We visited the US Botanic Garden’s annual “Season’s Greenings” display titled “Roadside Attractions” featuring plant-based recreations of iconic sights from across the United States, with G gauge model trains chugging around, below, through and above the displays.

The Jolly Green Giant lives up to his name, standing more than 55 feet tall. It weighs 8,000 pounds and is made of fiberglass. A local radio talk show host wanted to attract passing motorists to the town using the image of the Jolly Green Giant, a well-known mascot of the canning company which had a canning plant in the same town. The host had a talk show where he would interview passing travelers and then give them a can of vegetables. People kept telling him that they wanted to actually see the Green Giant, so he raised funds from local townspeople and commissioned the giant statue.

In the exhibit he was holding up part of the railroad for the trains that run around the room.

Building materials: Skin, horse chestnut bark; tunic, salal leaves, birch bark, oak leaves, magnolia leaves; boots, palm fabric; eyes/mouth, lily petals

Safranbolu and its historic architecture, posted earlier: