A Weekend in Christmas Tree Country

As of 2014, more than 157,000 real Christmas trees have been provided to military families in the United States and our troops overseas.

It’s so important that the provincial government dedicated an entire day to showcase the holiday tradition. Bill Abel and Kaylee Pineault are decorating their first Christmas tree together.

There are smaller trees and larger trees, skinny trees and broader trees, all decorated with ornaments made from items one would not think of as Christmas decorations.

“I decided it would be a wonderful thing to share, because there’s a lot of commercialism for Christmas, a lot of the same-old, same-old”, she says.

Wyevale Garden Centres says sales of their 8ft and over Christmas trees are up 55 per cent this year, with bumper sales of its XXXL trees, which measure more than 10ft. If you plan to store it outside for several days, make a straight cut across the butt end of the tree about one inch from the end, place the butt end in a container of water, and store the tree upright. Or choose your own holiday adventure and download the full list of Watauga County Christmas tree farms here. Also, the tree should be a nice dark green color, not faded. “It’s natural, from the time we plant it as a seedling, it releases oxygen and for every tree that’s chopped down, we plant 10 more in its place”.

That same year, an animated television special, “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles Schulz, debuted, triggering a demand for sparse, sad-looking trees like the one in the special that captured America’s heart.

For the best kinds of stands, check out these 4 recommended stands from the National Christmas Tree Association. “It’s a lot of trees wasted ever year and it’s hard to recycle”, Pineault said.

Even though it has been too warm for snow in many parts of Ontario, that doesn’t mean it’s not a good time to get a fresh tree, she said. Besides mingling with the customers, these local troops are very helpful to the farm by helping with the customers’ trees, “tagging” the donated trees and loading them onto the FedEx trailer.

Prices start at £30 for the high-quality, non-drop Nordmann firs, and profits will go to the hospice to fund its vital care this Christmas. “Whether it’s in a snowstorm or the pouring rain, you’re spending hours outside with your family”. You’ll still have those memories.