Written and edited by Tammy 10th November 2023
As kids growing up the excitement of Christmas always became real when we were packed up into the family station wagon and taken for a Sunday drive out around the back roads looking for that perfect Christmas tree to lay claim to. A quick look around to make sure the coast was clear, then a lower branch was chopped off and away we went loaded up with our tree engulfing every corner of the car. The smell of fresh pine needles would fill the house and even today, the fragrance of pine trees brings back memories of Christmas.
When you walk into all major retail stores right now Christmas trees line the shelves in every shape and colour, from small fibre optic to tall imitation Fir trees that are almost as convincing as the real deal.
But what if I told you for not a lot of effort or dollars, you could have a real Christmas tree of your own? Complete with that fragrance of pines.
The tree in the image above is my tree, a Picea pungans 'Blue Star' that I bought as a tiny little thing, barely a foot tall for $12.95 about 7 years ago.
Every Spring sees it put out a burst of fresh new foliage just in time to come inside for a few weeks to be adorned with tinsel and ornaments.
Native to North America, and commonly known as a Colorado Spruce they're a relatively slow growing conifer reaching heights of no more that 1.5 - 2 meters in 10 years (as evident by my own tree which probably around 1.5m tall now).
In the wild, and in time, they can potentially grow in excess of 25m tall but that's never going to happen in a controlled environment such as a pot.
Picea's are hardy and adaptable trees, preferring a full sun to part shade location. Provide them with a good quality, rich, free draining soil or potting medium that's neutral to acidic in pH. They're don't seem to be troubled too much by pests or diseases either. It's the only plant in my yard I don't seem to need to tend to very often.
If you plan on bringing them inside for a few weeks over Christmas, make sure you've given them a good drink prior. Give it a nice bright location inside your house and be mindful not to overload your branches to avoid breaking or damaging them. When transitioning your tree back outside after Christmas, do it gradually over a few days so you don't shock the plant. Move it back outdoors into a shaded spot, then move to part shade then gradually move it back to it's original location.
Like any plants, there are so many different varieties to choose from. If the blue star is not your thing, go for the picea glauca which is a lovely emerald, green conifer.
You can make a Christmas tree of whatever plant you like really, let your creativity run wild!
Most garden centres and plant nurseries will be selling picea's for Christmas trees in the coming weeks if not already.
My kids laugh at my sentimental funny ways, but I personally think a real, live tree is so much nicer than a plastic one, and who knows, maybe my little tree will still be around long after me, and my children's children can bring it in each year and be proud to say this was our great grandma's tree â¤ď¸đ
Have a wonderful weekend and start looking around for that perfect little Christmas tree.
Happy gardeningđđ¸
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