Tannenbaum Hunting: The New Sport of the Season

Many might assume that a real Christmas tree would be a hassle and cause a mess in their tiny, cramped NYC apartment. This would be correct if you purchased your tree from a corner bodega or a gas station where the trees were dead long before they arrived to their green cemetery. We found out great ways to pick the best tree, at the best cost, from the best place at the best quality! It wouldn’t be Christmas without the fresh smell of pine, fir or spruce throughout your NYC space.
 

To start, New York City is the home of the very first Christmas tree lot in the United Stated in 1851. Mark Carr loaded two sleds of pine trees from the Catskills and sold them in the city (about.com article “Buy a Real Christmas Tree in Manhattan” by Pamela Skillings).  Now, as soon as everyone is done digesting their Thanksgiving feasts, tree lots pop up in every available space in the city.
 

Tannenbaum hunting begins at the beginning of December. But it is not easy. Not all locations sell fresh trees, and they don’t come cheap either. So how do you know you are getting a good deal?  About.com blogger Pamela Skillings’ article “Buying a Real Christmas Tree in Manhattan” helps us out in giving us a few tips about finding the perfect tree. 

HOW TO PICK A TREE: Pick a tree with a height that would fit in your space. Get one that looks fluffy with healthy green needles. To make sure it is fresh, lift the tree up, and gently hit it against the floor. If needles fly off, you need to find another tree. Needles should be flexible and should not come off if you stroke a branch.

HOW TO PRESERVE THE TREE: We want the tree last till Christmas. That means we have to take care of it. Once your tree is home, it is reccomended that you cut off 1/2 inch to an inch off the base of the tree. At first, you should put hot water in the tree holder to rmove any sealing pitch. Then the tree should be kept with a large resevoir of water so it doesn’t starve before your Christmas guests arrive. Keep your tree away from uber warm places such as hot air ducts, wood stoves, fireplaces will help preserve the freshness of the tree. Also this help avoids any fire hazaard ;).

CHRISTMAS TREE IN THE MTA? HOW ABOUT DELIVERY! : Well, ok great.. you picked an awesome tree. If you don’t have a car, taking a taxi or the MTA isn’t really an option. Many places deliver trees. It’s a bit pricier, but saves you the awkwardness and humiliation of carrying a giant tree around the New York public transportation system.
These retailers deliver green branches of fun straight to your door:
Greenpoint Trees
Home Depot
Macy’s
Egan Acres Tress Farm

Click here for the full About.com article by Pamela Skillings

TREE FARM:
For those of us with the luxury of a four-wheeled friend, take the time on a weekend to go with family or friends to a tree farm.  At tree farms you get to pick the tree you want, they cut it down, wrap it up, pack it onto your car and you get a free cup of hot cocoa or cider to enjoy!
Abel’s Trees – Free Hot Chocolate =)
Wilken’s Fruit & Fir Farm – Free Hot Cider
Northern Border Tree Farms
Wykoff’s Tree Farm
Find more tree farms closer to you by visiting the National Christmas Tree Association.

Can’t have your own tree? Check out the one at Rockefeller Center!

WHAT: 2008 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting
WHEN: Wednesday December 3rd, 2008
WHERE: Rockefeller Center, Rockefeller Plaza, From West 48th Street to West 51st Street between 5th and 6th Avenues

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Posted by at 06:00 AM
bargain news , DECOR , STYLE/BEAUTY |