Bring your saw. Bring a chunk of rope. Bring a blanket or tarp to put on your roof to keep sap off your car finish.
Bring your kids. Bring the dog, Bring a sled to move tired kids.
Dress for winter: The trees are about a 300 meter walk from the road. (4WD pickups *might* be able to drive in. My tractor doesn't start when it's below freezing.)
The common Christmas tree in North America has been sheared several times. This results in a thick,bushy tree. Ornaments and lights are on the surface of a nearly perfect cone.
Europeans tend to prefer a more natural tree. One with well spaced branches. This is the kind we sell. Go through the entire set of pix.
Open trees have several advantages:
- · Even in a window, they don’t block all the light coming in. During the day, outdoor light reflects off of ornaments and tinsel.
- · There is room for many more (and larger) ornaments.
- · Ornaments on the backside of the tree can be seen from the front.
Prices:
$15/foot.
So a 6 foot tree is $90
A 12 foot tree is $180
We also have small potted live trees up to about 5 feet. Price is $30/foot. Keep inside for 3 weeks, put a couple trays of ice cubes on the root ball every day. Keep away from heat registers and south facing windows. Protect the surface underneath with heavy plastic (Old shower curtain) with a towel between the plastic and the root ball. if the towel is soggy, cut back on the ice cubes.
You can't keep the tree inside all winter. It needs about 3 months of cold weather before the buds will break. So put it back outside. Pretty much anywhere will do. Maybe NOT a protected sunny spot, as they dry out too much. NOrth side of the house is ideal. Unheated garage is ok. Heated garage is too warm. If outside, you can bury the root ball in snow.
You can also decorate it and leave it on the patio all winter (not a south facing patio, unless 1 house height away from the house.)
If you use a deck, put a 2" thick slab of styrofoam under the tree, and pile snow to cover the root ball. If on a patio, just piling the root ball with snow is sufficient.
Anyway, in live trees, I have spruces, bunch of different pines, and balsam fir.
Hours. Plan to arrive between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday or Sunday between now and Christmas.
Please phone and let us know you're coming. You're fine to phone just as you're leaving Edmonton. Click on the website link for instructions on getting here. We're about 45 minutes on dry roads from Edmonton's south or west edge.
You can come during the week, too, but we have a life too, so give us more warning.
I will help you cut and load your tree if you wish.
We have two friendly dogs. If you or your kids are afraid of dogs, mention this when you call, and we will keep them inside until you are gone. If you have a reasonably behaved dog, bring him for a romp.
