With 2011 rounded out, we look back on a month of whirlwind activity and holiday charm the likes of which you seldom see elsewhere in the city. It’s downright busy here. And with the string lights bright and families strolling all about the grounds, we ring in the new year with one last look back.
Not just for kids, we invited guests throughout December to join us for a viewing of the Holiday Train Show with a pair of slightly more grown-up themes. Shopping and Champagne and Bar Car Nights were a hit with our adult crowds, offering a chance to leave the rest of the family at home and enjoy the night with a glass of champagne or a cocktail.
After October’s storm and the following clean-up period, we hopped right into November’s seasonal preparations with the Holiday Train Show. Our kiku bid a fond “adieu” as they made room in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory for New York’s most cherished winter tradition. And did I mention the leaves on the trees? Fall had arrived–loud, clear, and bursting with the warmest hues.
Paul Busse and his team at Applied Imagination are nothing if they’re not diligent (and brilliantly creative). Setting up the Holiday Train Show takes no small amount of time or ingenuity, and for the last 20 years they have continued to produce one of New York’s most delightful holiday experiences. This year, we set up a time-lapse camera in the Conservatory so our readers could get a better idea of just how the whole process goes down.
October was a hectic month of stunning Japanese floral displays, pumpkin zombies, changing foliage and a holiday weekend punctuated by tragedy. But if we’re pros at anything, it’s picking ourselves up by the bootstraps! Horticulture can–after all–be an unpredictable business.
After many long months of preparation, the NYBG‘s Fall Flowers of Japan exhibition continued throughout October with a focus on kiku, a centuries-old chrysanthemum tradition requiring patience, skill, and an eye for aesthetic. Our very own Ann Rafalko even took it upon herself to explain just how the talented horticulturists behind these artful blooms do it!
In September, The New York Botanical Garden welcomed back much-loved chef and champion of orange Crocs, Mario Batali, for the rewards of his Edible Gardenplanted back in April. Mario’s recipes went up on Plant Talk throughout the following weeks, proving a delectable success!
After putting together my story on poinsettia the other day, I realized that there’s more to seasonal decor than a few colorful leaves. There are quite obviously berries, too–red and white–and boughs of pine woven into wreaths and garland. Of course there’s the classic Christmas tree. Frankincense, myrrh. Growing things have made their way into every nook and cranny of this decidedly green and red season.
But as with every decoration, every tradition, there’s a backstory to be dug up. I decided to tackle a few of these plants topically with the “poinsettia treatment,” and came up with some interesting results.
Can you believe the Christmas weekend is already at our doorstep, and Hanukkah well underway? Before you can bat an eye, you’ll be up to your ears in New Year’s party planning while trying to decide on your resolutions for 2012 (as shaky as they always turn out in practice).
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves! If you’re in search of a way to entertain the in-laws and maybe a place to knock out those last few items on your all-too-lengthy gift list (nothing to be ashamed of; I’m so far behind on my shopping I’m thinking of giving everyone scratch-offs), there are still a few chances to catch the Holiday Train Show before Sunday.
You probably run into them nearly every day. Hardware stores, supermarkets, pharmacies–almost anytime you step out the door to run an errand this time of year, you’ll see them lined up somewhere in the store. But the red velour leaves of the poinsettia weren’t always the face of December decoration they are today.
What’s the real story behind this ubiquitous holiday annual? I found myself mulling it over after someone told me about its deadly toxicity, a rumor that’s fed the newsmill with tales of poisoned pets and children for decades. The “fatal secret” belied by the innocent potted plant at the cash register, wrapped in cheery cellophane. Could such pleasant foliage be so dastardly?
“I was so nervous to bring him because he was weak and worn out, but he was so thrilled by the show that I think he forgot about his health issues.”
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For the past 20 days, our visitors have shared their fondest memories from 20 years of the Holiday Train Show–some of them touching, some comical, and every one of them cherished. Each day Plant Talk has featured a new story, which you can see the last of 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! Today is your last chance!
