what type of tree do you put up?

When I lived in the 'city' my mother got a X-mas tree from the church, a 'win' from the bingo games, catholic, (lol), she planted it, that was in 1973, in 2000 we had a 25'+ Blue Spurce in our 12' x 12' front yard. I decorated it when she was too old and feeble to do so. It was admired by all the people that used to pass our house to go home after a long subway ride from the city. The lights used to glow though the snow when it was covered. Just like a fairy tale picture. When she became ill and the neighborhood changed for the worse we left. The new owners cut it down after moving in. It gave protection to the blue jays, the Cardinals and any other species seeking refuge from the turmoil of the city, (if but for a few square feet).

- It's gone now, but then again so are we... and now I have more pines than I can shake a stick at! (lol)

What a wonderful memory. Funny how a tree can give such good memories.

We have tons of conifers here now. But I'll always remember the one lone one at home.

It's fun to watch people buy trees. Some have to have just the best one left on the lot, the perfectly shaped one. Some just really don't care. And then there are the ones after my own heart, looking for the Charlie Brown tree.

We started selling today. Not many customers, but the next few days will be nice, so more people. My brother does the main sales. He's 76 now, and just loves doing it. .

And then there's the end of the season when people who really can't afford a tree are hoping for a markdown. They always find a good price from us, especially with kids in tow. Cute kids might even garner a free one.

Bless your brother, he has the best job in the world. ☺

OK---the photo of the concolor fir looks nothing like the tree I bought---for the second year in a row! The farmer told me that's what it is! Now, I don't have a clue, but I like it.

Robin, what is different about yours? Does it smell of citrus when you crack a needle? It's the only pine I have ever known to have the distinct citrus fragrance.

My brother does like selling the trees. He's always liked to be out in the cold. He'll be 77 in January, and still hunts, traps, fishes, and throws horseshoes and golfs and bowls. He also runs up to 14 miles a day.

Concolors can look quite different, depending on where you get them. But like Magnolialover said the needles smell like citrus when broken.

What is the going price for Christmas trees downstate this year?

I'll let you know what I pay next week.

Hey be careful out there when searching for your perfect tree!!!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091203/ap_on_re_us/us_tree_hunt_missing

This is the tree outside waiting for me to trim it---what does it look like?

Spruce.

Concolor, LOL.

There's a dwarf one that looks nice - Balsam fir 'Nana'.

Honestly, I'm not that up on how to tell the conifers apart. It's all how the needles are shaped and arranged. I'm sure someone on the trees and conifers forum could tell you.

It does look like the Concolors we sell.

The needles go all around on spruces. Flatter in firs. Spruces hurt!

LOL. That doesn't look at all like my tree. My tree looks just like the picture link I posted. Now....the true test, does it smell of citrus?

Who'd ever guess there might be tree controversy? Lol.

I forgot to check on smell, will do it tomorrow, but the needles are soft, not like spruce.

Concolor does have a softer needle. I wonder if there aren't different forms of concolors sold, like blue spruces vary quite a bit in color intensity. You can buy a strain of blue spruces that have bright colors for example.

I have always, ALWAYS, A L W A Y S had a real tree. I loved driving up to the tree farm and picking it out :-) I almost always got a Concolor Fir, I just loved the citrus like smell when you brushed against while watering it, or took a few needles and crushed them and smelled the wonderful aroma :-)

I digress...

Paul's parents gave us this huge monstrosity of an artificial tree. It is pretty, as artificials go, it's not my Concolor, but it's the most full, fat, and obese tree I've had the pleasure of decorating in years. That tree (I will post pics of our trees later on) is our red/gold theme tree.

We also have 2 white artificial trees, both of them are for Paul's Hallmark ornament collections. If any of you recall me talking about this a year or so back, Paul's mom (she passed away when he was 25) had been buying him the Hallmark collectable ornaments every year from the time he was born, until her passing. The goof he was with before me, kept all of the ornaments and then to add insult to injury placed them in a burn pile :-( So, for almost 4 xmases he's received from me the Star Wars set, and as an inside "couple" joke, the Wizard of Oz set. He was on a mission to recover as many ornaments that he had lost, and so we have the Start Wars tree, and this year (now that we have enough of them to display) a Wizard of Oz tree. We also have a teen tiny table top tree in our bathroom, it's loaded with 1 strand of 25 lights, and all of the Boyd's Bears Jingle Bears that I had, it's cute :-)

I think you have way too much energy, Thom.

I am glad to hear Paul really appreciated the ornaments his mother had given him. I started buying a snowbaby each year for the kids when they were born. I've bought my daughter snowbabies for years, and she displays them year round in a curio cabinet, but stores the kids ones. And I always wonder if they will appreciate them when they have homes of their own.

How can folks be so mean? I'm glad Paul has the new set, & would love to see photos of all the trees!

I remember the Star Wars theme from last year. Nice.

I have the Wizard of Oz set. It has been my favorite movie forever.

SIL bought a long needle pine.HORRIBLE
impossible to decorate unless baubles and lights are wired onto the branches and then heavy handblown glass balls( made from Mt.St Helens ashes) have to hang so far back on the limbs they cant be seen.
DD and I love SIL dearly so we wouldnt hurt his feelings by saying anything but
WIRED?
I am going at a snails pace to decorate
AND
Baubles cant be hung just anywhere ,I have to choose spots where the branches are thick.
PLEASE - - - - - next year a fir or spruce

This message was edited Dec 10, 2009 6:48 AM

When you have a tree like that you have to totally change your decorating technique and what you use to decorate it with.

Went last night to go to 1 tree farm(we had 1/2 hour) hubby was actually home early. They didn't have any balled trees...oh well on to the next farm. but they did have the Concolor so I got to see what it looked and smelled like, the smell was great. The color was that of a blue spruce, nice soft needles, very pretty.

We have had concolors and Frazer Firs are nice too.

getting our tree this weekend - very happy when i drove by the place that the trees had all the snow removed.

Probably will get mine today.

Ours is up but not decorated yet. It's a new artificial and looks very real.

Just got my tree. 8 ft Frasier.

Mine smells like citrus so I'm going with concolor---too large---still have to trim it---maybe tomorrow.

Had a brain lapse and thought my ceiling was 8 1/2 feet, when it's really 8. Had to trim the top when it hit the ceiling!

My fantastic tree stand really helped. Just checked and Lee Valley no longer sells it. Wonder why. It's really great and can take huge trees.

You can just smush it up if it's too tall Victor unless you feel it's necessary to have a topper? A smushed tree makes a nice conversation piece.

Yes, but my white ceiling gets messed up then!

Ahhhhhh very sensical to top it then.

Sounds like a great tree victor! I can just imagine getting it inside and realizing...whoa!!

It was the heaviest one I've gotten. Almost had a holiday hernia!

This stuff is amazing at getting pine sap, tar off.

http://www.amazon.com/Captain-Cra-Z-Soap-bar-pack/dp/B0016PD97E

What did they do? Quit making it or did you buy them all?