Take care where you plant your trees ... They do grow to be monsters. This white pine provides mulch for acid-loving rhododendrons and azaleas.
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There’s a feeling of reaching a time barrier as winter approaches, that gardeners know all too well. We clear out old rubble from the summer’s vegetable garden, and rake up the leaves fallen from the trees, then retreat indoors to stare longingly out our windows into the early darkness. It’s like the warning inscribed next to sea-monsters drawn at the edge of ancient maps: Beyond here, there be dragons.  What’s next?
For me, one comforting ray of hope between Thanksgiving and the arrival of new garden catalogs in January is the presence of a holiday tree in my living room. That tradition carried throughout the ages makes visceral sense.  Fragrant, supple branches adorned with tiny lights that cast fir needle shadows on the ceiling and walls are a connection to the natural world left outside in the cold. I’m reminded of the furs - or is it firs? - in the closet through which children enter Narnia in C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and of Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening: ” … The only other sound’s the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark and deep …”  As a child, I once tried to check out the view from inside our family’s Christmas tree by climbing in, then turning to face out through the branches. It fell over. No elves rescued me, just one very angry mother. But that didn’t matter: I’d been embraced by Mother Nature. Now, I only try hugging well-rooted trees.Â
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So, I choose a real evergreen every year. It does me good to get out in the fields and find a perfect specimen to bring home. Fresh air, and a little exercise. I’m acquainted with some of the local farmers who grow Christmas trees, and value their stewardship and sustainable use of the land.  Not only do I want to support local commerce, but also prefer to see trees growing instead of new buildings sprouting up. It’s one of the best possible land uses I can think of. Tree farms don’t just cut trees from their lots, they also maintain them by replanting. I like the idea that live trees replenish oxygen, remove airborne pollutants, sequester carbon, reduce soil erosion, and provide habitat for wildlife. Â
Getting a freshly-cut local tree limits shipping fuel consumption, as well as ensures that trees haven’t dried out in transit. The LFUCG Waste Management collects trees after the holidays, and recycles them into mulch to give away. Live trees, with roots balled for later planting, can be kept watered indoors during December, then planted outside in the yard; if you’re going to do that, dig a hole soon, before the ground freezes.  There is also a program called Operation Rescue Tannenbaum, through which you can donate live trees to the city; they’ll plant them in public greenspaces; see www.lfucg.com/streets/forestry.asp for more information.
Where can you find local tree farms?  Harriett Hendren has put together a great listing of Bluegrass tree farms in the Inside/Out at www.kentucky.com/150/story/609575.html. The Kentucky Christmas Tree Association Web site, www.kychristmastreefarms.com, also carries a map and member contact information. Another popular local site is www.kychristmastree.com.  Finally, if you’re wondering where the official Kentucky state Christmas Tree came from, the 40-foot Norway Spruce was grown right here in Lexington; it had to be cut down because it had grown too large for the home next to it. There will be a lighting ceremony on December 6th. Check out the entire story from the State-Journal at www.state-journal.com/news/article/4475624.
