Poll
Question:
What type of tree do you have?
Option 1: Real tree
votes: 42
Option 2: Artificial tree
votes: 31
Option 3: No tree
votes: 21
I'm talking about your main tree in your home. Poll expires some time after Christmas.
We will have three real ones this year, the out side one is up and running already, and I expect the others will go up when the twins get home from college in a few days. :) Lord knows how many small trees are scattered around the house! over twenty I am sure. Wooden ones, glass ones, fake pine ones, some made out of who knows what. :D Even got a fake one in the bathroom :D
Artificial,,but looks real!!!,,,,,,bedway
We finally bought an artificial tree this year. I was reluctant to do so, but the hassle of a real one was starting to get to me. Now my wife is burning a pine scented candle to give us the scent of a fresh cut tree. :D :D :D
not only is it real, but we grow 'em ourselves
Ours has a real cedar trunk but fake branches and little (real wood) toys for ornaments. Can't take the chance with Stacy's alergies and past breathing problems to have a real tree.
This is it. We put it up today.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/christmas_tree_2006.jpg)
We need a (other) category ;) . Ours is real but its a branch,one yr it was a dogwood.This yr maple ;D .
No tree this year, but we usually go real tree. The best one was the first year we lived in an old victorian with a 14' high entry foyer. We had a big glass door and windows all around the foyer so the wife wanted as big a tree as we could get so people could see it driving up. I will admit it was very pretty with the 100's of silver/gold bows she made and white lights and all... but it was like a logging job. In the middle of the tree farm a 14' tree looked kinda big, but trying to get that thing in the front door was a real trip. :D It didn't look so big outside, inside it was huge. We scaled back abit the next year ::)
I don't have a Christmas tree in my house, but if I did it would be a real one. Maybe now that the dog is getting older I could do it, but the past two years she looked at my parents' tree like her personal dog toy holder :D
Ron, you need another catagory. My wife has already put up two artificial trees and we will put up a real tree when I get a round tuit. Our real tree will be an ERC that we will cut from our farm, po folks you know. I was 30 before I found out what we called Christmas trees were actually ERC. ::) A few years ago, because of my procrastinating, my wife and teenage chrilden got the Christmas tree. 8) It was a nice 12ft blue spruce. When I asked the wife why they bought a tree she just laughed. It was not until the next day that I discovered that our nice blue spruce in the back yard had disappeared. :o I guess I had better get a tree tomorrow, we only have one blue spruce left. ;D
Bob
We buy a tree from either the Lions Club or the Cubs/Scouts.The trees are always Douglas Fir cut from beneath the powerline right of way.I like the smell of the crushed needles.
We got some spruce boughs from a neighbors tree. I'm going to crush them and put some in rubbing alcohol. I figure the evaporation of the alcohol will make the house smell like spruce for several days. Do you reckon it will work?
It might smell like a bunkhouse :D
Tom,
That just may work but I would be careful of open flames also. :-\
Of course you may also wake up on a piece of cardboard with a pin stuck in you like the butterflies we use to collect and gas for school. :o So maybe that will not be a good idea.
Farmerdoug
Concolor fir, the needles hold forever. Good market for live trees as well.
Now if you had a wooley dog, you could rub some of that mixture into it's coat and it would not only deoderize the dog, but would spread the holiday aroma throughout your house. You're family will love you ;) I'm not sure rubbing alcohol would be good for the dog though-----might should use food grade alcohol :D :D
We always cut our own tree, usually a cedar and also made at least one gumdrop tree for the house and often two or three to give away. I still like to make gumdrop trees and look forward to being able to help grandkids make them. That kind of stuff is what makes Christmas 8) 8)
Noble,
I've got some potent rum. Wonder if that would work.
Farmerdoug,
I hadn't considered the fire aspect. Guess I need to be careful
Gael has got some little red-shirted, bearded dolls laying around with straight pins stuck in them. Do you reckon she plans to put me in a collection? :D :D
We have a real tree. This year it is a blue spruce. I quess I should have inspected it a little better because after I cut it it didn't fall. I got to looking at it and right at the base there was another stem (trunk)? So I cut that one too. When we got back to pay for it the owner said I could get another if I wanted but I figured I cut it I bought it. Really it was a pretty tree. Thirty five bucks for a seven foot tree. Whats that figure out price per board foot :) Mike
They have a hard time giving them away at some U-cut places.
The place my folks went to the last several years was getting overgrown.
Several years back they were $15, then $10, I belive some were $5 last year and they had started to cut and burn.
This year they put up the fake tree.
Tom, just to be on the safe side, I'd suggest you and the dog both try about a half pint of that rum (applied internally) just to make sure that it doesn't cause any bad reactions :D :D You could forget the crushed needles and tell your family that you and the dog are giving the place a 'fruitcake' atmosphere :D :D Your family will just adore you, trust me 8) 8)
they already think I'm a fruitcake, Br'er Noble. :D :D
We have an artificial tree. Make it much easier to put up when the weather is bad. Usually have plenty of help as seen in the photo.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/13895/Christmas_tree_061212_022884.jpg)
Fake here too. This is the third year for it. No more sweeping up needles for months afterwards ;) ;D
We used to put up a fake tree. It was my wife's grandmother's tree, so there were some memories attached to it.
I remember my dad going out and getting one of those po man trees one year. He didn't have the money to buy a tree, so he went out and cut down one of the cedars.
One of the nicest trees I've seen was a holly tree. My father-in-law needed to cut one down in his yard, so he waited until Christmas and used it for a tree. He just put lights on it. Simple and elegant. Just like Christmas is supposed to be.
We now put up real trees. When the kids came along, we felt it was a nice tradition for them. Besides, fake trees are probably made in China, and real ones are grown here in our county. We know those folks and the $35 spent on a tree is offset by the time we get to talk and catch up each year.
We get a real tree every year, white pine. It is kind of a family tradition that Patty goes out and buys the biggest tree at the tree farm and then lets me and my sons find a way to get it through the door. We used to go through the hassle of putting it in a bucket with water but found that it made no difference since they were so fresh. First year we did this I took the tree down at the end of Christmas and tried to burn it, could barely get it to burn with a good fire under it.
cut_tree cut_tree Our tree is beautiful, all 12 feet of it! ;D ;D
We always have a real live tree. My sweet wife adopts trees from folks who move and can't take their tree with them. Currently we have a 10' coffee tree, two 12' norfolk pines, a holly, a couple Joshua Trees (not very big) and a miriad bunch of assorted cacti. She puts some stuffed birds she picked up from somewhere in the trees and hangs a couple family heirloom trinkets in them. I think one of the trees, the coffee, has stuff in it all year round. It looks real pretty when the beans come out all nice and red. She won't let me roast and grind them :-\
Now I understand why she wanted those twelve foot ceilings.
We have a real tree inside and out. The outdoor one is already lit up while we won't be bringing the other one in until this weekend.
I would have much preferred a nice balsam fir this year but we ended up with a white spruce off the highway right-of-way under the power lines, its a good choice as it would of most likely been cut next time they cleared the right-of-ways back.
I've often wondered why we don't use potted palms for Christmas Trees down here. :-\ :)
We have a tradition here. Thanksgiving morning we load up the kids and grandkids and go to Crystal, IN and get Christmas trees. When we went the first time, we went with our two daughters, and maybe one of the boyfriends. Now it is the girls and husbands and at last count 8 grandkids. I think the tree farm folks now take bets on how many kids are going to crawl out of our vehicles now. :D I have always argued Thanksgiving Day is too early for tree cutting, but what do I know?
We always by a living tree and I'm supposed to plant it after Christmas. Over the years I managed to get about three in the ground and only one did well. Drought got one and the other, well it didn't do to good. I won't know what Lindy has this year till I get home. One thing I don't understand is why everyone does Christmas on the 25th. I know it ain't till I get there on the 28th. LeeB :D
You guys inspired me. fly_smiley So I put up a second tree (another real one) last night out on the patio. I am going to have to weight it down with concrete blocks to keep the wind frm knocking it over today. I bought it from the grocery store, cut_tree I felt so sorry for it just lying there...now it is happy and standing up proudly!
We have a real tree on the front porch. No room inside for it.
What I find really enjoyable is going to the in-law's tree farm and watching family's with young children cut thier own tree :) It just makes me smile :)
(also I get to eat cookies with my fil)
Does anyone else make 'gumdrop' trees? 8) 8)
Tom, you and the mutt could partake of that rum and then put some leaves on your heads and become 'potted palms' ;D ;D Gael and her mother would probably enjoy decorating you :D :D :D
Noble, I never have but I can picture one in my mind. do you use toothpicks?
I remember a gumdrop tree or two from my childhood , but they did not go over well as I have not seen one in ye__ no decades.
I have a fake tree , more like a bottle brush on seroids. When we move into the new house that will be the end of fake trees. I plan on planting a plot of trees just for Christmas.
We had a gumdrop tree in our house that was about 16 inches tall. It went over real well. Charlie and I kept it cleaned off pretty regularly.
Who in their right mind puts gumdrops within reach of a young boy and says, "Don't you boys eat all the gumdrops, now".
OH, Yeah! Charlie did it, Momma. ;D
Quote from: Jeff B on December 14, 2006, 05:40:21 PM
Noble, I never have but I can picture one in my mind. do you use toothpicks?
I guess you could, but if you eat them while they are still fairly fresh, you can just suck your teeth ;D
:D :D :D Geez Noble, at you age I figured you were just gummin' them. ;D ;D
Artificial for over 20 years. Looked like a real one without the pine needles falling off. Man I hated to put the light strings on the tree. Replaced it last year with a new one that includes pre installed lights. 8)
Will only be putting up an artificial one because of allergies in the household.
Talk about gum balls...ermmm..I'll leave that one alone. ;D
I don't have a tree here, but my cousin grows acres of'em as his main income. He must have close to 70 acres planted and expanding to another 50. He's been fixing up the field and putting in access roads. Probably ready for planting this spring.
Those preinstalled lights don't work well for me. The cat cut the wire in a couple of places and it is too difficult to find all of the correct ends. So it was easier to install another string of lights.
I generally prefer a real tree, but when SWMBO gets decorating anything goes and we often have both...
This year we're pretty much ignoring Christmas as we're still in Dad's house, and everything is packed away ready to be moved. I'm also working at the hospital the 23rd-25th so my White Christmas comes from wearing a lab coat.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/13635/Baci.jpg)
This is Baci, a Black Masked Love Bird by his own little Christmas Tree.
He belongs to some friends. It was hilarious to see him bee-bopping his head in that sweater.
Man...22% of us don't have a tree at all....
Must be all of us bachelors... ::) ;)
I got a tree with my gf last year--fun thing to do as a date, but it's the only time I've gotten one since I moved into my house. I think whether or not I have a Christmas tree is directly related to whether or not I have a woman in my life at the time. :D What's the point otherwise? ;D
Quote from: Paschale on December 19, 2006, 09:52:07 AM
related to whether or not I have a woman in my life at the time. ;D
Today's only the 19th; still got 6 days to find a girlfriend. 8) 8) AND a Christmas tree. ;D ;D
Ya can lead a horse to water but...................... ::) ;D
Paschale,where will Santa leave your presents????When I was alone,my niece came over to see me and asked me where was Santa going to leave my presents.What can you tell a 4 year old?Santa would leave them at Grammie's house.Mom to the rescue again.She was happy with that answer.We have a fake one now.Wife likes it up the first day of Dec.When you go looking for a tree with her,you will be there for a couple hours.Looks over bunches of trees and when we get it home it still is not good enough.
My parents have a 20 acre christmas tree farm that I help with the planting and trimming and this year we put up a fake tree. But only because of the puppy. Hopefully by next year there will be a real one in the living room.
Jeff w
A real balsam fir for inside and white spruce for outdoors, we grow our own, started getting nice this year... The plan is to have some for the family in future years as Christmas presents for the bunch of us, me and our kids and my brother and his,,, sumpin to the tune of 8 or 9 per year...
My dad's brother had a small city yard so he would come to visit us and find a nice spruce seedling to take home and plant in the back yard next to the fence. When it got to about 6' he would cut it and take it in the house. The root was pulled, the hole filled and he came looking for another one. They really enjoyed having their own tree every few years.
good old fasion balsam fir