The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum has a new lineup of winter attractions — some that fully embrace the outdoors, others that let people enjoy the season from a temperature-controlled distance.

A new winter-themed art exhibit, "Holiday Spirits," opened Nov. 26 and continues to Jan. 25 in the Reedy Gallery at the arboretum's Oswald Visitor Center. It replaces "Colors of Fall," an exhibit that began shortly after Labor Day.

"We've got a lot of snow­scapes; it's very Christmassy," said the new exhibit's curator, Keith Wilcock of the Wilcock Gallery in Excelsior.

The art show has more than 30 paintings from several Minnesota and internationally known artists who have previously had their work displayed at the arboretum. Others, like Vicky Hubbell and Jane Abben, are showing their work for the first time.

Wilcock said Hubbell's paintings are reminiscent of Grandma Moses. "Her skills at handling color are quite good," he said. Abben's paintings have a cheerful aura about them, Wilcock said, like one featured work of birds perched on a snowman.

Wilcock also has two paintings in the exhibit — a watercolor of a Chilean glacier and an oil painting of icehouses on Lake Minnetonka.

“Winter Shadows” is a painting by Elaine Sivertson.

All the artwork is for sale, with a portion of the proceeds going to the arboretum.

The "Hot Chocolate Walk" — a perennial favorite — is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 20. The walk will be led once again by naturalist Matt Schuth. The event costs $12 for arboretum members and $25 for nonmembers, and reservations can be made at 612-301-1210 or online at www.arboretum.umn.edu.

Schuth said he'll spend the first hour of the program indoors, talking about and showing birds' nests, eggs, animal pelts and other specimens. Then walkers will head out to the wildflower garden to look at tall late-blooming plants and trees like asters, Joe Pye weed and the witch hazel tree. Schuth said he'll help walkers identify animal tracks and bird, squirrel and hornet nests that are easier to spot on leafless trees.

"The hot chocolate comes at the end of the walk — that's the reward for having to listen to me for two hours," Schuth said. He said he gears his talk for kids and adults. The event has been popular over the years with families.

Schuth said the weather always has cooperated for the walk — even last year, when the temperature hit a high of 47 degrees. "It was about the only warm decent day of winter. Mother Nature smiled down on us that day," he said.

A tree made of flowers

Winter visitors also can now see the arboretum's latest version of its Poinsettia Tree in the visitor center. This is the third year for the attraction, according to Gary Gerzema, a utility worker who helps oversee its installation.

Gerzema designed the tiered wood frame that this year holds 525 poinsettia plants. When it's not in use, it folds up like an umbrella so it can be carried through the visitor centers' door and stored in a utility building, he said.

Setting up the 20-foot display takes about two days, he said. That includes setting up the frame, installing hoops on it for the potted plants and putting the plants in place.

This year's design is mostly white plants accented by red ones that look like a decorative ribbon. "It has a wow thing about it," Gerzema said. The most common question he gets is how the plants are watered — the answer is irrigation lines threaded through the tree structure.

Gerzema said the poinsettias will be on the tree frame until Jan. 7, when they will come down to be replaced by orchid plants that will be on display until spring.

Susan Feyder • 612-673-1723