When my husband and I were first married, we lived in a dumpy basement apartment. It seemed pretty glum to me sometimes since there wasn’t much light and we didn’t have a yard of our own. When our first Christmas came, I decided that I wanted to have a live holiday tree. I ended up picking out a small Norfolk Island pine and it did make the place more cheery. Live holiday trees are slowly becoming more common, though they are still not used as much as cut or artificial trees. You can purchase them at your local garden center or order them online. There are even services that will allow you to rent one. Some take care of details like delivery, setup and pickup. Some Advantages Are:
- You can plant it outside or use it as a houseplant afterwards. They are perfect if you only have a small space.
- You don’t throw it away after the season is done, like a cut tree.
- It is not manufactured with toxic materials, like artificial ones are sometimes.
- You get at least a little more oxygen added to the air in your household.
- It feels even more like nature since it is still living.
Some Common Live Holiday Trees:
- Aleppo Pine
- Fir Trees
- Norfolk Island Pine
- Palm Trees
- Rosemary Topiary
- Southern Red Cedar
- Spruce Trees
You can use any tree, though, for a short period of time as long as it fits into the space inside and you have somewhere to plant it afterwards. Things to Consider:
- Have you been working out lately? Tall potted plants can weigh a lot. Think about how much you really want to be moving around.
- Make sure you have a spot all prepped for planting (hole dug, etc.) if it will be moved outdoors. This is especially important if you expect the ground to freeze.
- You really only have about a week to work with if you live in a cooler area and intend to plant the tree outside. It will start to come alive again from its winter’s nap, which will be very confusing and detrimental when you take it back outside.
- Make sure that you water it. It won’t dry out as fast as a cut tree, but it is living, after all.
Have you had a live holiday tree? What kind? Image by MSVG via Flickr Creative Commons Attribution License
