Saturday, December 08, 2007
Treasure your tree, memories
Libba Wolfe
Libba Wolfe's column appears twice monthly in Extra.
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The sharp smell of cedar is the essence of Christmas for me. Daddy's criteria for the perfect Christmas tree was simple: a tall, free cedar growing somewhere in the woods close to where we could park the car. He would usually have scouted one out during his fall quail hunting. Sometime during the week before Christmas, we'd go with him to chop it down.
At home, he'd jam the trunk into a cinder block from the back shed. We'd drape that with an old red tablecloth. No need to worry about watering it. It was only up for a week.
We'd go through the aggravation of untangling the strings of lights and testing each bulb to find the bad ones. Somehow the extension cords had disappeared and there were never enough ornament hooks. There was usually some elbow jabbing and shoving, and someone always stepped on a glass ornament.
Mama would vacuum up the mess, calm the four of us kids down with a cup of cocoa, and the Christmas season was officially under way.
Sometime during the next 24 hours, the cat would climb the tree. We'd hear a muffled thud and the tinkle of broken glass as the tree came down. Mamma would shriek. Daddy would mutter something not quite under his breath, and we'd start all over.
Times have changed. Skinny cedars with bare spots turned to the wall have gone out of fashion. The Christmas tree industry is selling perfection at every price point. Because trees can cost big bucks and most folks leave them up longer than a few days, it's a good idea to follow a few shopping and maintenance tips.
Figure out where the tree will go before you head out to get one. If possible, find a spot away from heat sources -- sunny windows, radiators, vents and, most especially, fireplaces. If it must go near a vent or radiator, close it off while the tree is up.
Measure the width and height of the space. No need to pay for a 10-foot tree if you're going to have to cut off 4 feet when you get home.
Toss the tree stand in the car when you go to the lot. If the trunk fits your holder, you'll save yourself all that ax-whittling business.
Look for a fresh green tree. Usually the guys at the lot will do that manly tree shaking thing to see if there is a shower of dead needles. A dry, brittle tree will only get worse when you get it in a hot, dry house.
My vote for the best invention of the last century goes to the big, plastic tree disposal bag. They are cheap and widely available. You put them down before the tree goes up. When you're ready to take the tree out, you pull the bag up and, glory be, no track of brown needles all the way to the back door.
Regular watering is crucial to keep your tree fresh. It's amazing how much water a cut tree can suck up. You'll probably need to water it at least once a day. Lots of folks swear by additives that guarantee keeping a tree fresh longer. They're available at all the garden stores.
The best things you can do for your tree are to give it lots of water and keep the cats and toddlers from pulling it down.
When the holidays are over, don't be tempted to toss the dry tree limbs in your fireplace. That causes creosote build-up in your chimney. And, take it from the voice of experience, the flash and whoosh as it bursts into flames is scary.
One Christmas tree option I've never tried is a balled and burlapped live evergreen. It seems like the smart thing to do. Go to ext.vt.edu and search for "selection and care of live Christmas trees" for everything you need to know.
I can't wait to unpack the ornaments. Mama's baby blocks, souvenirs from trips, gifts from friends. The front of the tree is reserved for my most valuable treasures -- faded Christmas card art framed in golden elbow macaroni, crayoned notes on the backs of school photos and a bent up, electric blue pine cone with clumps of glitter down one side. It's time for a cup of cocoa.
