Even with the chill of the coming winter, there’s a warmth to holiday decorations. Wind a string of soft white icicle lights over the hedge outside, hang a few glittering strands from the curtain rods–it’s the easiest way to forget mornings spent shoveling snow or scraping ice off the car windshield (they’ll be here soon enough). And with the smell of pine trees drifting on the breeze, the combination makes for picturesque evenings, especially here at The New York Botanical Garden.

Nights at the NYBG aren’t often open to the public, though, as it’s sort of challenging to see our spring flowers in the dark–trust me on that one. But come winter, with the Holiday Train Show’s model trains humming about the tracks and the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory glowing like a beacon in the city, we throw open the doors to show you a Garden in rare form. The lights laced like garlands throughout the Train Show bring out the elegance of the miniature landmarks with a subtlety that sunlight just can’t match, lending a kind of fairytale charm to the display.
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“As we explored, I continued telling her stories about each of the buildings I had been in that were depicted there in miniature…”

From now until December 17, our visitors will be sharing their fondest memories from 20 years of the Holiday Train Show–some of them touching, some comical, and every one of them cherished. Come back to Plant Talk each day for a new story, which you can see after the jump along with a feature on one of the many replica New York City landmarks on display in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory–the Guggenheim Museum, Yankee Stadium, the Empire State Building and more.

As a bonus, read on to find out how you can win a Family Four-Pack of Holiday Train Show tickets for yourself!
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It almost seems like the snow flurries have come a little early (or is it late at this point?) in the Perennial Garden.

Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen