Changing Seasons in the Conservatory

Posted in Around the Garden, Holiday Train Show on November 7 2011, by Matt Newman

Honey bees still clung to the last of the chrysanthemums in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory as workers hurried about the business of change this past Friday. The shuffling of displays marks the end of our successful Fall Flowers of Japan exhibition, and while it was saddening to see the carefully-trained beauty of the ‘Thousand Bloom’ ozukuri exit stage left, the transition from ancient gardening artistry to a beloved family tradition can only mean the beginning of one of our most anticipated yearly events.

Production began on our 20th Holiday Train Show over the weekend, an undertaking that’s a bit like watching a Norman Rockwell painting as it first meets the canvas. The Conservatory space was only vacant for a moment before the sights of New York began appearing in miniature, springing up along the walkways and setting the stage for a quarter-mile of tracks, well-known bridges, and over 140 familiar city landmarks. And this busy activity continues as we speak!

With this being our 20th anniversary, we’re honoring the occasion with what we believe is the finest display in two decades. Feel free to take a look at what we have planned for the event, and continue to check in here at Plant Talk for further updates on the Holiday Train Show, opening November 19th.

Of course, Conservatory exhibitions aren’t the only things going on at the Garden. This past weekend also kicked off the grand rededication of the Thain Family Forest after several years of careful restoration, and there’s no finer place to walk amidst the peak of fall foliage than New York City’s largest native woodland. Head over to the event listing to find out what’s happening in the 50-acre Forest as we continue the celebration through November 13th, then come and join the crowd for this unique opportunity to experience the landscape anew.

If you’d like a first-hand account of the experience, Edward Rothstein of The New York Times has penned a thoughtful editorial on his day spent wandering the woods.