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 Paul Busse’s Capitol replica nestles among
the orchids at the US Botanic Garden's
Holiday Exhibition. The model took
over 600 hours to build.
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“Timing in life is everything,” they say. Imagine that in the same month NASA discovers water on the moon, the man in the moon has landed in the magical holiday exhibit at the US Botanic Garden. Once again this holiday season, the USBG displays magical spaces designed and built by award-winning landscape architect Paul Busse, including some new flying wood fairies and the man in the moon.
If you haven’t made a trip to the botanic garden part of your family holiday tradition, start this season. It is truly a delight for all. There is something for everyone, and best of all, it is free. “We are really pleased to be able to bring Paul’s work to Capitol Hill,” says Holly Schmizu, executive director of the USBG. “His sense of whimsy combined with his eye for detail surprises me each season,” Schmizu says, “and I think this year’s additions are better than ever.”
There are really three different exhibitions that can be visited from Thanksgiving through Jan. 10. First, there is the East Gallery where Busse’s amazing garden-train world resides. It is sure to capture the imagination of the little ones. The grand garden court is the perfect setting to replicate the National Mall with the architectural buildings of Washington made from twigs, berries, leaves and other interesting natural objects. The garden court also features a Frasier fir that is dazzling in bright ornaments and lights. The tree is one of Washington’s largest indoor holiday trees.
The third exhibition features a special poinsettia presentation displaying new and old varieties. It is estimated that over 60 million pots of poinsettias are sold in the US during the holiday season, and commercial plant growers are continually creating new cultivated plants.
Sally Bourrie, USBG public programs coordinator, says that more than 80,000 visitors will see the holiday exhibition if numbers reflect previous years’ attendance. Schmizu suggests that families on the Hill try and come during off-peak days when it isn’t quite so crowded. The conservatory will be open late on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, with special music performances from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. beginning on Dec. 1. It is probably wise to check the website for hours and up-to-the-minute information on special activities. www.usbg.gov
Pinecones Dancing in Their Heads
Paul Busse of Applied Imagination has been featured on NBC, CBS, CNN and many other national television news segments over the years. He brought his first garden-train exhibition to the USBG in 2004. Each year, he and his staff in Kentucky add new buildings or update the old buildings to keep up with the times. This year, the White House features the new vegetable garden of Mrs. Obama and the Obama children’s swing set. The vegetable garden has rows of vegetables and even a tiny pumpkin patch.
In addition, the Applied Imagination team has created a replica of the National Museum of the American Indian. It features the roof made from giant Horse’s Hoof Fungus and a Pigeon-plum leaf. The walls of the museum are made from cork oak, deer bone and antler, river rock, slate, shell, sand dollar and moss.
Trained as a landscape architect, Busse constructs his garden-train exhibitions using all plant-based materials. Rumors are that the US Capitol took over 600 hours to build. It contains a variety of materials from wheat, bamboo, beechnuts, pear pods, pinecones, acorn caps, grapevine tendrils, to winged euonymus. Busse’s exhibitions are in great demand, but he says, “The fact that we’re on the National Mall is one of the most honored things I’ve had a chance to do.”
Flaming Spheres, Barbara Ecke Supremes, and Anette Hegg Reds
David Nelson, gardener at the USBG, begins his holiday work in the summer probably about the same time as the Applied Imagination crew. But Nelson’s task may be even more magical, since his plants are all alive and need to be blooming right on time for the holidays. “Maybe not my favorite plant,” Nelson says, “because the poinsettia is a little finicky, and when you are responsible for keeping hundreds of them in bloom, it can be a little much.” That said, Nelson really knows his poinsettias. His masterful knowledge of the plant that became the symbol of Christmas is awe-inspiring and promises to make the exhibition an outstanding educational plant experience.
The exhibit will demonstrate the modern plants along with some of the large native poinsettias that grow in central Mexico. There the plants are the size of trees or large shrubs. Nelson says he is still reaching out to horticultural allies to find more of the native wild seeds to grow for future exhibitions.
Over the years, one breeder has become the world’s leading commercial plant grower, Paul Ecke. The Paul Ecke Ranch in Encinitas, California, claims responsibility for 70 percent of all flowering poinsettias in the US and more than 50 percent of all flowering poinsettias in the world. The Ecke family continues to experiment with the traditional full red poinsettia. Cultivars are available tall, short, thin, thick; with super-sized blooms or a rose-like appearance; in white, purple and pink; and with either all green or variegated foliage. The Ecke ranch website is filled with history and fabulous photos of the many different varieties of poinsettias available. www.ecke.com
There is a good chance that your own poinsettia may have started from a cutting from the Ecke stock. David says when picking a poinsettia plant to buy, you should pick it up and make sure it is not too wet. Root rot is the most common problem for the plants. Look for green leaves and buy it before it has put on flowers. What – buy it without those great red flowers? As it turns out, what we commonly call red flowers are really bracts, or brightly colored modified leaves. They attract pollinating insects to a poinsettia's true flowers, which are not in themselves very showy. The real flowers are the tiny greenish-yellow buds in the center of a bunch. The flowers are also the culprits in producing sap, which can cause some irritation for people with sensitive skin.
Make time this December season to visit the “Holiday Magic” exhibition. It is fast becoming one of Washington’s favorite holiday outings, and is guaranteed to delight one and all. The US Botanic Garden is located at 245 First St. SW, Washington, DC, and the phone number is 202-225-8333. |
