoon Donald Trump as he buys one of Scotland’s last wilderness areas to build a golf resort; screening followed by a discussion with Baxter. 7 p.m., E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. $7.50. 202-342-2564 or www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org. **Tribute to African environmentalist,** screening of documentary “Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai”; the late environmentalist from Kenya will be discussed by documentary filmmakers Lisa Merton and Alan Dater and Stephen Mills, U.S. director of Kenya’s Green Belt Movement; followed by a reception. 7 p.m., National Geographic, 17th and M streets NW. $10. 202-857-7700. **Takacs Quartet recital,** works by Schubert and Beethoven. 7:30 p.m., Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $32. 202-467-4600. **“Celestial Navigation: Finding Your Way in the Sky,”** Air and Space Museum geographer Andrew Johnston leads a two-session course on methods used by early seafaring navigators and how their techniques are relevant today; with a visit to the Einstein Planetarium at the museum. 10 a.m.-noon Wednesday and March 21, S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $50. 202-633-3030. **“Shakespeare Sonnets Song Cycle,”** pianist, composer and educator Burnett Thompson performs with singer Coco Zhao. Noon, Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. Free. 202-547-1122 or www.shakespearetheatre.org/happenings. **World War II code-breaking talk,** Elliot Carlson discusses his book “Joe Rochefort’s War: The Odyssey of the Codebreaker Who Outwitted Yamamoto at Midway,” about the breaking of the Japanese Navy’s code. Noon, National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **“Chasing Water,”** Peter McBride’s 2011 film about the environmental impact of water used for irrigation in Colorado; part of the D.C. Environmental Film Fest. 6:30 p.m., Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Free. 202-342-2564 or www.   dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org. **“Revenge of the Electric Car,” **a film about a new generation of electric cars, including the Chevrolet Volt, the Nissan Leaf and the Tesla Roadster. Part of the D.C. Environmental Film Festival. 6:30 p.m., Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, Kenney Auditorium, 1740 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Free. 202-342-2564 or www.   dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org. **“Submission” environmental film,** screening of Stefan Jarl’s movie about the ramifications of society’s dependence on chemicals. Part of the D.C. Environmental Film Festival. 6:30 p.m., Family Health International, 1927 Florida Ave. NW. Free. 202-342-2564 or www.   dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org. **“To Make a Farm,”** 2011 Canadian film about people who have decided to put their environmental idealism into practice. Part of the D.C. Environmental Film Festival. 6:30 p.m., Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Free. 202-686-5807 or www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org. **“Water on the Table,”** a film portrait of Canadian water activist Maude Barlow showing her life on the road in Canada and the U.S. serving as the U.N. senior advisor on water and her idea that “water must be declared a public trust and a human right that belongs to the people, the ecosystem and the future, and preserved for all time and practice in law,” a discussion with Steve Fleischli, Natural Resources Defense Council, follows. 6:30 p.m., Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Free. 202-342-2564 or www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org. **“Origami and the Mathematics of Art,”** origami specialist and math teacher John Montroll shows how to create origami using geometric principles. 6:45 p.m., S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. $35. 202-633-3030. **“Return to the Aeolian Islands,”** a film portrait of the islands off the coast of Sicily. Part of the D.C. Environmental Film Festival. 7 p.m., E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. $7.50. 202-342-2564 or www.   dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org. **“The Last Reef 3D: Cities Beneath the Sea,”** a giant-screen film about the aquatic life of coral reefs, followed by a question-and-answer session with directors Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas. Part of the D.C. Environmental Film Festival. 7 p.m., National Museum of Natural History, Johnson Imax Theater, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. $13; seniors, $9; age 9 and younger, $7. 202-633-3030. **“War Elephants,”** screening of David Hamlin’s documentary about elephant researcher Joyce Poole’s efforts to assist elephants in Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park, followed by a discussion with the filmmakers. 7:30 p.m., National Geographic, 17th and M streets NW. $10. 202-857-7700. **“Mamas and Papas,”** 2011 Czech film about the fate of four couples coping with issues of parenthood; in Czech with English subtitles. 8 p.m., Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. $11; students, $9; seniors, $8.25; age 12 and younger, $8. 202-966-6000. **“Benjamin Franklin” documentary,** second part of the 2002 PBS film about Franklin’s later years as a diplomat and revolutionary leader. Noon, National Archives, McGowan Theater, Constitution Avenue and Ninth Street NW. Free. 202-357-5000. **** ** — Compiled by Gerri Marmer  ** **E-mail:** districtlocalliving@washpost.   com (to the attention of Gerri Marmer) **   Mail:** Community Events, District Local Living, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20071. **Details:** Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.