The parlor of Garst Museum has a festive holiday flare due to the efforts of Wildflower Garden Club.
The beautiful 10 foot tree that stands each year during the Christmas season in the Victorian style front room of Garst, better known as the parlor, was again decorated by some of the members of the garden club on November 20th. The theme this year was, The Bounty of Darke County which the club members carried out with unique decorations, which included handmade, harvested, hunted and store bought items.
White lights provides the backdrop for strung wooden and painted cranberries, bunches as well as single apples and pears add red to the tree. The tree also has boughs dripping with pine cones that appear to have snow on them and sparkle with glitter. Along with the cones are bunches of Baby Indian Corn hung in glittered bunches. A few bird’s nests can also be found among the branches. Dried hydrangea blooms which have been spray painted pink and burgundy are also arranged all over the tree. The surprising added touch which is the hunted part of the bounty, is wild turkey feathers supplied by one of our members who actually bagged the turkey with a bow and arrow a few years ago. She also added a deer skin which she obtained from a deer she had downed from a hunting trip. It serves as a tree skirt for the fruit, berry, flowered and feathered tree. The tree is topped off with a huge burlap bow and streamers also of burlap. We wanted to keep the tree looking natural and feature the recourses found in Darke County. Apples, corn, pine cones, pears, wild turkeys and deer. Not sure about the cranberries. Also beautiful hydrangea bushes adorn our yards in summer which we used for added color and aiding us to stay true to our motto of growing and showing. They added just the right touch to a garden club tree.
When finished we all made the comment that it is the most beautiful tree we have ever done. This is the same comment we make after trimming our tree in the Parlor each year.
We truly enjoy getting together to make the decorations and decorating the tree.
Each year the tree is done differently according to the theme upon which the museum decides. This really challenges us to make it interesting and beautiful and depict as best we can the theme.
Pictured from left to right are; Nancy Baker, Martha Singleman, Christine Detrick, Bottom Row, Elke Melling, Terri Ann Kline, Barbara Rhoades. Right back row, Chris Lemon, Virginia O’Dell. Not pictured, Brenda Grant.
Submitted by
Barbara Rhoades, Reporting Secretary
No comments:
Post a Comment