1-1 Premeier Issue FINAL PROOF.pdf Holiday 2013 | Page 11

HOME H Christine Miller

It’s More Than Just
A Christmas Tree

W

e, who love the “fresh smell” of a
Christmas tree in our home, can’t
wait for the first vision of “Everything Christmas” all around us. The best part
for many is the trek out to pick the best, most
perfect Christmas tree that is out there. For
those of you who make a weekend of it and
go to the mountains to walk through the forest of beautiful, well cared for trees, I envy
you. Most cut-your-own tree farms have a fire
going to roast marshmallows after you have
found the winner! Crisp winter air, smoke,
and a freshly cut tree…Heavenly!

Not all of us have the time to run to
the mountains, so we do the next best thing,
we go to the local tree lot and find our definition of the perfect, most beautiful tree around.
If possible, buy a freshly-cut tree from a reputable retailer. It is NOT rude to ask when your
tree was cut. Although they will not be able
to give you the exact day, a good tree salesperson will be able to tell you what week it
was cut. And that is important! Did you know
that some retailers have trees that were cut
in October? A reputable retailer will care for
your tree before you even come to pick it
out. You, as a consumer, should watch for
certain things before choosing the location
to buy your tree. When you walk onto the
Christmas tree lot, are the trees in water?
Are there numerous amounts of needles on
the ground? Check for freshness: pull your
hand towards you along the branch. Needles should not fall off! And finally, good

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customer service is a must. This is the holiday season and a reputable retailer appreciates your business. Ask them to give your
tree a “fresh cut” before leaving and have it
wrapped and loaded into your vehicle.

I often think about some of the locally grown products that are sold in our area
and the families that grow them. You would
be surprised at how much your retailer knows
about the families that they help support.
Christmas is the perfect opportunity for us
all to support our North Carolina Christmas
tree farmers…We are so lucky to live here because North Carolina grows the prettiest trees
in the United States.

Merry Christmas! H