Plastic is convenient, but nothing beats the impact of actual evergreen holiday decorations.
‘They really are real,? said Cathy Grogan, who chairs the Clarkston Farm and Garden Club’s annual Greens Market. ‘Plastic mimics it, but they’re not the same. They smell better. To me there’s no comparison.?
That thought is shared by many who patronize the annual event, scheduled this year from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 4, at the Church of the Resurrection on Clarkston Road just east of M-15.
The annual fund-raiser helps the all-volunteer club with the efforts to beautify the Clarkston area through projects such as outdoor planters on Main Street in downtown Clarkston and at the Independence Township Library.
The farm and garden club has staged the sale since 1998, and Grogan has been directly involved for the past four years.
‘It started small,? she said, with the group using the Clarkston Masonic Temple until the late 1990s. Growing demand led to a search for a place with better parking and additional display space, and the Church of the Resurrection has played host since.
After ordering greens wholesale, an estimated 50 club members will gather the Wednesday before the sale to begin making up more than 200 individual arrangements.
‘We have people in the club who have talent you wouldn’t believe,? Grogan said, and veterans give tips to those needing a quick refresher course or those new to the craft.
By the time doors open to the public, tables are filled with creations ranging from simple table displays to elaborate offerings fit for the entrance to a home. The asking price ranges from $8 to perhaps more than $50, but Grogan estimates similar arrangements from a professional nursery cost up to three times as much.
Local patrons have come to depend on the Greens Market. ‘Once they come, they come regularly,? Grogan said.
In addition to the handmade decorations, those who preordered will pick up wreaths and evergreen ‘roping? for their unique decorating needs.
In addition to providing needed funds for club projects, Grogan hopes the event will add additional holiday spirit for everyone.
‘To me it makes a big difference having something real in a vase or having plastic in a vase,? she said. ‘It gets you in the mood for the season.?