On Friday, Dec. 5, members of the Sewanee community and beyond are invited to join in the Greening of All Saints’ Chapel in preparation for the 66th annual Festival of Lessons and Carols, which takes place Dec. 6 and 7.

Greening of the Chapel begins at 9 a.m. All levels of experience are welcomed and very much needed. Bring any treasures from your garden, which can be used to decorate wreaths and garlands. Food and beverages will be supplied throughout the day which are provided by the Chapel. Come anytime and stay as long as your schedule allows.

Directing the days’ activities is guided by Ken Taylor of Taylor’s Mercantile. He started volunteering for the flower guild, which is part of St. Augustine’s Guild at All Saints’ Chapel, in 1982, He volunteered for a couple of years when the members of the Guild said, “why don’t you let us help you,” Ken said. He has been in charge of the Greening since, going on for 40 years now.

Taylor is known for his hands-on artistry, transforming ordinary objects into beautiful decorations. For example, he created the signature Gingko rose from leaves collected in his mother’s yard, a unique touch that now adorns every decoration in the Chapel during Lessons and Carols.

Reflecting on his lifelong love of gardening, Taylor recalls, “When I was growing up, I loved to garden and play around with flowers and greenery. I would pick weeds and make bouquets out of them.” His passion and generosity have helped the Greening grow into a beloved event, with 100–150 people now gathering each year to decorate the Chapel.

He continues to volunteer his time for this annual event because “it is the right thing to do for the community. The community makes Taylor’s my favorite part of being in business. You get to share good news with people, such as their weddings or other special occasions,” said Taylor.

“And, we always hear how we have made their day special,” he said.

Taylor said people start looking for items to use to decorate the Chapel in the fall, like dried hydrangea blooms, seed pods and nandina berries. Folks will add magnolia, pine clippings, laurel, holly, hemlock and other evergreen trimmings. Facilities Management rakes up the fallen Gingko leaves on campus, and the University Forestry Department brings in an additional two trailer loads of greenery. Taylor’s Mercantile adds poinsettias.

Team leaders help volunteers with the day’s activities to create wreaths and garlands to adorn windows, altars, lecterns, rails, columns and other parts of the church, including two wreaths each for the 14 sets of doors, and the pillars in the church. The festivities also include an Advent wreath for the large steel ring that sits overhead, and the Gingko roses. Taylor and his wife, Lynn, wait until the last minute to decorate the lectern and pulpit with fresh flowers and greenery themselves.

The Greening of the Chapel has become a tradition for many — many expressing that it begins, for them, the Advent season.

“I love doing it and I love that the community is involved,” Taylor said. “Members of flower guilds as far as Mobile, Ala., have come to help and learn how to do these decorations at their church.”

There will be a tour of the decorations for Lessons and Carols at 1:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 7. Meet Ken Taylor in the narthex of All Saints’ Chapel. — reported by K.G. Beavers