EXHIBITIONS AT NEW ENGLAND BOTANIC GARDEN
Exhibitions at the Garden celebrate the wonder of plants and the art and science of horticulture. Some exhibitions are annual events that return each year with a new twist to create exciting, one-of-a-kind experiences. Other exhibitions showcase talented artists whose imaginative and often thought-provoking work inspires visitors of all ages to connect with the natural world.
Explore our current exhibitions as well as favorites from the past below!
Interested in showcasing your artwork at the New England Botanic Garden? Please fill out our Exhibition Artist Application Form.
CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
FAIRY HOLLOW
August 29 – October 25, 2026
Discover a miniature world where magic blooms around every corner. The fairies return to The Ramble in a one-of-a-kind exhibit featuring more than 20 intricately designed fairy houses expertly crafted by artists from New England and beyond. From cozy mushroom cottages to enchanting seashell palaces, this collection of creative abodes will delight visitors of all ages. Magic awaits in Fairy Hollow. All you need is your imagination—and a little bit of fairy dust.
GLASS IN FLIGHT
May 16 – November 1, 2026
Step into a world of color and wonder with Glass in Flight. This unforgettable exhibition features 30 larger-than-life stained-glass and steel sculptures expertly crafted by artist Alex Heveri. Encounter giant hummingbirds, butterflies, dragonflies, beetles, and more as they shimmer in the sunlight, soar overhead, pose in midair, or hide among the blooms. Blending brilliant color, light, and scale, Glass in Flight celebrates these charismatic creatures and their environmental significance. Discover their hidden secrets like never before.
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS
GNOMEVEMBER
November 1–30
Explore the whimsical world of our garden gnomes! Visiting from near and far, our sneaky gnomes have taken up residence in some of their favorite spots around the Garden. Created by talented local artists, each gnome has a unique personality and a story waiting to be discovered.
TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS
HORTICULTURAL HEROES
This one-of-a-kind exhibit features portraits by local artists of diverse leaders in the field of horticulture who championed their causes throughout history. The exhibit arose from a desire expressed by Garden visitors, members, and staff to learn more about leaders, especially those from marginalized groups, who have made a difference in people’s lives by connecting them with plants, spanning across time, cultures, and geography.
PAST EXHIBITIONS
TIMELESS: Floral Landscapes by Suzan Osborn
July 18 – October 12, 2026
Local artist Suzan Osborn returns this summer with a captivating new collection of oil paintings inspired by her time spent at the Garden. Her luminous floral landscapes celebrate the color, movement, and quiet beauty of New England Botanic Garden, offering fresh perspectives on familiar spaces and blooms. Rendered in Osborn’s warm, expressive style, each painting invites you to step into scenes shaped by nature and brought vividly to life on canvas.
DEEPLY ROOTED, An Exhibit Celebrating 40 Years of New England Botanic Garden
May 2 – October 12, 2026
This special anniversary exhibit brings the Garden’s story to life—from its visionary beginnings to the role it plays today as a place of connection, wonder, and inspiration. Learn about the evolution of gardens and landscapes, uncover captivating stories, and experience the lasting impact the Garden has had on people, plants, and the region it calls home. Rediscover the past and imagine the next 40 years with us.
BOTANICAL TATTOO Exhibit
April 4 – July 12, 2026
Botanical Tattoo is where nature meets needle—an electrifying celebration of plant life and the art of tattooing. From delicate wildflowers and timeless roses to lush ferns and vibrant tropical blooms, botanical imagery has shaped tattoo traditions across cultures and centuries.
ELEVATED, An Orchid ExhibitionFebruary 7 – March 22, 2026
Celebrate the beauty and wonder of orchids in combination with captivating aerial sculptures by artist Cicely Carew. Featuring a stunning display of over 2,000 orchids, Elevated transformed the Garden’s subtropical conservatories into an immersive world of color, movement, and botanical brilliance. Inspired by the forms and rhythms of nature, Carew’s “flying paintings” soar overhead – a joyful expression of the connection between art and nature.
GNOMEVEMBER
November 1–30
Explore the whimsical world of our garden gnomes! Visiting from near and far, our sneaky gnomes have taken up residence in some of their favorite spots around the Garden. Created by talented local artists, each gnome has a unique personality and a story waiting to be discovered.
STRANGER PLANTS
August 30–November 2
Step into a world of intergalactic botanical wonder with Stranger Plants. This exhibition brings to life sculptures of imaginary plant species with bizarre, otherworldly traits inspired by the remarkable adaptations of their earthly ancestors. This fall, prepare for extraordinary encounters with alien plants unlike any you’ve ever seen!
CHINESE EMPRESSES by Xiang Li
June 14–October 12
Experience the vibrant work of internationally acclaimed artist Xiang Li with a display depicting Chinese empresses throughout history. The works exhibited represent more than 200 empresses Li has painted on silk by hand with traditional Chinese watercolor.
ART IN MOTION, 25 Years of Sculpture by George Sherwood
May 3–October 12, 2025
Explore an extraordinary collection of kinetic sculptures, masterfully crafted by talented artist and engineer George Sherwood. Art in Motion spans an impressive 25 years of Sherwood’s artistic journey, showcasing 17 intricate stainless-steel sculptures that move in the wind.
YETI, SET, GO!
Jan 11–Feb 23
Our favorite cold-weather magical creatures have returned! Join us for Yeti, Set, Go! and embark on a whimsical winter adventure. Hidden among icy gardens, towering trees, and frosty landscapes, colorful yetis await your discovery. Find all 12 yetis and uncover the magic and beauty of the winter season. Plus, learn about the wildlife that calls the Garden home through educational programs designed for kids and families.
PIXELS + PETALS, AN ORCHID EXHIBITION
Feb 8–Mar 23
Get ready for a blast from the past with our annual orchid exhibition! Pixels & Petals combines the vibrant world of retro video games with the delicate beauty of orchids. Rewind, flash back, and immerse yourself in pixelated charm as nostalgia and nature unite in a one-of-a-kind experience.
SPRING AWAKENING, A New England Society of Botanical Artists Illustrated Exhibit
April 4–June 8
Come and celebrate the return of spring with Spring Awakening, an enchanting exhibit showcasing artwork by the New England Society of Botanical Artists. On display in the Milton Gallery, these stunning pieces highlight the vibrant resurgence of nature through an exquisite array of spring flowers, luscious fruits, and fresh foliage, inviting you to experience the beauty and renewal of the season.
SEASONS OF CHANGE Photography Above the Garden
August 15–October 15, 2024
Photographer John Rich has spent the last year photographing the Climate Garden and the Garden of Inspiration from a unique perspective: from above. These images document what a year at the Garden looks like from an aerial view as the seasons change and the daylight shifts. John Rich’s stunning photographs will be on display in the Milton Gallery.
Contemporary Paintings Inspired by the Garden by Marie Anthony
June 1–August 11, 2024
Join us to celebrate the work of Marie Anthony, an abstract artist located in Boston. This unique body of work focusing on botanical abstractions was directly influenced by the shapes and patterns she found here at the Garden. These dynamic oil paintings will adorn Milton Gallery.
NEW ENGLAND WILDFLOWERS
June 8–September 3, 2024
Come learn more about the native and introduced wildflowers found throughout New England in an illustrated exhibit featuring artwork created by the New England Society of Botanical Artists will adorn the Fern Gallery beginning June 8.
PATTERNS IN BLOOM, AN ORCHID EXHIBITION
February 10–March 17, 2024
Patterns In Bloom displayed thousands of living orchids in artful arrangements as well as the imaginative sculptural work of artist Molly Gambardella.
ENCHANTED FOREST, Nature-inspired Fairy Houses by Sally J. Smith
August 17 through October 31
Everyone’s favorite mythical creatures have returned to the Garden! Sally J. Smith’s intricately designed one-of-a-kind fairy houses have transformed The Ramble into a whimsical fairyland that is sure to leave you charmed. Experience the magic as you journey through our enchanted fairy forest exhibition, Enchanted Forest, featuring over 30 magical fairy houses built with natural and nature-inspired materials.
FLORA IN FLIGHT, Aerial Art by Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics
June 22 through October 31
Experience a collaboration between art and nature as vast, fluid canvases of color dance overhead in the wind. This trilogy of kinetic art will transform spaces within the Garden into living tapestries that are sure to spark wonder and imagination.
GNOMEVEMBER
November 1-30
Standing over 2-feet-tall and 60-pounds, these concrete gnomes are cast from molds here at the Garden while artists from around New England creatively transform them into works of art with their own unique backstories.
YETI, SET, GO
January 6–March 31, 2023
Fifteen colorful, furry friends visited the garden in winter 2023! Placed throughout the Garden, visitors embarked on a yeti adventure to soak in the wintry views of our gardens and grounds.
ALLURE, AN ORCHID EXHIBITION
February–March, 2023
In 2023, our annual orchid exhibition showcased captivating plants that enticed pollinators in surprising ways. Allure displayed thousands of orchids and artist Kara Walker’s larger-than-life sculptures. *This is an annual exhibition.
SUZAN OSBORN, VIEWS FROM THE GARDEN
April 1–May 31, 2023
Suzan Osborn is a local artist who has spent over 35 years studying and painting the gardens and landscape of the Garden. VIEWS FROM THE GARDEN featured more than 20 floral landscape oil paintings.
CHIAOZZA, A SCULPTURE EXHIBITION
June 1–October 15, 2023
CHIAOZZA was an exhibit of imaginative, colorful sculptures and wall works displayed across the Garden. Visitors discovered the surprising creative parallels between growing plants and making art.
GROW, FORAGE, EAT, A NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY OF BOTANICAL ARTISTS ILLUSTRATED EXHIBIT
July 1–October 1, 2023
This exhibition showcased a wide variety of wild and cultivated plants we eat featuring stunning artwork created by the New England Society of Botanical Artists (NESBA).
MYTHS, MAGIC, AND MONSTERS
September 1–October 31, 2023
Myths, Magic and Monsters brought a world of wonder featuring the mythical, magical, and monstrous creatures that have inspired fascinating legends and captured human imaginations for centuries.
GNOMEVEMBER
November 1-30
Every year in the month of November gnomes visit the garden! Artists from around New England submit proposals to creatively transform the gnomes into works of art with their own unique backstories. *This is an annual exhibition.
PRISMATIC, AN ORCHID EXHIBITION
February 12–March 20, 2022
In 2022 our annual orchid exhibition featured orchids and artwork inspired by color and light. The exhibition combined dazzling plant displays, including 1,400 colorful orchids and vibrant art installations.
UPROOTED
April 23–November 1, 2022
Uprooted was a nature inspired exhibit featuring land art by W. Gary Smith. The stunning sculptures were from natural materials collected at the garden, and celebrated the connections between people and nature.
ROOTED, A NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY OF BOTANICAL ARTISTS ILLUSTRATED EXHIBIT
June 4–October 30, 2022
Forty-one NESBA member artists worked to create fifty-seven unique works of art that depict the parts of plants we don’t typically see, their roots!
ENCHANTED FOREST
September 10–October 30, 2022
Enchanted Forest featured over 20 nature-inspired fairy houses intricately created by the artist Sally J. Smith. Visitors were transported into the fairies’ world with immersive elements to explore.
GNOMEVEMBER
Through the month of November
Every year in the month of November gnomes visit the garden! Artists from around New England submit proposals to creatively transform the gnomes into works of art with their own unique backstories. *This is an annual exhibition.
YARNSTORM
January 16–March 31, 2021
The global phenomenon known as “yarnbombing” took over the Garden in 2021! This collaborative community exhibit featured trees, benches, statues, and more, decorated with colorful knitted and crocheted art created by local artists.
THE NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY OF BOTANICAL ARTISTS SPRING BLOOM ILLUSTRATIONS EXHIBIT
April 1–May 31, 2021
NESBA member artists worked to unique works of art that showcase illustrations of spring blooms! These illustrations hung in the Milton Gallery and were also available for sale.
WILD HIDEAWAYS
June 1–September 30, 2021
In 2021 the Garden brought the indoors outside with Wild Hideaways! Visitors explored a fantastical collection of interactive, outdoor hideaways inspired by art and nature, custom designed by local landscape architects and artists.
WICKED WINGS
September 11–October 31, 2021
Wicked Wings was an interactive exhibition of sculptures depicting the wings of enchanting creatures both real and imagined. The works were located throughout the gardens.
GNOMEVEMBER
Through the month of November
Every year in the month of November gnomes visit the garden! Artists from around New England submit proposals to creatively transform the gnomes into works of art with their own unique backstories. *This is an annual exhibition.
*Please note: Annual exhibitions are subject to change and some exhibitions may not be repeated.