The placement of the wheat sheaf near the altar frontal refers to the pictorial tradition of the altar-manger in Christian art. Individual stems of bread wheat are bundled and wrapped on a dowel inserted into a wooden base, in order to make a sheaf that is stable enough to stand upright on the floor. The sheaf was made by Theodore Pender, a volunteer in the gardens who has helped fabricate the very labor-intensive holiday decorations for many years. Photograph by Carly Still