A new ribbon this year was a brilliant red velvet with bright green piping, perfect for people who don’t want gold on their wreaths but are looking for a bit of pizzazz.  The branches with attached cones were collected by Garden Club co-President Jackie Blombach, who almost managed to get herself arrested in the Berkshires, collecting milkweed pods on a friend’s property in Connecticut. Her friend had given permission but had not alerted the caretaker, who saw Massachusetts license plates and a couple of women foraging in the fields and immediately called the State Police.  Two heavily armed patrolmen approached the ladies, and luckily their explanations were accepted and a crisis was averted.  Must have been a slow day at headquarters.