Wreaths Are Serious Business For The Remsenburg Garden Club

Holiday wreaths mean different things to different people. To some, they are totems, welcoming guests to their homes, as well as welcoming the coming winter festivities. To others, wreaths signify the Advent season. But to the ladies of the Remsenburg Garden Club, holiday wreaths are serious business.

Members of the club spend months organizing their annual wreath sale—from growing the greens and decorative objects in their gardens, to planning the date and details of the annual fundraising event, to spending hours and hours putting together the objects themselves. And for more than 30 years, Remsenburg Garden

Club member Victoria Garcia has been at it without fail.

Ms. Garcia, who joined the club as a newlywed more than three decades ago, has been making wreaths for the club’s annual fundraiser for 33 years, she reported during a telephone interview last month.

“We used to sell them to the merchants in Westhampton Beach,” she recalled. “It has blossomed from there.”

Ms. Garcia said that each year the club makes approximately 150 wreaths and Della Robbias, which have more embellishment than the regular wreaths. Many people place advance orders, as the wreaths, which are sold on a first-come, first-serve basis at the club’s annual fundraising event, sell out very quickly. Wreaths are also made for various local charities and public gathering places, such as East End Hospice, the Westhampton Beach Public Library and the Remsenburg Academy, according to Ms. Garcia.

The wreaths—made from fresh greens—come with a bow—choice of gold, red, green, tartan and claret—and pinecones, balls, and assorted fruits and berries, Ms. Garcia said.

“We use our own resources from our own gardens,” she said of the wreaths and embellishments. “What the deer don’t eat, we’ll take.”

The whole wreath-making process takes an army of volunteers and a fair amount of time, according to Ms. Garcia.

“We have a great support team that starts in the beginning of October,” she said. “They start by gathering the cones and organizing the balls. I make the bows. The team comes together and puts tails on bows just after Thanksgiving.”

The final assembling will be done today, Thursday, December 1, at the Remsenburg Academy, in preparation for the sale, which will be held on Saturday, December 3, at the Remsenburg Academy.

“It’s a huge undertaking but it all comes together,” Ms. Garcia said of the day of prep. “We work from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., when our hands run out.”

The Remsenburg Garden Club’s annual holiday boutique and wreath sale will be held on Saturday, December 3, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Remsenburg Academy. Wreaths are priced at $35 each and Della Robbias are priced at $50 each. The sale will also feature gift items, baked goods and poinsettia plants. For additional details, call 325-8603 or e-mail dalabowski@hotmail.com.