In Memoriam: jrix
Treasured Memories
This is a small sample from the large Christmas garden that my father put up each year. It was on a platform that was 4 x 10 feet (1.2 x 3 meters). A decorated Christmas tree that reached the ceiling stood in the back, right corner. There was a farm scene, complete with house and many outbuildings, around which an O guage Lionel train ran. Everything but the people, animals and vehicles were hand made by Dad. This is the first decoration I put up every December and the last one I take down (often as late as the end of February).
"If you're not from around here (Baltimore, Maryland), you probably have no idea what Christmas gardens are. Mention them to even the most acclimated out-of-towner, the one who's enjoyed an egg-custard sno-ball while duckpin rock 'n' bowling to "Hot Razors in My Heart," and you're likely be greeted with a blank stare, or perhaps some prattle about holly, evergreens, and outdoor lighting displays.
Think again, hon. The Baltimore holiday garden is set up indoors, not out, and doesn't even involve plants, except for the Christmas tree around which it's clustered. Typically it takes the form of a tiny idealized village, set amid a plaster-of-Paris landscape and peopled with miniature citizens. Model trains are usually involved."
~ By Michelle Gienow, Baltimore City Paper.
Treasured Memories
This is a small sample from the large Christmas garden that my father put up each year. It was on a platform that was 4 x 10 feet (1.2 x 3 meters). A decorated Christmas tree that reached the ceiling stood in the back, right corner. There was a farm scene, complete with house and many outbuildings, around which an O guage Lionel train ran. Everything but the people, animals and vehicles were hand made by Dad. This is the first decoration I put up every December and the last one I take down (often as late as the end of February).
"If you're not from around here (Baltimore, Maryland), you probably have no idea what Christmas gardens are. Mention them to even the most acclimated out-of-towner, the one who's enjoyed an egg-custard sno-ball while duckpin rock 'n' bowling to "Hot Razors in My Heart," and you're likely be greeted with a blank stare, or perhaps some prattle about holly, evergreens, and outdoor lighting displays.
Think again, hon. The Baltimore holiday garden is set up indoors, not out, and doesn't even involve plants, except for the Christmas tree around which it's clustered. Typically it takes the form of a tiny idealized village, set amid a plaster-of-Paris landscape and peopled with miniature citizens. Model trains are usually involved."
~ By Michelle Gienow, Baltimore City Paper.