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Even as summer blooms fade, botanical gardens across the country come alive with new exhibits and classes to keep garden lovers busy well into the fall and winter months. Here's a sampling of what's happening in your region.

CLEVELAND BOTANICAL GARDEN

Cleveland, Ohio

The new Eleanor Armstrong Smith Glasshouse, which opened this summer, unleashes the colors, sounds, scents, and movement of the Madagascan desert and Costa Rican cloud forest.

In the Costa Rican exhibit, visitors will walk through giant misty clouds like those found in the country's highest elevations.

In the Madagascar biome, look for a pair of Oustelet chameleons--the world's largest species. These chameleons can grow to almost 3 feet long and are a rarity outside of Madagascar. In fact, almost 100 percent of the island's reptiles, 86 percent of all flowering plants, and 65 percent of birds are not found in the wild anywhere else.

The glasshouse is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $7 for adults, $3 for children ages 3-12, and free for children under 3. For information, call 216/721-600 or visit www.cbgarden.org.

CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN

Glencoe, Illinois

Back by popular demand, the Jr. Railroad returns to the Chicago Botanic Garden through October 26. The garden railway features 12 model trains that travel past replicas of historic landmarks, such as the White House, Statue of Liberty, Seattle Space Needle, and Chicago's John Hancock building. Admission is $4 for adults and $2 for children.

Through October 31 the garden is also home to "Chapungu: Custom and Legend, A Culture in Stone," an exhibition of contemporary African stone sculpture, presented for the first time in the Chicago area. The exhibit shows 90 sculptures of the Shona Tribe, Zimbabwe's majority ethnic group for more than 800 years. Admission is $6.

The garden is open daily 8 a.m. until sunset, year-round. General admission to the garden is free with parking ($8.75, with a $3 senior citizen's discount on Tuesdays). For a complete list of upcoming exhibits and seminars, call 847/835-5440 or visit www.chicagobotanic.org.