A Guide to Smithsonian Gardens - Carole Ottesen This is an awesome simply because of all the pictures. The book details, and I mean really details, the various gardens of the Smithsonian, focusing on those at the National Mall (though the zoo does get some coverage). Each garden gets a history and very detailed description. The book includes infromation after Obama's first swearing in (and the book will need to be update when the new museum opens).There are sections on rose and orchids. My favorite picture is the police horses drinking from the fountain.