Shannon Letts was one of dozens of early birds shopping at The Garden Club of Newtown Annual Greens Sale, Saturday morning, December 6. Seeking primarily wreaths, Ms Letts said she comes to the event every year.

“Honestly, I can’t find wreaths decorated as nicely anywhere else,” she said.

Her choices would be difficult. Dozens of wreaths lined the aisles at The Meeting House on Main Street, with even more of the hand decorated greens filling the pews. In recent weeks, Garden Club members had artfully applied ornaments, dried and fresh fruits, spices, candy canes, holly, pinecones, and more, accented with lushly tied bows, to the wreaths, with each wreath a one-of-a-kind creation.

The Greens Sale is much more than wreaths, though. Within three minutes of the 9 am opening, a table filled with table top boxwood and holly trees was emptied by shoppers. Festively decorated swags were snapped up, and grapevine trees wrapped in tiny white lights were excitedly carried off.

“How beautiful,” was uttered by more than one admirer examining Garden Club member Joyce DeWolfe’s hand decorated cookies, and the hand painted wooden ornaments by member Alma Kearns. Jars of homemade jam nestled in baskets lined with greens, and centerpieces made of all natural components were quickly in the hands of happy buyers. Other shoppers were pleased to find suet bird treats and nesting balls (vine wrapped balls of alpaca fur) for their feathered friends.

Marg Coughlin was delighted by the plump bag of mixed greens she had purchased, for use in her own decorating.

As members busily rang up the purchases, more people continued to stream out of the rainy day and into the holiday warmth of the Annual Greens Sale.

“We have so much fun,” admitted Garden Club member Diane Baumer. “We love doing this.”