Garrett Jones has been working on his Christmas Garden for more than 10 years.
The tradition began with his great-grandfather in the late 1800s when he immigrated to the United States from Wales. With him, he brought the Welch tradition of putting a village under the Christmas tree.
“The goal of a Christmas Garden is to add one new thing to it every year,” said the Independence resident. “It is just something that I enjoy doing. And I enjoy sharing it with other people.”
Jones, a bus driver for the Independence School District, opened his home to the children on his bus route Saturday. Proudly showing his creation to the children, he pointed out unique aspects to the village which depicts a small town in the 1940s or 1950s.
“Nothing in my village is later than 1959 because in 1960, all of the major railroads did away with steam engines. I wanted to showcase the steam engine in my display,” he said. “Main Street is also something I was familiar with growing up. There is a 5 and Dime store, which I went to when I first got married and a hardware store. I remember running down to the hardware store when I was a child to get bicycle parts.”
Jones said the idea of a Christmas Garden ahs been passed down among the generations. His grandparents had one, and so did his parents. In fact, he said several cousins that live in Baltimore, Maryland also have villages - each layout different from the next.
“This tells our history,” he said. “There are things in this village that you just don’t see today. That is what makes it interesting.”
Nichole Davenport brought her four-year-old daughter Skylar to see the village. She said although Skylar’s favorite part was the trains, she enjoyed the history behind each of the pieces.
“I think seeing this has historical value,” she said. “This is something that a lot of people don’t really appreciate. We should always remember how it used to be. That is what makes this so much fun.”
Jones said he believes what makes his Christmas Garden unique is the time he has invested in making ever tying look as “real as possible.” Snow covers most of the buildings, vehicles and trains. Ruts can even be seen in the snow. He spends the most time, he said, looking for the right pieces to fit the theme of his garden - a theme, he said that never changes.
“I think it took on a different personality when I added the snow,“ he said. “To keep this to myself would be fruitless. I enjoy working on it and I like sharing that with others.”
