-    // prepares gs_button and gs_window which are used when
-    // drawing button based elements.
-    wxASSERT ( !gs_button );
-
-    gs_window = gtk_window_new( GTK_WINDOW_POPUP );
-    gtk_widget_realize( gs_window );
-    gs_button = gtk_button_new();
-    gtk_container_add( GTK_CONTAINER(gs_window), gs_button );
-    gtk_widget_realize( gs_button );
+    static GtkWidget *s_button = NULL;
+    static GtkWidget *s_window = NULL;
+
+    if ( !s_button )
+    {
+        s_window = gtk_window_new( GTK_WINDOW_POPUP );
+        gtk_widget_realize( s_window );
+        s_button = gtk_check_button_new();
+        gtk_container_add( GTK_CONTAINER(s_window), s_button );
+        gtk_widget_realize( s_button );
+    }
+
+    return s_button;
+}
+
+GtkWidget *
+wxRendererGTK::GetTreeWidget()
+{
+    static GtkWidget *s_tree = NULL;
+    static GtkWidget *s_window = NULL;
+
+    if ( !s_tree )
+    {
+        s_tree = gtk_tree_view_new();
+        s_window = gtk_window_new( GTK_WINDOW_POPUP );
+        gtk_widget_realize( s_window );
+        gtk_container_add( GTK_CONTAINER(s_window), s_tree );
+        gtk_widget_realize( s_tree );
+    }
+
+    return s_tree;
+}
+
+
+// This one just gets the button used by the column header.  Although it's
+// still a gtk_button the themes will typically differentiate and draw them
+// differently if the button is in a treeview.
+GtkWidget *
+wxRendererGTK::GetHeaderButtonWidget()
+{
+    static GtkWidget *s_button = NULL;
+    
+    if ( !s_button )
+    {
+        // Get the dummy tree widget, give it a column, and then use the
+        // widget in the column header for the rendering code.
+        GtkWidget* treewidget = GetTreeWidget();
+        GtkTreeViewColumn*  column = gtk_tree_view_column_new();
+        gtk_tree_view_append_column(GTK_TREE_VIEW(treewidget), column);
+        s_button = column->button;
+    }
+
+    return s_button;