Plants Beautiful Christmas Trees

During the summer we get shipments of seedling trees from other nurseries so we can plant and raise them into the beautiful trees you see out in the fields. They were all so cute! And I was slightly shocked when I was told we’d be selling live christmas trees this year! “What! Who’s going to want to buy a ball & burlap (B&B) tree for christmas (though I do love the idea of a live tree)!?” I was then told that some of the little potted trees we received in our shipment we’re going to be decorated and available for people to buy. “Ohh…I get it now.” The image in my brain went from this:

to this:

“Ah yes. That’s better.”

I have been thinking about them for a while now. People have been mentioning pictures and decorations for sometime now and but I haven’t seen anything. But today when I got on the main site, there they were! Thanks Honey for getting the pictures up.:) (That’s him btw in the picture above)

As I said before I love the idea of a live tree. There is a children’s book by Eve Bunting called “Night Tree” that I have loved since I was a kid. It’s about a family that goes out into the woods on Christmas Eve and finds the perfect tree. Then instead of cutting it down they decorate it with a bunch of edible things for the local wildlife. It just gives me that warm fuzzy feeling and makes me want to do it too. We’re lucky though and happen to have…well, a tree farm out our back door (and the front for that matter) and can do it anytime we like. But people living in town might not have the same opportunity. So this is a great idea for them. Small and alive and mobile for now and can be planted when it starts getting a bit bigger. And the tradition can continue over the years as children grow and the tree grows. I love the living tree idea!

So if your interested you can check out our online shop for these trees or come and visit us in two weeks when we open.:)

It seems to me like this time of year always catches us by surprise.  There is always so much to do and so little time to do it in.  Today there is a gaggle of people working in the wreathroom, making and decorating wreaths, and making garland.  I’m sure they are pretty happy to be working inside today due to the wet and sticky snow that is building up outside.  There are a select few that are out starting to harvest trees.  Though we are a choose and cut operation mainly, we like to have some cut trees in the yard and greenhouse for those who would rather not venture into the fields.  We also have to farms and the farm that the shop is located on doesn’t have certain varieties of trees growing there, so we bring them over.  It’s quite a process to get them there as they have to be cut, bailed, loaded and then unloaded, unbailed and set up.  But it is all a part of the process.

Last weekend our fliers were in the local papers and I’ve heard people are already starting to come looking for their Christmas decorations.  I’ve been working on the mailing we send out every year.  Sticking on the labels and getting them all stamped.  It’s quite a job.  Hopefully I’ll have it done by the end of the week.

There is still work going on in the shop as well.  Trying to get everything labeled and into our new computer check out system, (it’s a nice upgrade for the elf’s I think) and then organize everything and get ready for opening.

We’re all busy as usual, but now there it’s starting to smell like Christmas with everyone working with the trees and boughs.

It’s the beginning of November.  Time to start making wreaths, STAT!  We’ve already had a half a dozen or so ordered and we will be shipping them before Thanksgiving!  It is still a wonder to me that the Christmas season starts so early for some people.  But it’s good for us.

I know Lisa has a crew working in the wreath room today and will until we open the shop (on Nov 22nd.).  She may even be going beyond that and working the wreath room up until Thanksgiving.  I know we have a lot to make.  Wreaths are one of those fun and wonderful things that are so festive.  And some people might have a fake tree, but a real wreath or centerpiece.  I guess because they are a bit easier to care for and already decorated so nicely.

My mom told me a funny thing the other day.  She said she actually still had here wreath from last year!  She lives in California in the city so doesn’t have that wonderful fresh tree smell at all.  So she was saving the wreath and letting it dry so she could then take the needles and make a little sachet out of it and keep that fresh green smell with her all year long.  It’s just taken so long for it to dry out.  Amazing!!  And I thought that was a great idea.

For some reason it’s hard to believe that the snow has waited this long to fall. But for some reason it still shocks me that it’s snowing. Didn’t winter just end? But it is pretty and it’s sticky which means it’s great fun for the kids to play in. Really I do like snow.

I had a few more pictures from the shop and thought I would post some of them. I feel really excited to see what’s happening over there because I know Lisa and Cindy have been working like crazy to get the place all nice and ready before Nov. 1st. That’s when Lisa wants to start making wreaths and centerpieces. So I’m sure the shop has changed a lot since the last time I was in there.

Here’s a picture of one of our birch bark displays. It’s in the window in the front of the shop, so it gets seen a lot. The tallest deer I think was about…maybe 2 feet from hoof to antler tip. Personally I’m a fan of moose, but then I’ve always like the animals.

This is one of the several designs of christmas pyramids that have been acquired this year. Lowell told they were shipped and made in Sweden! I had one of these growing up so my heart melted when I saw it. One of my favorite things to do at christmas time was to help my mom set our up and then watch it while it spun and the candles flickered. Ah! Good memories!

And the last picture for today;

It’s a wooden bee! When I came in to visit the shop I saw this and immediately pulled it down so my 1 year old could watch it move across the floor. The wings spin and it’s make in the US (in Arkansas actually). I love this little toy! I’m really into simple toys.

As I said before I can hardly it to see what has been happening in the shop since the last time I was in there. I know a lot more has arrived to display and Lisa & Cindy have been hard at work making it beautiful. So when you come in this year be sure to thank them for it.;)

Our website developer (my husband) just got the pictures of this years wreaths!  They are so pretty too!  I saw one of these displayed over at the shop (for the photo shoot) recently.  Gave me warm fuzzies just thinking about how festive live wreaths are.  They smell so amazing!  Lisa’s done a great job this year (well she always does, but these are particularly pretty).

So here are this years pictures of our fancy live wreaths!

Every year we send my family (in California) fresh wreaths.  My Grandma has kept her wreath alive and fresh well into February by spraying her wreath occasionally with a squirt bottle and some water.  I hadn’t ever thought about that and was so impressed to her Grandma talking about that.  She never had a live tree when I was young, but seems to cherish her yearly wreath.:)

Yesterday Lisa and Cindy were in the wreathroom starting to create this years fancy wreaths.  Each year we have different materials to decorate our wreaths and centerpieces with, so we have to come up with new ideas and designs.  Yesterdays work wasn’t to start mass production yet, but just to come up with the ideas and designs that we will be producing the most.  Soon we’ll be getting pictures up of this years wreaths and centerpieces.

I’ve only worked the Christmas season once, but it was a lot of fun, and I remember that decorating wreaths was one of my favorite things.  I get into to the decorating part of that.  Making them was fun to, in moderation.  But that is a lot more work and less fun.  The finished product is wonderful though.  Pretty decorations on a really wonderful smelling wreath.  When I worked we didn’t do a lot of centerpieces, but we made hundreds of wreaths!  These days centerpieces are just almost as big as the wreaths, and now we’ve figured out ways to ship them too.

I’m looking forward to seeing this years fancy wreaths and centerpieces (the regular ones are always relatively the same).  See what Lisa & Cindy’s creative minds came up with this year.  I’ll post pictures when I get them!

I found this on one of the sites we’re associated with. The Christmas Tree Farm Network and thought I would post it. I’ve actually found several articles recently that talks about real vs plastic. I’ll tell you, when I was growing up we had a plastic tree (my husband’s family are the founders of this farm) and I guess I had it in my head then that cutting a tree was so bad. I mean, that’s what we’re told from an early age. Even when I moved to Minnesota and started working for Plants Beautiful I had a hard time grasping the whole tree season. But as I saw the process and the cycles I realized just how natural and wonderful it is. For every tree that is cut, several more are planted. The cycle continues. And the trees that are cut are reused and put back into the earth. They decompose! How awesome!

As a kid these things never entered into my mind. I knew real trees sure smelled and felt a lot better then the plastic trees (my grandmother always had a real one). But I always thought pulling the plastic one out of the box was recycling in it’s own way. I guess it is, but after studying about plastic trees a little more, I’m really not impressed. I never thought about the fact that it takes so long for them to brake down and how they may contain harmful chemicals. But then what child really thinks about that?

As a parent now I do think about that. Some tree farms do use chemicals. We try to stay as far away from them as we can. But they are going to be a lot less in a real tree then is a plastic one, I feel confident about that.

Knowledge is power I guess. Power in making a difference in your life and others. So keep yourself informed and choose a real tree this year. You wont be sorry.:)

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Real or plastic?
Many consumers will be asking themselves that question this holiday season.

In this age of environmental awareness it’s appropriate to know a favorite family holiday tradition of choosing a real Christmas tree over an artificial tree is still the environmentally sound choice.

“What could be simpler or more natural?” says Bob Scott, Former President of the National Christmas Tree Association. “Buying a real Christmas tree is definitely an environmentally sound choice.”

“Consumers are showing their preference for real, natural products that are socially conscious. Many young families are attracted to the tradition of celebrating Christmas with a real tree in their home,” explained Scott.

Christmas tree farms stabilize soil, protect water supplies and provide refuge for wildlife while creating scenic green belts. Often, Christmas trees are grown on soils that could not support other crops.

A benefit to the atmosphere, real Christmas trees absorb carbon dioxide and other gases, emitting fresh oxygen. This helps prevent the earth-warming “greenhouse effect”. One acre of Christmas trees produces the daily oxygen requirement for 18 people. With approximately one million acres producing Christmas trees in the United States, that translates into oxygen for 18 million people every day. For every real Christmas tree harvested, three seedlings are planted in its place.

Real Christmas trees are an all-American, recyclable resource. Artificial trees, most of which are manufactured in Korea, Taiwan or Hong Kong, consist of plastics and metals that aren’t biodegradable. When disposed of, the artificial trees will never deteriorate. Their effects on our environment are evident and will remain for countless generations.

Give a gift back to the environment!

• Real Christmas trees are an all-American product, grown in all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Most artificial trees are manufactured in Korea, Taiwan, or Hong Kong.

• Real trees are a renewable, recyclable resource. Artificial trees contain non-biodegradable plastics and metals.

• For every real Christmas tree harvested, 2 to 3 seedlings are planted in its place.

• There are about 1 million acres in production for growing Christmas trees. Each acre provides the daily oxygen requirements of 18 people.

• There are about 15,000 Christmas tree growers in the U.S., and over 100,000 people employed full or part time in the industry.

• There are approximately 5,000 choose and cut farms in the U.S.

• It can take as many as 15 years to grow a tree of average retail sale height (6 feet), but the average growing time in 7 years.

• The top selling Christmas trees are: Balsam Fir, Douglas Fir, Fraser Fir, Noble Fir, Scotch Pine, Virginia Pine and White Pine.

It’s Environmentally and Traditionally Wrong to buy and use plastic products to celebrate Christmas … Here’s why…

Consider these important facts…

1. Fake trees and wreaths are made from nonrenewable petroleum.

REAL Christmas trees and wreaths do not harm our environment and our resources… they are produced as an agricultural crop. Each year Christmas tree growers replace cut trees with a new crop of seedlings.

2. When a fake tree catches fire, it puts dangerous toxic fumes into the air.

A properly cared-for REAL Christmas tree will not catch fire easily. If and when it does, its fumes will certainly not be as toxic. In addition, one acre of REAL Christmas trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and produces enough oxygen for 18 people.

3. Fake trees cannot be recycled. When they are disposed of in a sanitary landfill, they will not disintegrate, but will remain there forever, taking up increasingly scarce landfill space.

Our cities today are faced with a critical shortage of sanitary land fill space. Many of them, and states as well, have passed laws prohibiting disposal of REAL Christmas trees in a landfill. REAL trees are thus being used in various helpful ways when disposed of…such as ground-up mulch to replenish the soil, fish habitat and other useful methods.

But, what about disposal of fake Christmas trees? No legislation has yet been passed to prohibit their disposal in a landfill. A fake Christmas tree has no use whatsoever when disposed of, except to continue taking up space in critically-needed landfill space.

4. Fake trees are manufactured mainly outside of the United States.

We hear much today about our economy being faced with a loss of jobs. Why do we continue to promote loss of jobs in the Christmas tree industry by buying and using fake Christmas trees and wreaths when very few fake trees and wreaths are made in the United States by American Labor.

Thousands of jobs have already been lost in the Christmas tree industry because continued sale and use of fake trees and wreaths continues to be encouraged.

Over the years, the Christmas tree has come to symbolize the faith and hope of harmony among all mankind. This spirit is REAL and a REAL Christmas tree, when brought inside our homes, projects this feeling through its pleasant scent and natural warm beauty.

Wake Up, America!
Celebrate Christmas with a REAL Christmas tree and wreath, while helping protect our valuable nonrenewable environment.