Christmas comes early

Some might criticize Roger’s Gardens Corona del Mar for having the grand opening of its Christmas boutique weeks before Halloween, but after almost a year of difficult preparation and a monthlong setup period, you can hardly blame them for milking it.

The boutique presents a collection of Christmas trees done up with decorations that follow a particular theme. They’re displayed in separate showrooms alongside matching table settings and other furniture.

Designing the exhibit and buying all of the pieces involves recruiting artists to custom-make ornaments and travel around the globe, according to Creative Director Eric Cortina, who has built the exhibit for the last 12 years.

The first thing one might see when looking at the exhibit is a golden glow cast over the front display.

This year, the garden store wanted the design to look more modern but also keep some of its traditional charm.

“We tried to be spiritual without being too religious,” Cortina said.

The annual attraction generally draws a line of 100 to 200 people at opening day each fall, according to Roger’s Gardens spokeswoman Vanessa Showalter.

“The creators travel across the world to find distinct ornaments,” Showalter said.

The exhibit, which includes 25 decorated Christmas trees and a showroom full of Halloween paraphernalia, evolves each year, Cortina said.

“People love to see what we can come up with. They know that we’re going to give them a unique experience,” Cortina said.

One of the draws of the exhibit is that people can see a whole room filled with matching decorations, so that they can get a good idea of what an entire setup might look like, instead of trying to imagine a grand-scale design from bits and pieces. The exhibit opens at 9 a.m. today at Roger’s Gardens, 2301 San Joaquin Road, Corona del Mar.

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ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at alan.blank@latimes.com.