Gardenland Express

One of St. Louis’s most beloved holiday traditions is the Gardenland Express, the Missouri Botanical Garden’s annual holiday flower and train show. This year the theme was a wintry wonderland in the mountains of Vermont. Tiny villages, ski resorts, and covered bridges dot the living landscape of dwarf conifers, evergreens, succulents, and moss. Eight G-scale model trains chug through the scenery surrounded by hundreds of colorful poinsettias and seasonal flowers.

Visitors are often amazed to learn that the Gardenland Express landscape is temporary and created mostly of living plant material. In late October/early November, truckloads of sawdust are spread upon a 5,000 square foot concrete floor to create rolling hills, valleys and mountains. Approximately 1,500 feet of brass track is laid before plants and props are carefully placed within railroad tie borders. The Garden's horticulture staff uses dwarf conifers, succulents and moss to create the landscapes.

It's absolutely BEAUTIFUL and the boys and I had a wonderful time this past Saturday with a visit to see the trains. Another annual tradition that we started last year and will most likely continue as they get older and are willing to go with me.