Hello!

Well – finally!

“It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!” That familiar song really fits here around this time of year! There's even a bit of that white stuff sticking to the ground! And there are lots of people out there who have already decked their halls with boughs of holly and a whole lot more! Actually they have probably been decking those halls even before Thanksgiving!

And now it's Christmas! Gees, time is really whizzing by! Still so very much to do, right? Especially if you're a procrastinator like me! No, my halls are not yet decked out. And no again, my Christmas tree is not yet up! Sigh! It's so depressing - but not hopeless! I’ve got plenty of time-says the procrastinator!

And I know that I am not alone, because there are some others out there still looking for their perfect Christmas tree. I know, I know, each and every time that you pass by a place that sells Christmas trees, you slow down and give a long wistful look. They all look so nice and full!

Which one to get?

Well, there are 3 main varieties of evergreens that make for really beautiful Christmas trees: fir, spruce, pine.

Fir trees:
They have short flat needles
These needles are ½ to 1 inch long
They are wonderfully fragrant
They hold on to their needles for a long time
Typical firs are:
Balsam
Green needles on top/silvery-white below
Needle retention good up to 3 weeks
Best known for its great smell
Douglas fir
Not a true fir
Needles are short and not too sharp
Deep green to blue-green color
Super-great needle retention
Fraser fir
Southern cousin to the balsam fir
Less fragrant than balsam
Needle retention is better than the balsam
Spruce trees:
These also have short needles – ½ to 1 ½ inches long
Their needles are 4 sided - not flat
Spruce needles are stiff and sharp-pointed
They tend to be a little pinchy or prickly when you decorate spruce Christmas trees
The Colorado blue spruce smells pretty good
Some have ice-blue coloring
Needles are very sharp
Difficult to decorate
Fair needle retention - 2-3 weeks
White and Norway spruces also smell good when fresh
White and Norway spruces tend to drop their needles too quickly
Rich green color
Nicely shaped/fast grower
Pine trees:
Pines have long needles up to 6 inches long
They have 2-5 needles attached in clusters to the stems
Pines are also good-smelling Christmas trees - very aromatic
Scotch pines are probably one of the more popular Christmas trees
They have twisted green to blue-green short needles
They have good needle retention and a nice full shape
Austrian pines have stiff pointed dark green needles
White pines have long dark-green to blue-green needles
They have soft long needles and are easy to decorate
Fair needle retention
Popular for its softness and great pine fragrance

Wow! Lots of different kinds of Christmas trees! The choice is yours!

Whichever kind of Christmas tree you choose, just make sure that it's fresh. Those needles should be resilient, not brittle. When you bounce the tree or tap the trunk on the ground a few times, tons of needles should not fall off.

Determine ahead of time what size tree you'll need. Tall? Short? Slender? Full? Super-full? Do all sides of the tree have to look perfect? Or will the Christmas tree stand in a corner? Select a tree that is the right height for the size of the room. If that majestic Christmas tree from the lot is too tall or too wide for your room, then you will have to subtract a few inches (or even a few feet). And if you do cut large sections off the top or the sides or even from the bottom, then you will alter the tree's natural taper. Then you may end up with a natural disaster!

So, be practical - take a few measurements. Sometimes the biggest is NOT the best!

And once you do get that perfect Christmas tree set up inside, keep it cool and keep it watered. Use those Christmas tree preservatives to keep it fresher longer if you'd like. Otherwise you may end up with a Charlie Brown Christmas tree that will drop its needles when Santa bumps into it on Christmas Eve.

Now that's really depressing!

Good luck with choosing that perfect Christmas tree!

Remember - Eat Smart New York!

And - Bye - Talk to you soon!
D