Create Your Own Potted Holiday Decoration at Christmas Town 2013
There is something new to experience at Busch Gardens during Christmas Town 2013 for the crafty DIY types: Holiday Decoration Creation Tour! Now is your chance to tour the park before it opens for that day, with master gardeners from the Landscape Team. On the tour you will find inspiration to create your own potted floral design that you will create and take home that same day!
We got a chance to experience their newest interactive tour on opening day and not only was it educational and fun, I left with a floral pot that I still cannot believe I created. My creation is pictured on the left.
Here is the skinny. You and up to 4 others will meet in the Team Member parking and be escorted through the park for a tour with a member of the Landscape Team. Our tour guides, Philip Wagner, grounds and landscape master and Millie Holloway, 14 year veteran, supervisor and potted floral design guru took us through the park showing us the beautiful natural decorations that transform the park into Christmas Town. During the tour, is your chance to ask questions, talk about how they came up with decoration ideas and enjoy the park, because your group is the only non-employee group of people in the park at this time. 
These tours and creative sessions are held every day that the park is open but scheduled before the park opens for the day. Tours are held from 9 am – 11 am and at 1 pm – 3 pm. Christmas Town opens at 3 PM. The first hour of your tour is walking through the park and getting some inspiration for your masterpiece. The second hour is where you get to go where no non-employee has gone before: the green house.
Inside the cleanest most organized green house I have ever seen, Millie and Philip set each of us up at our own work stations, which are the same work stations the Landscape Team members use to create the very designs we had just looked at throughout the park. 
They walked us out the back of the green house so that we could select from carefully laid out branches, dried flowers, grasses, berries and pine cones. Millie pointed out different greenery that we had just seen in the park and reminded us how she and her team and used them. This was especially helpful when selecting items.
Once we selected whatever items, and however much of each item we liked, Millie and Philip gave us our tools: protected glasses, gloves, a pot filled with dirt and some very sharp clippers. And we were off; we were sticking in branches, pulling them out, clipping, laughing, chatting, comparing and enjoying an absolutely unique experience. All the beautiful trimming were waiting for us out back; if we ran out of an item we walked over and just grabbed more. Millie would not let anyone feel discourage or frustrated. She came through carefully gauging whether the new floral artist wanted help or was still working it out on their own.
When all four of us in my group were done, we were all amazed and proud of ourselves. Millie stood next to me and admired my finished pot, she smiled at me and said, “You have talent.” Since none of my prior attempts at creating decorations with greenery ever warranted praise, I will hold on tight to those kindest of words as I try out my fledgling design wings this season. I now know different types of greenery I can gather from my own yard to create more designs. They taught us all about the ease of such creations and reminded us that we can pull from our natural environment to make beautiful decorations rivaling anything we could purchase.
Cool facts we learned on our tour:
- The window boxes and flower pots throughout the park are designed with greenery taken from the grounds of Busch Gardens. This saves cost, and reduces the carbon foot print of this Holiday Wonderland. Philip told us that everyday team member go out and
collect different plants for their designs. Jason Ingram , 13 year veteran and manager in the Landscape Department said that they even saved flowers from summer and dried them in anticipation of Christmas Town’s floral design needs.- Millie told us that holly is hard to keep looking fresh once cut, as are many flowers and grasses. To make them last longer sometime they will spray paint them different colors.
- If you take your fresh cut pot inside to decorate your home, water it and put ice cubes in the pot, suggested Millie. The heat in your house will melt the ice slowly. Your decoration should last through the New Year.
- Hairspray will keep hydrangea and other flowers from falling apart in your pot.
- Philip told us that 1500 pine trees were put in the park for Christmas Town. After the season they will be turned into mulch for the park to use in the Spring. Some of the trees are used by the zoological department who create play toys for the animals.
70 person teams working 3 shifts for 3 weeks make Christmas Town seem to “magically” appear for the guests. Millie, Philip, and Jason are magicians.- Busch Gardens has been voted the most beautiful theme park by the National Amusement Historical Association for the last 23 years.
- There are only 10 spots a day for the Holiday Decoration Creation Tour. If you think you would like to try it, better book ahead. This tour is $30 and includes your completed potted decoration.
- You do not need to have a pass to Christmas Town or a parking pass to attend Holiday Decoration Creation Tour.
Ready to book your Holiday Decoration Creation Tour for yourself, or you and your friends/family?
Here is information on the program taken directly from Christmas Town’s site:
Welcome the holidays to your home with a decorative container filled with a seasonal design of fresh greens accompanied by colorful and textured dried elements. Your creation might be a low and elegant tablescape, or an upright design for your foyer or front entrance. Whatever you choose, our Landscape Team will be there to ensure that you make a beautiful addition to your home for the holidays.
This experience is approximately two hours in duration and includes:
Pass members receive a special rate by logging into the pass member area of the website.
Cancellations: Tour reservations must be cancelled or rebooked a minimum of one day prior to the scheduled tour or total payment will be forfeited.
Guest ticket is for ages 18 & up. Maximum tour size is 5. Park admission and parking are not required and are not included. 10% savings off the retail price of $30 for annual pass members. Valid for date selected at time of purchase between Nov. 22-Dec. 31, 2013. Prices listed are per person and do not include tax. Prices and tour components are subject to change. All tours are subject to availability. All park rules and regulations apply. Not for resale. No cash value, or not redeemable for cash.
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