It was the mad rush. And what were they in pursuit of? Winter Greens - yes winter greens. The frenzy must be created by the sight and scent of pine and cedar. This is part of the Canadian experience, deep in our psyche, in our collective unconscious.
I was at one of Niagara's best garden and floral centres 3 successive days - on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I was there purchasing urn inserts and wreaths for the Fantasy of Trees. It will open this week in the Grimsby Museum. These will be silent auction and raffle items, along with 42 trees decorated in creative and fun themes. Each one will go to a new home after the raffle.
On Thursday, as far as you could see there were mosaiculture designs, Christmas plants, and decorations - everything artful. I saw a few people there purchasing, with the majority in the back doing an urn workshop. Friday was a little busier with the Cheesy Guys and others giving out samples of food and beverages. There was a festivity on Friday.
Saturday's event was a different experience. There was the necessity for overflow parking in the church next door. And that lot was full too. Then there were the hundreds of people purchasing - comparing urn inserts, deciding on wreaths, and enjoying the beautiful designs. Some people were loaded up with carts and others had just a few items. No one seemed worried to be in line.
And consider this: this wasn't a sale. There were no reductions. This was pure excitement to be in the Watering Can's Christmas experience. The visual impact of this winter beauty was heightened by the scent of pine and cedar. This is the adult wonderland experience of Christmas where Niagara's farm theme and traditional Christmas is on display. Where plants rule the day and not mass production of consumer goods.
Earl, the creator and owner of the Watering Can, posed for me in the last picture. I am among those who are grateful for the wealth of Niagara artistic garden centres. We purchase our plants at the Watering Can and Cole's - we support their combination of artfulness and business sense.
Our Thanksgiving holiday weekend celebration completes, and next is Halloween and its traditions. Our Thanksgiving tradition came about in 1957 with the declaration of a holiday. The date varied before then. Unlike the Americans, there isn't a "First Thanksgiving". But it seems to me theirs varies too. The "First" is said to be October 1621 and lasted three days - and is about the Pilgrims (who were not Puritans). However, there is a Shrine of the First Thanksgiving at Berkeley Hundred in Charles City County, Virginia. The date of that Shrine is 1619.
Our pictures today show our current decorative traditions - a 'country' scene displaying the pumpkin and squash harvest, corn stalks, and chrysanthemums in harvest colours. These were taken at Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) in Burlington. The last picture is in Hendrie Park across the road from the greenhouse display. The entrance gates are beautiful and the plaque beside indicates the dedication to the Hendrie Brothers. William Hendrie, a Scottish immigrant, purchased the land in the 1870s for his racehorse farm. In 1931 his son George donated the property to Hamilton Parks Board as a memorial to William and his brothers. Ten years later the property became part of RBG.
I await the light this morning to 'see' the fog - there's a fog advisory that says visibility may be near zero in some places.
