When we last had a look at this powder puff tree, not all of the subtle details were readily apparent. How many of you thought you were looking at speckles of dew, or pollen dustings?

Calliandra haematocephala — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen

So, most of the kids are trudging back to school on Wednesday, January 2. It’s great for the frazzled parent, but it doesn’t mean the family has to call it quits on group adventures. For those with younger ones in tow, the Holiday Train Show is keeping its engine running through January 13, giving everyone a chance to pop in and see our timeless miniatures now that much of the seasonal madness has died down. But the trains found in our Conservatory aren’t the only locomotives keeping up that head of steam.

Thanks to the thoughtful cast of All Aboard with Thomas and Friends™, kids who haven’t had the opportunity to chug along with Thomas and his companion, Driver Sam, will now have almost the entire month of January to take part. That’s from now until January 27, at varying times in the NYBG‘s Ross Gallery. And to make these holiday memories last, know that this is no simple puppet show–the cast will need your kids’ help in guiding the wayward Thomas all the way to Brendam Docks, with crowd interaction, singalongs, and more.
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Figuratively speaking, of course.

Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen

Sonia Uyterhoeven is the NYBG‘s Gardener for Public Education.

Rubus idaeus ‘Raspberry Shortcake’

Most of us like our blueberries served in a bowl. Of course, very few of us imagine growing them in a bowl, but that is precisely what modern hybridizers are allowing us to do. I exaggerate when I say bowl–I hope you understand that. But growing blueberries in a container–and a reasonably sized container, at that–is now a reality.

I have been perusing information from growers on the new introductions for 2013 and have found some truly interesting edibles. Fall Creek Farm & Nurseries of Oregon have a new series coming out this year called the BrazelBerries™ collection. The collection consists of two dwarf blueberries and one thornless raspberry which are small enough to comfortably tuck into a container for your patio garden.
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Seeing the snowdrops pull themselves up by their bootstraps over the last month was a strange sight, if only because they’re not scheduled to arrive until the first moments of spring. But while their seasonal confusion was a little disconcerting, to see these coy troopers toughing out the worsening cold still proved a pleasant inspiration.

We wish you each an unequivocally successful year in 2013, and may you find your own bootstraps in the face of whatever 2012 had to throw at you.

Photo by Amy Weiss

Want to map the evolutionary path of a plant species? Chances are good that you’ll find yourself thumbing through the stacks in an herbarium sooner or later. Here at the NYBG, the Steere Herbarium maintains a growing collection of over seven million specimens, each one meticulously studied, notated, and cataloged for reference. But botanical science of this tier is first and foremost a visual affair, relying on naked-eye examinations and scanning electron microscopes to untangle origins, relations, and the timeline of a given plant’s life on earth–where it’s been, and where it will be in the future. Needless to say, the effort can be tedious. But thankfully, the speedy march of technology is closing the gap, promising a fresh range of tools for identifying species new and old.

Among them, genomics leads the charge.

Jenn Cable of the New York Genome Center points all eyes toward James Beck, a botanist out of Wichita, Kansas, with a keen understanding of the future of the science. Using cutting edge genetic analysis, he’s now working with Steere Herbarium specialists to look beyond the microscope and into the very DNA of the specimens we keep, turning long-shelved specimens (some centuries old) into treasure troves of evolutionary information. read more »

The windows are brief, but when winter’s clouds aren’t looking, warmth cuts a path.

Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen

“I see you, but do you see me?”

Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen

Winterscape outside, junglescape inside. The Conservatory’s a good spot for that sort of leap.

Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen

My New Year’s resolution for 2013 is to finish up my holiday shopping before the holidays come and go, rather than after; it’s one I can never seem to stick to. For the rest of you, here’s hoping that this weekend will be a relaxing one. If you’re not working on Monday, I might also suggest you preface your fireworks and champagne with a stop at the NYBG, where the Holiday Train Show continues to run through mid-January alongside many of our other December activities. At the very least, I can promise you the open spaces and fresh air of the Garden will offer a little calm before you squeeze your way into Times Square.

However, if you’re still in retail mode, you’ll want to make a pit stop at our Shop in the Garden. We’re offering plenty of great gifts for the gardeners on your list that you may have overlooked, and much of what remains of our holiday stock is now 50% off! So if you’re the type of person who likes to plan well ahead when it comes to Christmas ornaments a wintry decor, now is your chance to load up.

For the Saturday crowd, the weather report promises a belatedly white Christmas in the Garden, something best experienced while wandering among the Benenson Ornamental Conifers. There’s something about snow-laden evergreens that flips all the right nostalgia switches, at least in my experience. And I probably don’t have to say it, but winter weather makes enjoying our toy trains and miniatures that much more iconic when snowflakes are brushing over the Conservatory glass.
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