Your Christmas Tree.. What Now?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

Now let’s talk Christmas trees.

You spent (potentially) hours decorating it…yourself or with the help of some children and today is its real time to shine. Some of you will have presents tucked neatly underneath still but I would think that many of you have ravaged the spoils and cleaned up the mess in preparation for some kind of special dinner with family and friends.

But your Christmas tree is still standing (hopefully) with bells and whistles still intact. Perhaps you’ll keep it up until New Year’s when the holidays really start to wind down. Then what?

You can put your tree out to the curb – many municipalities have specific tree collection days and a quick online search for your region will help you out with that. But why waste a good tree? Sure, it won’t ever grow again and the needles are starting to fall but you know who doesn’t mind? Those birds who toughen up and stick out the winter with us.

This year, take your Christmas tree and remove all the decorations. And I mean ALL of them. Don’t leave tinsel hanging through the boughs. When your tree is as clean as the day you brought it home, take it outside and stand it up against a fence, lean it against another tree, or simply prop it up in the snow (if it’s deep enough).

Hang a bird feeder in its branches or just let the birds find the shelter on their own. Birds are crafty creatures after all. The needles offer a cozy respite from the cold winter winds and if you’ve placed your tree next to a window, you may be treated to a show as well.

Finally, remember that if you brought home a living tree this season, don’t keep it in the house for more than 10 days. Move it outdoors to a sheltered location unless you planned ahead and dug a hole before the ground froze up.  In that case, “plant” your tree and backfill with leaves. In the spring, pour soil overtop and let Mother Nature do her work.

Wishing you all safe travels through this holiday season and we shall talk next in the New Year. 2014…can you believe it?!