The Garlic Tree celebrates Autumn

In this bonus post, I'd like to offer a tour of the latest incarnation of The Garlic Tree, with the nippy winds of Autumn very much in the air.

It's in my outdoor section that the changing season is really felt, with a forested layout taking precedence:

Forest section of The Garlic Tree

It's actually very unusual for me to go for a wild setting as I have here, since I'm generally too regimental and preoccupied with precision to pull it off. But I was determined to give it a go for Autumn, and am really happy with the result.

We have seven Fallen Trees lining an Autumn Leaves footpath which is being travelled along by the Tandem Bike and Playful Parasol. But it's the inclusion of a wide variety of vegetation among the trees which really gives the overgrown and lush feel. Ranging from Round Hedges and Potted Plants to Solstice Stools and Pumpkin Stools, I was rather surprised at the spectrum of relevant content I could find in the market that wasn't too costly.

 The Garlic Tree celebrates...

 08/09/15 Summer 2015

Outside the forest the grass is greener, but there are still a few leaves have found their way to the Maple Bench. A box prize I nabbed last year when the Autumn Gift Box was on sale, it is definitely one of the better results I've had from a crate opening. And with the Leaf Pile placed along with a cheeky Flower Pinwheel, I'm very satisfied with the appearance of my outdoor area.

The Autumn theme continues inside, with part of my outdoor section roped off with Fall Dividers to create a very earthy zone.

Indoor Autumn section of The Garlic Tree

This part of my restaurant is headlined by the Cider Bar which makes the cut for the third Autumn in a row. It may have cost me 38 gems initially, but it has been one of the those purchases which has been absolutely worthwhile.

I decided to utilise the Carving Station from the rotisserie update in March, since it has the right tones of colour and features hearty meat you'd want to get your chops around at this time of year. Any takers can enjoy their carving and flagon of cider on a Cozy Couch with a tune from Gran's Phonograph. And there are Thanksgiving Desserts available too for those with a sweet tooth.

You'll also notice the Lounge Lizard is present in this section. He keeps popping up with his smooth cocktail wherever there's a possibility of a refill! I think I'm going to try and find a way to include him in every refurbishment from now on!

That concludes the Autumn chat, but I'm pleased to say that there are three completely new areas have been added to The Garlic Tree recently. We start with the panini shop section:

Panini shop section of The Garlic Tree

It was the addition of the Panini Corner in early August which really got me inspired to do this theme. It may be a 30 gem buy, but I think it has proven an immensely popular item among the players as a whole. There is a great level of detail to it, and when you match it with a pleasant surrounding the result is always going to be quality.

I've chosen to utilise the Deli Display alongside the Panini Corner, not least because it's available for coins! Likewise the Modern Steel chairs and Panini Cafe Tables had no effect on my gem balance, nor did Barista Phoebe or the Bagel Gal. To polish off the section I did pay up three gems for a Bean Bag, but for that price I felt it was worth the expenditure!

Something else very satisfying about this section was the ability to join it up with my kitchen. I've done this before with my Italian theme, where the Pizza Toss married up nicely to the kitchen appliances. There's a similar merging going on here, and it allows the restaurant to come together that bit more.

Time for the next new section, and it's back to school!

School section of The Garlic Tree

It was the back to school goals which provided the catalyst for this design, with the Teacher's Desk and Coloring Corner being two of the prizes from that particular quest. But the Paper Balloons on the wall are the only other decoration from that update which appear here - the remainder is from elsewhere, with the kids playground update from January proving most useful. The Kids Tables and Kids Chairs are from it (with the tables being the only gem purchase on show) while the Tree Sticker wallpaper and Foam Mats flooring are also from that update.

The inclusions of the Steampunk Globe (geography), Bookworm (reading) and Hanging Monkey (general monkeying around!) hopefully convey a very happy and playful atmosphere. This is a themed zone which shouldn't be taken too seriously - it's supposed to just be a bit of fun rather than a major achievement in interior design!

The last area of exploration I'd like to introduce is one I'm dubbing the 'mystery crime section'. That's not because there's been a really bloody murder, but there is something has gone awry:

Mystery crime section of The Garlic Tree

So what do we have here? Well, the Lake Fisher has teamed up with Detective Phoebe to investigate some tracks in the snow. Why? Because The Lake Fisher has unfortunately lost one of his catch! Any ideas who or what may have taken it?! I'm sure Phoebe will follow the paw prints to discover that it is the Lake Dog who is the culprit and that he's currently hiding behind a Recreation Rack!

As much as I'd like to claim that there was an incredible level of thought went into this section (complete with concept art and storyboarding!) I have to admit it was very much done on the hoof. I've always liked the Detective Phoebe decoration but had never come up with a crime which would require her presence. Seeing the Lake Fisher and Lake Dog in the market as I was busily doing my other redecorating gave me the sudden vision of a potential scene.

 Want to visit The Garlic Tree?

 Invite the Storm8 ID 'lorettasapron' and visit the wall

Unfortunately the only way to make it truly work was to have some sort of markings on the ground, and only the Reindeer Tracks could do that. It meant basing the scene on a snowy backdrop, but who said it can't snow in Autumn! At least it does inside my diner!

With Halloween decorating very much on the agenda, these new themes won't be on the go for all that long, but I'll be sure to add them to my rotation. And of course there'll be another opportunity to thrash out my Autumn sections in November as part of Thanksgiving celebrations. For now though the ghouls are descending!