Christmas Trees

Photo midwestliving.com

1.  Selecting Your Tree:  Make certain the tree’s needles are shiny, green and fresh.  When you pull gently on a branch the needles should remain intact.  If they are dry or brown or fall off easily – pass on that tree.  I personally think trees with shorter needles (like the Fraser Fir shown above or the Noble Fir) tend to be easier to decorate because they have some space between the branches for showing off the decorations and they have strong stems so they hold heavy ornaments well.

Photo midewesternliving.com

2.  Decide Where to Place the Tree:  Obviously your room and your furniture arrangement will impact the location of the tree.  Keep in mind, however, that you don’t want to place a fresh tree near a heat source (fireplace, heat vent, radiator or big sunny window).  The heat will dry them out quickly and make them unsafe.  Place your tree out of the path of heavy traffic where it might be bumped or overturned by pets or guests.  Also, place the tree so you don’t have light cords across a traffic path.  If you’re placing it on a table make certain it is wide enough and stable enough to hold the tree in the event it is bumped.

Photo amazon.com

3.  Keep Your Tree Fresh and Green:  When you get your tree home, cut at least an inch off the stump and set it in a bucket of water immediately.  If you can leave the tree outside or in a garage overnight in a bucket of water it will “drink up” and any loose needles will drop before you take the tree into the house. When you take it indoors make sure your tree stand has a large water reservoir and keep it filled – make it a habit to check it at least twice a day for the first week.  It may slow down its water consumption after a few days – but don’t skip filling the reservoir.  The tree stand shown above holds 1.5 gallons of water.

4.  Secure Your Tree:  If you have kids or pets you will want to use a weighty, stable tree stand and you may want to also secure the tree to a wall, the ceiling or a stable piece of furniture so the tree can’t be knocked over.  Nylon fishing line can be tied to the tree in several places and then threaded through small eye-hooks installed in the wall, ceiling or the back of a piece of furniture.  Just make sure the lines are out of the reach of children and animals.

5.  Recycle Your Tree:  After the holidays remove the tree before it becomes too dry and a safety risk.  Some communities offer recycling pickups for Christmas trees and some offer services or tips for turning your tree to garden mulch.  Do NOT burn the tree in your home’s fireplace.  Evergreen burns too hot and is highly flammable when dry.

Tight on Space?

If you long for a fresh holiday tree but your space or budget is tight, you can enjoy the beauty of a fresh holiday tree – just think mini!

Photo midwestliving.com

Place a small rosemary plant in a decorative pot and hang small, lightweight ornaments on it.  After the holidays remove the decorations, change the pot and use the rosemary for cooking.

Photo midwestliving.com

Small ivy plants can be decked for the holidays.  Use them individually or in multiples for impact as shown above.

Tree-mendous Ideas

What type of fresh Christmas tree do you prefer?  Any tips to share for selecting or caring for a holiday tree?  Share any trial and error tales you may have.  I’ve heard tales of cats climbing Christmas trees and folks who’ve cut all the branches off the back side so the tree could be set tightly against the wall.  What about you?  Share your tree-mendous ideas and tips by using the Comment box below!