Brookside Gardens

I recently read an article about Brookside Gardens and was scandalized that Blake and I hadn't ventured there in the three years we've been living in our home.  It's only about a 10 minute drive north of us (and it's free!) and yet I'd never heard of it before.

Yesterday afternoon was perfect weather, so we took a leisurely stroll through the gardens.  I couldn't believe how beautiful it was - it puts the National Arboretum and National Botanical Gardens to shame.  Everything was impeccably groomed and signed.  It was quiet (even with all the tourists) and it felt like we were a million miles away from the city.

We unknowingly timed it just right for the rose garden.  Now, I'm not a fan of the grocery store variety roses, but garden roses? Sign me up.  They smelled divine and the colors were so vibrant that they looked almost fake (i.e. no filters or editing on the photos below). 

Just when I think I've seen everything there is to see in DC, places like this pop out of the ether and surprise me. 

Without further ado, let's take a pictorial jaunt through the roses: