Local woman decorates Christmas trees to spread cheer

If you want more of a U-Pick experience, Shelton’s Tree Farm in Cashmere is normally the place to go around here but it’s already reserved all the trees it planned to sell this year.

In 2009, the Mexican government imposed a 20 percent tariff on Christmas trees in retaliation for a US ban on long-haul truckers from the country.

He said the shortages have resulted in customers purchasing his stock of shorter trees, which could wipe out his potential supply of the bestselling 8-foot trees for 2018.

“I don’t like the plastic trees, I just never have”, she said. “In 2007, we were in the beginning of the ‘Great Recession.’ Christmas tree sales started a downward turn and so did tree prices”. And, maybe my favorite, you won’t have to buy your fake tree again next year. Grafton Christmas Trees, east of Cobourg, offers cut-your-own Balsam Fir and White Spruce.

Romans used fir trees in their temples for the festival of Saturnalia, and for many religions, evergreens symbolize eternity. Pine cones are some of my favorite ornaments for my woodland themed Yule tree because they look so natural on the tree.

No, we’ve got attractive trees. He has sold some cyprus trees as young as two years; the pines typically reach appropriate size in three years and the cedars in three to four years.

And, while it seems like these flipped pine trees have only recently become one of the hottest Christmas crazes, this inverted tree fad actually dates back further than you might think.

Fortunately, the single ornament of a melancholy cartoon character isn’t going to topple anyone’s tree around here. There is the ornament shaped like a cowboy boot (Texas girl born and raised) that is so heavy I generally put it under the tree rather than hanging it up. Sprinkling or misting the tree with water will also help retain freshness, but the tree should not be soaked. “But we tell them, “you could drive to California with this tree on your roof”.

The gardener in me enjoys bringing a live tree indoors for decorating during the holiday season.

Now, I’m not pointing any fingers, but it is pretty fishy to me that somehow the top has just magically gone missing. “And that’s not really fluctuated that much”, said Travis Birdsell with the North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension in Ashe County. Did Kevin want to end future fake tree Christmases for good?

Yes, I like numerous trappings of the season, including looking at Christmas lights, weird gift exchanges, extra baked goods floating around, and people helpless against getting holiday music stuck in their heads.

It certainly won’t be as flawless or nice as our fake Christmas tree, when it had its ideal top, but the forest-fresh tree will definitely smell better. Which is important to some people I guess.

– Make sure the tree is not blocking an exit.