“Season’s Greenings” at U.S. Botanic Garden to spread cheer Thanksgiving Day through New Year’s Day

courtesy U.S. Botanic Garden

From a press release:

“The popular annual holiday display “Season’s Greenings” at the U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG) will run from Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23, 2023, through New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2024, closed on Dec. 25. G-gauge model trains will run between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. each day in the gated outdoor gardens, and the Conservatory will feature poinsettias, holiday decor, and D.C. landmarks made from plants.

On the lawn in the gated outdoor gardens, G-gauge model trains will circulate through displays of pollinators made from plant parts. These scenes will range from oversized models of native U.S. flowers, butterflies, bats, and hummingbirds to an orchid bee pollinating a vanilla orchid flower, a chocolate midge pollinating a cacao flower, a lemur pollinating a traveler’s tree flower, and more! About 75% of all flowering plant species need animal pollinators for reproduction. As a result, pollinators contribute to ecosystem health and a sustainable food supply.

Inside the Conservatory, holiday decorations will include nearly 2,000 colorful poinsettias and the Garden’s collection of D.C. monuments and landmarks, such as the U.S. Capitol building and the Lincoln Memorial, all made from plant parts. Recent additions to the collection will return, including the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the USBG’s historic 1800s Conservatory and Palm House interior, and the National Gallery of Art East Wing.

Throughout the outdoor gardens, discover trees and shrubs lit with string lights, festive evergreens and decorations, and six large plant-based sculptures of pollinators on display.

A gift store run by the Friends of the U.S. Botanic Garden and local D.C. small business Rewild will offer botanically themed gifts for purchase in the Conservatory’s West Gallery. Zeke’s Coffee will offer coffee, hot chocolate, and snacks for sale near the trains on select days.

The Conservatory is open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, the gated outdoor gardens are open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, and the Terrace Gardens and Bartholdi Gardens are open dawn to dusk daily. The Garden will be closed Dec. 25. Tickets are not required to view the trains or any part of the USBG. The trains will run between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. each day and may not operate during inclement weather.

The Garden will offer extended evening hours on three Thursdays, Dec. 14, Dec. 21, and Dec. 28. The Conservatory and train display will be open until 8:00 p.m. these evenings, with live seasonal music to enjoy while exploring the holiday displays and plants in the Conservatory.”