Florist designs dream Christmas trees
November 25, 2008
By Makenzie Greenblatt
This is a closeup of Throne’s ‘Chocolate’ tree from 2004. Contributed
Decorating a dream tree is not left to the designers for Home and Garden or Crate ‘n’ Barrel. Issaquah florist Jon Robert Throne creates equally elaborate designs for the Providence O’Christmas Trees celebration in Seattle.
The event is a three-day fundraiser for Providence Health and Services Senior and Community Services. Providence Marianwood, in Issaquah, is part of Providence Senior and Community Services and is one of seven recipients of funds raised at Providence O’Christmas Trees. Money is used for the benefit of residents — anything from uncompensated care to activities.
The event begins Dec. 1 with a public “TreeView” from 3-8 p.m. The celebration culminates Dec. 3 in a gala where Throne and about 20 other artists’ designer trees will be up for auction.
This year marks Throne’s sixth time designing a tree for the event. After choosing a theme and buying decorations, he and a team of helpers spend the Sunday after Thanksgiving decorating.
“I spend a lot of time painting and glittering beforehand,” said Throne, a designer for Countryside Floral and Garden on Gilman Boulevard. “If you put it all together, it’s a good three or four days of shopping and trying to get things ready.” The actual decorating takes about six hours. Because the trees are moved after the auction, each ornament must be wired to the tree.
Throne’s most memorable themes have been “Chocolate” and “Gardener’s Delight.” Since he doesn’t use ornaments as-is, each year brings new design challenges.
“For the chocolate tree, I bought big rubber kick balls and covered them in faux fur to make it look like a chocolate ball,” he said. “As designers, you want to play with something new.”
“He provides creativity and ingenuity,” said Patty Millage, co-owner of Countryside. “He’s on the cutting edge. He pushes people to really become better designers.”
O’Christmas Trees Executive Director Patricia Szabo said Throne’s designs stand out: “He’s very eclectic in his sensibility, and that certainly shows on his trees.”
This year, Throne’s theme will be “12 Days of Christmas.” The decorations will represent all of the things listed in the song.
Throne said he knew from a young age that he wanted to be a florist.
“When I was 5, I had a spider plant, and when I was 6, I had a tomato plant,” he said. “I just loved plants. I kept adding and gardening.”
He went on to study at the American Institute of Floral Designers. In addition to working at Countryside, he teaches at the Floral Design Institute in Seattle and conducts seminars and design programs across the country.
Christmas is an especially busy time for Throne and Countryside, because he does Christmas décor for about 10 homes in the area.
“We do mantles, chandeliers, banisters and trees,” he said.
Each home takes about three days to complete.
Holiday enthusiasm seems to run in his blood.
“My mom was a huge Christmas fanatic,” he said. “As a kid, I would decorate my room for each season and holiday. It kept going and got more and more dramatic.”
According to Szabo, that dramatic flair is what everybody loves about his tree designs.
With such a busy schedule, Throne only designs for O’Christmas Trees every other year.
“Our constituents look forward to the year he designs,” Szabo said. This year, “sounds like such a traditional theme, but I know I’m going to be surprised when I see it. I’m sure it’ll have his signature all over it.”
Makenzie Greenblatt is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.
Comments
Got something to say?
