garden party extraordinaire

Saturday cleared in time for Holden Arboretum’s Summer Soiree French Market to frame mimes, auction goodies and luscious food and wines in a golden garden party atmosphere.

Guests numbering more than 600 helped boost the evening’s proceeds toward an estimated $80K . It’s earmarked for conservation of Holden Arboretum’s native forests. At more than 3,000 acres, the Kirtland-based Holden Arboretum is one of the nation’s largest.

Party-goers, some women graced by garden hats and floral finery, browsed, sipped and nibbled as they perused silent auction donations ranging from fine art to landscape plants, spa experiences to a garden gate. Even during their current hard times, many local restaurateurs donated dining gift certificates.

Mentor’s Candace Berthold brought a Taste of the Mediterranean basket from her Olive and The Grape for auction and sold olive oil specially labeled with the Summer Soiree sunflower as a tasty souvenir. Arboretum neighbor Judith McMillan donated a trail ride on her scenic Mountain Glen Farm as an auction item targeted to an experienced rider. Jack and Clara Sherwin Jr. donated two bottled of fine French wine from their Waite Hill wine cellar.

Twilight remained pleasant enough for open-sided tents to catch the flower- fragrant evening breezes against the plaintive backdrop of Edith Piaf songs. Dinner, pre-ordered and catered by Heinen’s, was a choice among steak, salmon or chicken following hors d’oeuvres. Wine and mixed drinks were served at two open bars and, during dinner, by servers.

Auctioneer Morris Everett , assisted by volunteers in French berets roaming the crowd, guided the auctioning of once-in-a-lifetime adventures including a six-day sailing adventure in Maine aboard Bill Brown’s 52-foot schooner to a week for two couples in a Left Bank Paris apartment.

See the full story in Monday’s paper.