b'Green Thumbs Up for the Maplewood Garden ClubHometown-grown magic raises holiday spiritsBY ROSE BENNETT GILBERTLeft: Gathering in the greens: Penelope Demkin at a Garden Club workshop. Center: Destene Styles and Liz Demkin get set to put Maplewood in a holiday mood. Right: Past-president Kathy Kohl-man adds the finishing touch, hand-tied bows.T o the casual observer, it seems tobowsganization that is the creative force behind Maple- since the early fall. Theres past president Judy happen overnight every Decem- Cronin, busily designing the embellished-nat-ber:themagicaltransformationural ornaments that will decorate the trees in of Maplewood from late-autumnthe train station. All autumn long, other club brownstofreshholidaygreensmembers have collected natural materials, such with all the trimmings. as pine cones, allium and milkweed seed pods, Suddenly, there will be Christ- for Judy to imagine into decorations to be cre-mas trees in the train station, fresh evergreen wreathswoods magical sprucing up. Its a huge labor ofated in a series of ornament-making workshops. in the windows. Seasonal greens and ribbonlove, a give-back to the community, as KohlmanWith that five-foot-tall tree in the train station will brighten our libraries and public buildings, in- puts it. Every fall, Garden Club members lay trow- waiting to be decorated with the handmade orna-cluding the historic Durand-Hedden House.els and seed catalogs aside and take up their annualments, its a good thing, as Cronin says, that we Most enchanting of all, perhaps, Dickens Villageholiday mission of making Maplewood festive forhave a lot of artists among the 150-plus members will materialize in Ricalton Square like a miniaturethe coming holidays.of the Garden Club. Members also come together Brigadoon, with each tiny building telling its own The transformation mostly occurs in just one in- in late autumn workshops to turn what Kohlman story of holidays long ago. Peer into the window attense, well-coordinated daythe first Saturday indescribes as bales of Fraser fir and white pine into the conservatory and see greens of a different order.Decemberbut the project really begins much ear- the dozens of wreaths and swagseach accessorized This year, a carefully curated display of succulents,lier every spring, including the Garden Clubs sensa- with hand-tied bowsthat will soon be conjuring holly, and pansies will suddenly bloom under glass. tionally successful plant sales in May whose proceedsholiday charm all around town.Alldonebymagic?Myeye!asBillKohlmanfund the holiday decorations. On official Decorating Daythis year its De-would have every right to say. Hes the president ofWorking up to the big decorating event has keptcember 7the Maplewood railway station feels a bit the Maplewood Garden Club, the 92-year-old or- GardenClubbersthinkingaboutwinterholidayslike Santas workshop. Workers arrive about 11:30 18/ matters magazine / holiday 2019'