December 26, 2012
Other than being the holidays’ go-to catalyst for awkward party faux pas, mistletoe is most often regarded as a parasitic pain that can kill trees if left to its own devices. But it seems its powers for destruction might be used for good, too. Science is good. —MN brilliantbotany: Merry Christmas! Did you know that mistletoe extract has the potential to treat cancer? According to a study in 1999, mistletoe extract increased immune system activities in cell cultures, which could be beneficial to cancer patients (Hajto, Pharmacological Effects of Mistletoe Therapy, Clinical Toxicology, 1999). This was only a study, however, and much more research would be required to perfect a treatment. More recent studies have found that mistletoe extract induces apoptosis (cell death) in melanoma cells (Struh, A Novel Tripetertene Extract from Mistletoe Induces Rapid Apoptsosis in Murine B16.F10 Melanoma Cells, Phytotheraphy Research, 2012). This is because chemicals in the extract encourage cells to produce more cytokines, which help with immune response. [x]

Other than being the holidays’ go-to catalyst for awkward party faux pas, mistletoe is most often regarded as a parasitic pain that can kill trees if left to its own devices. But it seems its powers for destruction might be used for good, too. Science is good. —MN

brilliantbotany:

Merry Christmas!

Did you know that mistletoe extract has the potential to treat cancer? According to a study in 1999, mistletoe extract increased immune system activities in cell cultures, which could be beneficial to cancer patients (Hajto, Pharmacological Effects of Mistletoe Therapy, Clinical Toxicology, 1999). This was only a study, however, and much more research would be required to perfect a treatment. More recent studies have found that mistletoe extract induces apoptosis (cell death) in melanoma cells (Struh, A Novel Tripetertene Extract from Mistletoe Induces Rapid Apoptsosis in Murine B16.F10 Melanoma Cells, Phytotheraphy Research, 2012). This is because chemicals in the extract encourage cells to produce more cytokines, which help with immune response. [x]

(Source: brilliantbotany)

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Filed under: mistletoe holidays plants science 
December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas from all of us here at the NYBG! Whatever you’re doing today, we hope it’s warmly lit (and a little bit neon). —MN

(Source: aaronmpaul, via despicablealexis)

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Filed under: trees Christmas tree holidays plants 
December 24, 2012
Beautiful! Our friends at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden deserve a visit if you find yourself in Richmond, Virginia this holiday season. They’re holding their own seasonal event with the Dominion GardenFest of Lights through early January, and it’s got the Mid-Atlantic positively glowing. —MN lewisginter: Today’s warm weather & gorgeous sky remind me that tonight would be a perfect night for Dominion GardenFest of Lights. Arrive right at 5 p.m. if you want to see a sky like this & enjoy the twilight time at the Garden — my favorite! Many thanks to Valerie Kopp for letting us share her gorgeous photo.

Beautiful! Our friends at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden deserve a visit if you find yourself in Richmond, Virginia this holiday season. They’re holding their own seasonal event with the Dominion GardenFest of Lights through early January, and it’s got the Mid-Atlantic positively glowing. —MN

lewisginter:

Today’s warm weather & gorgeous sky remind me that tonight would be a perfect night for Dominion GardenFest of Lights. Arrive right at 5 p.m. if you want to see a sky like this & enjoy the twilight time at the Garden — my favorite! Many thanks to Valerie Kopp for letting us share her gorgeous photo.

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Filed under: Lewis Ginter botanical garden Virginia holidays garden 
December 24, 2012
The BHL — Spreading Holiday Cheer The Biodiversity Heritage Library is a consortium of renowned natural history, botany, and research libraries sporting over two million volumes of unique biodiversity literature. It’s a pretty big deal, and not just because it’s a consortium (I know, so mysterious). As part of this collective, the NYBG (that’s our own Library Building up there) is proud to be featured in the BHL’s holiday celebration rundown, highlighting a few of the seasonal activities on offer from its member institutions. Alongside our Holiday Train Show, you’ll find winter fun from the American Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, and a handful of other world-class organizations from across the country. So even if you’re not front and center for the Garden events in New York City, there’s a chance you’ll be able to ring in the holidays with one of our friends elsewhere in the U.S. Click through for the list, and maybe bounce around the BHL blog while you’re there; it’s a buffet of the goings-on at some of our favorite cultural institutions. —MN

The BHL — Spreading Holiday Cheer

The Biodiversity Heritage Library is a consortium of renowned natural history, botany, and research libraries sporting over two million volumes of unique biodiversity literature. It’s a pretty big deal, and not just because it’s a consortium (I know, so mysterious).

As part of this collective, the NYBG (that’s our own Library Building up there) is proud to be featured in the BHL’s holiday celebration rundown, highlighting a few of the seasonal activities on offer from its member institutions. Alongside our Holiday Train Show, you’ll find winter fun from the American Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, and a handful of other world-class organizations from across the country. So even if you’re not front and center for the Garden events in New York City, there’s a chance you’ll be able to ring in the holidays with one of our friends elsewhere in the U.S.

Click through for the list, and maybe bounce around the BHL blog while you’re there; it’s a buffet of the goings-on at some of our favorite cultural institutions. —MN

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Filed under: BHL Biodiversity museums library holidays Holiday Train Show 
December 19, 2012
Is it just me, or do the bigger cookies look like hibiscus flowers? Such a cool cookie idea for anyone celebrating Christmas in more tropical climes. ~AR epicurious: Christmas Cookies, Day 13: Moravian Crisps with Royal Icing (Gourmet, December 2008)

Is it just me, or do the bigger cookies look like hibiscus flowers? Such a cool cookie idea for anyone celebrating Christmas in more tropical climes. ~AR

epicurious:

Christmas Cookies, Day 13: Moravian Crisps with Royal Icing (Gourmet, December 2008)

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Filed under: Flowers Cookies Holidays Christmas 
December 17, 2012
A New Holiday Tradition: Renting Christmas Trees So you can’t reconcile your conscience with buying a tree that’s been cut down, much less testing your lumberjack skills or flexing your DIY muscles to craft your own tree. That’s okay! Now up and coming in the holiday scene, Christmas tree rental agencies are making themselves known in certain states around the country. For a fee, these farms will deliver a potted (and, if you ask nicely, fully-decorated—but what’s the fun in that?) Christmas tree. Your only obligation is to feed and water it, and keep Whiskers from eating it; the tree, meanwhile, will go on living out its happy life, filtering the air in your house and posing a reduced fire hazard. Come the end of the season, the rental agency picks up the potted pine and hauls it back to the nursery, re-renting it each year until the tree reaches seven years of age. At that point, they plant it for good. Rental is looking like it might not always be the cheapest option available, but it’s definitely a leg up on your environmentally-conscious friends when it comes time to….spruce up your living room. Or, if you prefer… —MN

A New Holiday Tradition: Renting Christmas Trees

So you can’t reconcile your conscience with buying a tree that’s been cut down, much less testing your lumberjack skills or flexing your DIY muscles to craft your own tree. That’s okay! Now up and coming in the holiday scene, Christmas tree rental agencies are making themselves known in certain states around the country.

For a fee, these farms will deliver a potted (and, if you ask nicely, fully-decorated—but what’s the fun in that?) Christmas tree. Your only obligation is to feed and water it, and keep Whiskers from eating it; the tree, meanwhile, will go on living out its happy life, filtering the air in your house and posing a reduced fire hazard. Come the end of the season, the rental agency picks up the potted pine and hauls it back to the nursery, re-renting it each year until the tree reaches seven years of age. At that point, they plant it for good.

Rental is looking like it might not always be the cheapest option available, but it’s definitely a leg up on your environmentally-conscious friends when it comes time to….spruce up your living room. Or, if you prefer… —MN

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(Notes: 62)
  
Filed under: Christmas conifer holidays pine plants trees rental 
December 6, 2012
New York City blogger Glamamom came to the Holiday Train Show with her family recently. Not only did she take beautiful photographs of the show and family, but she also put together a fabulous list of “must know’ Train Show tips. I cannot tell a lie: The Train Show can get crowded, and with all the little kids geeking out over the “steamies and diesels” it can be a little overwhelming. But with a hint of planning and a dash of patience, it’s a magical, wildly rewarding experience. How do I know? Because I have undertaken the journey as a civilian with my own nephews. Thank you Glamamom for visiting and for crafting such a pretty post! ~AR (via Holiday Train Show | New York Botanical Garden)

New York City blogger Glamamom came to the Holiday Train Show with her family recently. Not only did she take beautiful photographs of the show and family, but she also put together a fabulous list of “must know’ Train Show tips. I cannot tell a lie: The Train Show can get crowded, and with all the little kids geeking out over the “steamies and diesels” it can be a little overwhelming. But with a hint of planning and a dash of patience, it’s a magical, wildly rewarding experience. How do I know? Because I have undertaken the journey as a civilian with my own nephews. Thank you Glamamom for visiting and for crafting such a pretty post! ~AR

(via Holiday Train Show | New York Botanical Garden)

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Filed under: Holiday Train Show Visitor-Generated Content New York City Kids Christmas Holidays 
November 23, 2012

The Holiday Train Show does that to people! It’s such an overwhelmingly wonderful experience, you just forget to snap any pictures. I always recommend multiple visits, and I’m not just saying that because I work here! ~AR

projas1860:

NY Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train Show.

I didn’t take a lot of pictures of the train, which means I must return. LOL.

(Source: expletiveinfixation)

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Filed under: Holiday Train Show New York City Bronx Christmas Holidays Model Trains 
November 20, 2012
Need more flowers in your life? Have a few cute bottles hanging around? Follow the simple steps in Erica’s lovely little DIY tutorial and then scamper out to the nearest bodega for an instant flowery pick-me-up for your Thanksgiving table. ~AR ps-imadethis: It’s the time of year where we’re looking forward to endless celebrations with friends and family with thanks filling our hearts. This Thanksgiving, in addition to cooking up a spread of hearty Fall dishes for the table, spread creativity throughout the house that will last longer than those leftovers! Your local flea market likely has a bounty of vintage bottles in various shapes, colors, and sizes. Hang them up with luxe chain and add an array of delicate flowers to create decorative vases that add unique style and cheer to any space.    To create: Tear a piece of gold duck-tape long enough to wrap around the neck of the bottle. Adjust gold chain to your desired length and tape on both sides of the bottle. Snip the excess chain off. Hang the vase on a branch and add some flowers for a finishing touch.

Need more flowers in your life? Have a few cute bottles hanging around? Follow the simple steps in Erica’s lovely little DIY tutorial and then scamper out to the nearest bodega for an instant flowery pick-me-up for your Thanksgiving table. ~AR

ps-imadethis:

It’s the time of year where we’re looking forward to endless celebrations with friends and family with thanks filling our hearts. This Thanksgiving, in addition to cooking up a spread of hearty Fall dishes for the table, spread creativity throughout the house that will last longer than those leftovers! Your local flea market likely has a bounty of vintage bottles in various shapes, colors, and sizes. Hang them up with luxe chain and add an array of delicate flowers to create decorative vases that add unique style and cheer to any space. 
 
To create: Tear a piece of gold duck-tape long enough to wrap around the neck of the bottle. Adjust gold chain to your desired length and tape on both sides of the bottle. Snip the excess chain off. Hang the vase on a branch and add some flowers for a finishing touch.

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Filed under: Flowers DIY Holidays 
December 22, 2011
Poinsettia: A Reputation Ill-Deserved

Poinsettia

Rumors abound that the lovely poinsettia—that most quintessential of holiday decorations—is packing a dark and deadly secret. But how dastardly is the potted beauty found sitting on hardware store shelves?

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Filed under: poinsettia NYBG holidays 
November 30, 2011

GPOYW.

Time-lapse video of the Holiday Train Show set-up in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.

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Filed under: GPOYW Holiday Train Show New York City The New York Botanical Garden Time Lapse Video Video Holidays Nature 
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