IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN

December 1, 2014

And yes, in case you are wondering (because I get asked this a lot), I think getting a real tree is better for the environment then getting an artificial tree (and supports the local economy) and this is why:

Earth 911
Living Green
Organic Gardening
Mother Jones

The absolute best live tree you can get to minimize impact to the environment is one that is grown on an organic tree farm or one that remains in a pot so it can be planted after the holidays (if you are in a location where you can keep the tree alive for replanting when the time comes - Minnesota not included).

The absolute best environmental choice of Christmas tree is no tree at all.

(oh, and the above is referring to tree farms and not just running out into the wilds on land you don't own and chopping down a tree, that would hardly be a good eco choice).

What do we do with our tree after Christmas? We put our tree outside in its stand and hang seed ornaments on it for the birds and we don't remove it until the tree is completely dead (brown and dry). Once the tree is obviously dead, which oddly isn't until the end of summer usually (balsams tend to be hardly little suckers after they are cut), we chop it up and use it in our fire place or we'll do something even more cool which I'll share in my next blog post so stay tuned.

















Teresa Robeson said...

Great photos! I think a manufactured tree can be a green option if you only get one that will last you pretty much forever. This eliminates the need to drive to a tree farm and cutting down a tree every year. :) The smell of a fresh tree is nice, but after one tried to kill our built-in vacuum, we switched to a store-bought one. That was 15 years ago and it still works fine for us. I know for a fact that we will never get a new one or a live one. It doesn't make for a family tradition though, but we're not big on tradition anyway. LOL!

Michelle said...

Teresa,

You have to tell me what happened with your vacuum. LOL!

My mom always used the same artificial tree too. She had the same one for decades.

Epicure68 said...

Your family is too cute! What wonderful pictures!

When we were young, our dad got part of an artificial tree from one place, another part from somewhere else and we cobbled it together. You'd think that would make me want a real tree so we wouldn't have a Frankentree, but no, we got a fake tree. But this one has all its original parts to it still and I'm sure it can probably out survive me.

Michelle said...

Monica

That is a great memory! And sounds so cute! When I was really little my mom had an artificial tree that we always called the Charlie Brown Tree because it was anorexic looking. Did you ever see that CB episode? Gotta love the Frankentrees, they make for awesome family memories :-)