Fraser Fir, Abies fraseri(matures at 30-40' high x 20-25' wide)
Nordmann Fir, Abies nordmanniana(matures at 40-80' high x 20-30' wide)
Norway Spruce, Picea abies(matures at 40-60' high x 25-30' wide)
'Baby Blue Eyes' Spruce, Picea pungens 'Baby Blue Eyes'(10-15'high x 10' wide)
Dwarf Alberta Spruce, Picea glauca 'Conica'(10-15' high x 4-6' wide)
With a living Christmas tree, you can start or continue a rewarding family tradition. Many folks were "green," long before it was the fashion. Enjoying the tree decorated, in the living room, then moving it out to a pre-dug planting hole, lets the family enjoy it for years to come.
The larger fir and spruce specimens are an ideal way to start a windbreak... think bygone days, when such plants were cultivated in long rows, halting erosion as wind swept across newly plowed farmlands. They provide the same service in the home landscape, protecting less hardy specimens and stabilizing soils. These handsome, deep green, lustrous fir and spruce trees are also ideal as individual specimens. Whatever your proposed use, remember that these are truly large-scale trees, needing full sun, good drainage and adequate space.
Not enough space for the larger fir and spruce trees? Many thoughtful folks have found a solution. After enjoying that live tree indoors, they donate it to such worthy entities as town parks, libraries or church grounds.
You may want to consider a smaller-scale living Christmas tree. The striking blue needles and relatively small size of the 'Baby Blue Eyes' Spruce make it ideal for mixed plantings, screening and focal points. Also preferring full sun, although it will accept a little partial shade, is the Dwarf Alberta Spruce. This one is well-suited for small landscapes, conifer gardens and containers, growing as it does, at the rate of about 2" a year.
Whatever you choose, planting procedures are the same. Prepare the planting hole, keeping soil unfrozen in a garage until planting time. Stuff the hole with salt marsh hay and cover with plywood. After enjoying the tree inside for 5-7 days, plant the tree in its final location, following recommended planting procedures. Your local nursery will guide you through the complete process.
Just imagine, years from now, you and the children will walk down that row of spruce or fir trees, recounting the special memories associated with each one. This is indeed a great family tradition... a living journal of Christmas Past, to be enjoyed by generations yet to come.
©Deb Lambert 2008
CBI Staff Photos ©2007
The larger fir and spruce specimens are an ideal way to start a windbreak... think bygone days, when such plants were cultivated in long rows, halting erosion as wind swept across newly plowed farmlands. They provide the same service in the home landscape, protecting less hardy specimens and stabilizing soils. These handsome, deep green, lustrous fir and spruce trees are also ideal as individual specimens. Whatever your proposed use, remember that these are truly large-scale trees, needing full sun, good drainage and adequate space.
Not enough space for the larger fir and spruce trees? Many thoughtful folks have found a solution. After enjoying that live tree indoors, they donate it to such worthy entities as town parks, libraries or church grounds.
You may want to consider a smaller-scale living Christmas tree. The striking blue needles and relatively small size of the 'Baby Blue Eyes' Spruce make it ideal for mixed plantings, screening and focal points. Also preferring full sun, although it will accept a little partial shade, is the Dwarf Alberta Spruce. This one is well-suited for small landscapes, conifer gardens and containers, growing as it does, at the rate of about 2" a year.
Whatever you choose, planting procedures are the same. Prepare the planting hole, keeping soil unfrozen in a garage until planting time. Stuff the hole with salt marsh hay and cover with plywood. After enjoying the tree inside for 5-7 days, plant the tree in its final location, following recommended planting procedures. Your local nursery will guide you through the complete process.
Just imagine, years from now, you and the children will walk down that row of spruce or fir trees, recounting the special memories associated with each one. This is indeed a great family tradition... a living journal of Christmas Past, to be enjoyed by generations yet to come.
©Deb Lambert 2008
CBI Staff Photos ©2007
5 comments:
Hi Deb, I'm terribly ignorant when it comes to identifying the variety of pines in the world! I'm going to read this more carefully after I leave my comment.
We received our first snowfall today, so I posted it. Do you think it's a Norway pine that's growing beside our house? (It's what I was going to chop down yesterday for a Christmas tree. I guess I'll wait until it stops snowing, now!) :-)
Have a great day!
Never done this before, but it sounds like a good tradition.
Yes, that would be grand to have a living reminder. I will have to keep them outside but would have a real one inside if I could. We have tons of christmas tree farms here in NC.
Those pictures put me in the mood to dig out the decorations! Wish I lived in a cool enough clime to plant real trees. Have a great December!
Shady ~ Snow? I'll be over to check it out, along with your evergreen.
Tina ~ It's a nice way to reflect on Christmas past.
Anna ~ Children especially enjoy this tradition, watching the trees grow and thrive.
Angie ~ "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!" Shall we send you some of our real winter?
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