Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and the Garden will be open! Enjoy a well-deserved long weekend at NYBG, and catch the Holiday Train Show® in its final few days before it closes after January 19. The wintry fun continues in Ross Hall with the return of All Aboard with Thomas & Friends™ mini-performances, now through January 25!
This weekend is also the time to come admire the finest treasures of the LuEsther T. Mertz Library’s world-class collection in Flora Illustrata: A Celebration of Botanical Masterworks—there will be three tours scheduled to guide visitors through this exhibition highlighting the greatest botanical library in the Western Hemisphere.
Explore the full schedule below for a full three-day weekend of illuminating and entertaining Garden experiences. We hope to see you soon!
In NYBG’s latest Artist’s Spotlight video, join the talented woodcarver Ivan Braun as he guides you through his artistic process. You may recognize Ivan from his live woodcarving demonstrations at the Garden as part of Fall Forest Weekends, but what you may not know is that his beautiful bowls and vases are made from the fallen trees on NYBG’s own grounds.
The winter storm season sees a lot of felled trees and branches, but rather than send these pieces of NYBG’s world-renowned tree collection straight to the chipper, Ivan gives new life to these beautiful and unique woods that span the globe, carving them into elegant and unique bowls that are available for purchase right here at Shop in the Garden! Peruse a selection of Ivan’s latest handiwork and bring home a souvenir of your Garden visit that is truly one-of-a-kind. Watch the video below to see the craftsman in action.
Everyone’s favorite train has arrived at NYBG as the star of a mini-performance that families can enjoy on their next Garden visit, now through January 25. Driver Sam and Thomas lead All Aboard with Thomas & Friends, providing a fun-filled, interactive musical show where you can bring your camera to capture the moment during a photo-op with Thomas or purchase a souvenir photo from our professional photographers.
The 23rd annual Holiday Train Show is open through Monday, January 19, when the Garden will be open for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, so complete your family’s Garden visit with this kid-friendly experience in Ross Hall. Have a look at the video below for a peek into this larger-than-life Thomas experience!
Even after the Holiday Train Show ends this coming Monday, January 19, kids can enjoy wintry fun with All Aboard with Thomas & Friends—not to mention Evergreen Express in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. Check out the full performance schedule and plan your visit today!
With the Holiday Train Show closing out for another year this coming Monday, January 19 (we’ll be open!), we’re getting ready for mid-winter relief with the opening of Wild Medicine—a highlight of the important plants in the permanent collection of the Haupt Conservatory. More info is on the way, but in the meantime, think tropical thoughts.
In the Palm Dome of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Caladiums—or angel wings (Caladium)—are native to South America, where they grow in the partially shaded understory of tropical trees. In their natural habitat, they have plenty of moisture, good drainage and dappled light. In New York City these exotic foliage plants adorn fancy street tree pits and tiny borders on the sides of apartment buildings during the long summer months.
At the Garden, we tuck them into lightly shaded borders or dress them up in containers. We have grown them successfully in full sun in containers but had to keep a watchful eye on them to make sure that they were well-watered throughout the season.
Caladiums have paper-thin leaves in a glorious array of colors and patterns. They come primarily in speckled whites and varying shades of pinks to rosy reds. The mottling, streaking, and speckling is fantastic and varies depending on the cultivar. They are iridescent in the shade and will brighten any dark corner of the garden.
Each year, wandering winter-lovers take the time to craft tiny snowpeople throughout the Garden, leaving them for visitors and employees alike to puzzle over. This tiny fellow happens to be the first one we’ve found in 2015.
Tiny snowman in the Forest – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen