Vacations and trips are hard to come by just after Thanksgiving. A great recreational activity for many families during this time, however, is a trip to the local Christmas Tree Farm!
Earlier today, I was invited by my son and his family to join them for a trip to a local Christmas tree farm. It was great fun. His wife and son were there, the wife’s grandmother attended, and then my son had his friend and his friend’s family come to the adventure. All-in-all there were about a dozen of us tromping around the rural area looking for the perfect tree(s). Because my son often goes big on his décor, he was buying three Christmas trees today. He ended up going with the blue-shaded evergreens rather than white pines. We looked over a bunch of white pines, but all of them were too sparsely filled in with needles and the branches seemed like they might bend at the slightest ornament.
As we were looking for Christmas trees today, I noticed how great this is for the environment and for families. You often hear from people about how much they want to save nature but then they act in ways that are contrary to what they say. Buying a natural Christmas tree, however, is a great way to support wildlife and natural beauty. Every year, more Christmas trees are planted and it takes seven years before they’re ready to harvest. In those seven years of growth, wildlife have homes to live in, carbon is captured, oxygen is produced, and a green space is supported. Then, every November and December, one-seventh of the trees are cut down for homes. Later, the trees are often taken to lakes and ponds where they are dumped and create habitat for fish that enjoy the nooks they create for hiding places. Isn’t all that wonderful?
And as another plus, the Christmas trees create a wonderful aroma inside your home. They also are symbolically powerful in that they remind us the evergreen nature of hope even during the dead of winter. The death of the evergreen brought into your home is a source of light and then ultimately is a source of supporting vast nature preserves.
I know not everyone lives in an area that supports Christmas tree biomes. If you live in Arizona, it’s tough to be in close proximity to Christmas tree farms. Well, except for Flagstaff… that city is just a giant Christmas tree paradise! But if you can’t get to a Christmas tree farm, maybe consider going to Lowe’s or another vendor that is selling trees imported to you. I get buying a plastic tree and there are certainly positives for it — but there’s also something special about the real thing. Maybe consider it, even just for one year.
And though the farm we went to today is all natural stuff… even if you want “exotic” Christmas decorations in your home, there’s a place for just about anyone out there. There’s really no excuse to not check out a Christmas tree farm and grab some hot chocolate at the same time!
This tree farm sells colored trees in western New Jersey. Choose from more than 7,000 evergreens at Wyckoff's Christmas Tree Farm. 🎄 Are these colorful trees gaudy or nice? pic.twitter.com/YWNGqG3nFz
— njdotcom (@njdotcom) November 25, 2022
A purple Christmas tree might not be my cup of tea… but… to each their own! I’ll just settle for a green spruce this year and maybe a little plastic dove on top. The tree might be real, but the bird probably shouldn’t be.
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