It’s just like me to come out with a holiday post, post-holiday. Flawed by procrastination (and a few other things, I’m sure), I put off tasks, often to the point of losing the moment altogether. But I digress.
I have one more week to put the Christmas tree out on the curb for Fairfax County’s pickup and recycling. Yes, as much as I care about Earth and all her creatures I still buy a fresh tree for the holidays. I know, shameful. A few weeks before Christmas I was faced with the dilemma of whether to 1. go with the usual 6-7 footer, 2. reluctantly downsize to a tabletop, 3. hold my nose and go “fake,” or 4. chuck the idea altogether. W and I needed to leave town for the holidays earlier than expected and that would leave little time to enjoy it anyway, so I was leaning heavily toward door #4. What nagged me, though, was all of those vintage ornaments and lights living in their own little Christmas village in the basement waiting for their once-a-year debut. Could I really move through the holiday season without seeing them? Uhhh, no. That said, I decided on the tabletop—it would be easier to trim and the price was right—and I wasn’t ready for an impostor. (For a fleeting moment I actually considered that killing a small tree might be less non-eco-friendly than killing a big tree—how is that for a lame rationalization? I sometimes baffle myself.) The poor 4-foot victim took only one string of lights and was trimmed with just a fraction of all our ornaments. I wondered if I had possibly offset the despicable act of choosing a live tree with the energy savings from using four less light strings. Probably not. As far as eco no-nos go, I’m pretty sure that killing a tree trumps using minimally more energy.
So, for Christmases 2009 and beyond, the vintage ornaments will stay and so will the tree—in the ground that is. I resolve to not only spare the trees, but to replace them with something cool enough to showcase the 40-year-old ornaments in a way they deserve.
Now, I have one more week to enjoy the twinklies before I put off taking the tree to the curb.
Twitter: chrissymarie321
Hello Holly do not feel bad, I too have a real tree….it has to be a real one or else it just doesn’t work. Yep I have had the deliberation about whether it is ethically right.
I lose on killing trees…
I win on some pretty good employment of people to deal with our tree requirements
I still lose on killing trees but trying to plant them in a pot really doesn’t work either, they die over the year…no-one waters them enough
Hey we have lots of local growers who make a good living, they plant responsibly..and sustain. Here where I live we don’t lack trees, there are loads and we look after them too..
Chrissy´s last blog post..My little friend
…holiday post, post-holiday… good one!
Holly, maybe next year you can buy a live tree that can also be planted after the holidays. If there’s no room in your yard, you could donate it to a school or nursing home for planting. Urban birds are on the decline due to over development; planting a tree is good for the soul and good for the environment.
MadMadMargo´s last blog post..Wacky Wednesday! – The Chain Letter
Twitter: earthtoholly
Hi Chrissy. Yes, I agree, it’s not the same without a real tree. And how great that you have responsible growers and buy local—it sounds like your tree situation is ideal—everybody wins! I believe that a lot of trees for sale in our area are trucked in from all over the country, some as far as 3000 miles away so fuel is a issue too, probably a bigger one than cutting the tree. Of course tree farmers and truck drivers, no matter how far away, need their jobs too. Hmmm, something more for me to think about… :o|
Twitter: earthtoholly
Hi MMMargo. That was actually a thought I had for next year. And I think even better than buying is to dig a tree myself. I can pot it, then plant it in the backyard—we have room for that. We do have a small piece of property that is full of either white or loblolly pines—not sure which. They’re not as nice as the furs and spruces, but it would do. I’ll need to heed Chrissy’s comment and not forget to water!
Twitter: plasmanc
We used to have a real tree until Xmas 2007 when I bought a fake one. I was sick of hoovering up the droppings (despite being assured it was a non-drop tree), fed up of destroying the house trying to get it in and out and worst of all (being a tight-fisted old grump) I was sick of forking out a fortune for them. I am proud of my job persuading Mrs PM that an artifical tree was the way to go and we haven’t looked back since.
:-)
Cheers
PM
Plastic Mancunian´s last blog post..A Very British Post (Part One)
Twitter: earthtoholly
Hi PM.
I am totally with you on all points! For the rest of the new year I would find needles all over…under the rugs, stuck in the door jambs. And I was always thinking of new ways to get it out of the house with minimum needle loss (the giant plastic bag seems too wasteful). And we used to get a 6-7 foot tree for $20. This year it was $30—I’m also tight-fisted! This year the 4-footer eased all of those points considerably, but I think I will end up going with an artificial at some point…maybe if I could redesign it somehow or build my own from recycled materials…just make it different. Now that might be cool… :o) Procrastination and dreaming go hand-in-hand… :o(
My Dad always insisted that we take down the tree on the Feast of Epiphany, twelve days after Christmas (that’s when, contrary to all those manger scenes, the Wise Men from the East allegedly showed up)…which, when you’re dealing with the live tree does make practical sense, in terms of getting a fire hazard out of your house…though can you imagine back when people actually hung lit candles on their trees? Amazing anybody survived….
YogaforCynics´s last blog post..Angst! What Is It Good For?!
Twitter: earthtoholly
Hey drjay,
Remember the old Christmas lights that would get burning hot? Definitely a fire hazard. And how did people back then get the candles to sit in the tree? I can’t even get an ornament to hang straight. Ornaments resting on branches just won’t do. And then there’s the tinsel technique…
Hi Holly
I found your site in search of environmentally friendly bloggers. Your photos are gorgeous! A friend and I had a discussion over the holidays about real vs. fake trees (I have a fake one). I love the idea of decorating a tree that can be replanted outdoors. Really great idea. :-)
Rachelle´s last blog post..Vegetarian Living – An Environmentally Friendly Choice
Twitter: earthtoholly
Hi Rachelle
Glad you found me! Thank you for stopping by as well as the kind words. I was over at your blog and your information is great…I need to go back and read more. My gosh, the plastic bags! They’re ready to take over my kitchen…must deal with them!