Twinkling fairy lights, trees laden with decorations and sticky toffee pudding at Vigoro Nursery on Walkers Road, marked the unofficial start of the Christmas Season on Thursday, 3 November.
Vigoro’s Christmas Opening is an annual open house event that the local community eagerly anticipates. For owner Nancy Rohleder, it’s a chance for her to give back to her customers, and show her appreciation for their continued support, laying on food, drinks and the first viewing of the all new Christmas stock.
Calypso Grill catered the occasion, setting up a buffet outside in the nursery, serving delicious savoury dishes, and best of all, their famous sticky toffee pudding. Hundreds of people showed up for the event throughout the evening, and many started their Christmas shopping early.
Preparations for the occasion had been under way for weeks and the store was emptied of its usual stock and filled instead with Christmas decorations. Seven Christmas trees had each been decorated differently, from botanic to animals to sea themes, with the unique, hand picked decorations that Vigoro is famed for. More than mere decorations, Nancy Rohleder says, the Mark Roberts and Catherine’s Collection pieces are collectables and keepsakes. In addition to tree decorations, the store was filled with wreaths, garlands, silk plants and all manner of festive accessories.
For those who missed the Christmas opening on Walkers Road, all is not lost, however. Vigoro is holding a second event, Christmas in the Country at its Agricola Drive nursery on Sunday, 20 November. “It will be completely different,” said Nancy. “We are going to have live music and the trees will be differently decorated. It takes place from 1pm to 4pm so we will be serving desserts and champagne.”
Christmas may be a several weeks away, but who says you can’t start celebrating early?
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