Experience 1850s Christmas at Lockerly Arboretum

Native greenery and period decorations will deck the halls for this weekend's Holiday Reception and Open House at Lockerly Arboretum in Milledgeville.

Milledgeville's four garden clubs will each decorate two rooms in Rose Hill, the 1852 mansion on the 50-acre property, and students participating in Lockerly's Life Enrichment Center Education Programming will decorate a Christmas tree in one of the home's parlors, said executive director Katherine Cummings.

"The house will be decorated with a phenomenal amount of greenery, yards of magnolia leaves. Occasionally, someone will bring something from their yard, so it's all plants that are available in the area, and all the decorations are things people could re-create at home with fresh greenery from their yard," she said.

The Holiday Reception with hors d'oeuvres and wine will be held from 5-7 p.m. Friday. Docents in period-appropriate clothing will lead tours of the home from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.

"The house smells so good with all that greenery," Cummings said. "And it's so beautiful in simple ways with the greenery and not man-made decorations."

-- Laura Shirley

Holiday Reception and Open House

When: Reception: 5-7 p.m. Dec. 4. Open house: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 5

Where: Lockerly Arboretum, 1534 Irwinton Road, Milledgeville

Cost: Reception: $25. Open house: $3 adults and $1 children

Information: www.lockerly.org

This story was originally published December 3, 2015 at 1:15 PM with the headline "Experience 1850s Christmas at Lockerly Arboretum ."