We have saved about fifteen real trees since we got our fake tree. It is supposed to resemble some kind of Fir tree, it is a soft blue/green color. I don't have to vacuum up needles or water it. It is not a fire hazard. I don't have to scrub pitch off of the floor (Avon Skin So Soft Bath Oil works great.)
The hunt for a perfect tree is short. I just tell Far Guy to bring down the box from upstairs and he spends an afternoon putting it together, fluffing out all the branches and tips.
Some years we do not put it up. If we are going to be gone it hardly makes sense to decorate it and then leave. This year it is seeing the light of day. The children and their children are coming here for Christmas.
Our tree holds no surprises, it is perfect on all sides, I do not have to turn it all different ways to find the best side. It is always the same height, it always looks fine.
I have always been a bit of a Conservationist, I hate the after Christmas scene in large cities. One year in Chicago, the week after Christmas, the amount of trees stuck out with the garbage was sickening.
If you have enjoyed a real tree this year, consider putting it out in your yard. It can still provide shelter for the birds this winter, perhaps you could hang some bird food on it. In the spring you can hang up bits of yarn on it for bird nesting material. In the spring the tree can be shredded and used for mulch.
Mine of course just gets put back in the box, if Far Guy has done a good job of fluffing out the branches he says the same thing every year " Are you sure this whole tree fits in just one box?" :)
People here use their trees as firewood. We have a tiny fake tree, but would like to get a small real one for outside... Maybe even plant one so that we can use it every year.
ReplyDeleteYours looks like a beautiful tree. I still love the smell of a real tree though despite the needles. We are lucky enough to have them growing and seeding themselves at teh back of our farm, so every year we go up there and choose one, then lug it home. It's part of our tradition now. The best part is that here they are considered alien invaders and so we are supposed to be clearing them anyway to make way for indigneous vegetation, so no guilt required.
ReplyDeletein our community the Boy Scouts pick them up (the ones not in pots)
ReplyDeleteThey are taken to a wild life area and added to previous years. Small birds and animals use them for homes and hiding.
Last year I was up on the walking path and I saw an oriole nest made with tinsel!
I finally bought a fake Christmas when I got tired on sawing branches off in the driveway. The fake one can be put up anytime. I love real trees but there's alot to be said for convenience!
ReplyDeleteWe are a fake tree family here too. I do love the smell of a real one, but I can go outside and smell them all year long!
ReplyDeleteMy tree this year is made of branches cut from a large tree in the grove and stuck into a gallon jar. Looks pretty decent, if I don't say so myself.
ReplyDeleteI don't like fake trees, myself, but can see the draw for many people. My daughter has her tree up all year because she has her home in the Cities, but lives in Florida - so when they come home for Christmas, they don't have to take time to put up or take down the tree. Sad in a way to see the tree in July when we go up to spend the night in a empty house.