Beautyberry

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Amid the stark winter landscape at the New York Botanical Garden dotted with brilliant evergreens both tall and small, a stand of beautyberry pops into sight.

I believe the shrubs are Callicarpa dichotoma. I was so captivated by the great color and form that didn’t check the tag. (More info from Dave's Garden here and Iowa State University Extension here.)

I wonder if I can find a place for these beauties in my garden. Plant lust never ends.

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I will be away until after the New Year. I won’t be able to post. I will be answering comments and reading my favorite blogs.

I wish you all a very merry holiday and a successful New Year filled with excitement and laughter!

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(Photo taken at NY Botanical Garden.)

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First Snow

The first snow of the season fell on December 5. It created -


Feathery clumps on hemlocks,

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Fluffy cotton balls on shrubs.

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Snow hats on posts and lanterns,
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And popcorn on the lawn.

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NY Botanical Garden

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I joined a group from the Bethlehem Garden Club to visit the 18th Annual Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden.
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From Statue of Liberty to Coney Island, over 140 miniature buildings and bridges filled the Haupt Conservatory’s entire wing. Model trains and trolleys zipped by. The display, created by the award-winning designer Paul Busse of Applied Imagination, delighted young and young and at heart.

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The buildings made of twigs, bark, nuts, vines fungi, berries, pine cones, seeds and other natural materials create a wonderland display of both the huge and the small.

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Our group was surprised by the New York Yankees car flying past the Empire State Building, the Chrysler and other familiar skyscrapers. We wondered if it would have been Phillies train if our favorite Phils had won the World Series.

Kalanchoe, cyclamen, cactus, begonia, croton, gardenia, miniature evergreens and all manner of plants are set to scale with the buildings and trains creating a natural wonderland.

The train show continues until January 10. It was a delightful way to spend a December morning.

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Bethlehem

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A rainy day at Bethlehem’s City Center Plaza.

Magnolia buds anticipate spring.

A bird’s nest sits vacant.

The advent candles and children’s tree stand alone in the cold drizzle.

But light seems to shine on the Crèche -- even on a rainy day.
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(See the list of “Things To Do” for the holiday season at Christmas City Organization’s site.)

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