O Christmas Tree!
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Perfection is in the eye of the beholder
Since opening Elliott Tree Farm as a Christmas tree farm about a decade ago, owner Derek Elliott has discovered that everyone wants the perfect tree. But the definition of perfection varies from one family to another.
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“Everyone comes looking for the perfect tree, but that looks different to everyone,” he says. “Some people want a full tree; others want a more tapered tree. It really depends on what your space looks like. If you’ve got 10-foot ceilings, you may want to take the tree right to the top or you may want to allow space for a tree topper.”
The 100-acre family heritage farm, located six kilometres north of Hillsburgh, has planted trees for the past 40 years and offers both cut-your-own and fresh-cut trees. It offers white spruce, blue spruce, Frasier fir and Balsam fir.
“The spruce has a firmer needle, while the fir has a softer needle. Both types of trees will last,” Elliott says. “It’s important to water your tree. It will have a big drink that first day and you’ll want to keep your tree stand topped up with water.”
For Jamie Johnston of Caledon Village, visiting Elliott Tree Farm with his wife and their two daughters, now 17 and 15, is an annual tradition. “We like to cut our own tree. When our kids were little, they called it ‘tree hunting.’ We bring a pioneer-style cross-cut saw that belonged to my grandfather that always gets lots of comments,” he says.
“We like the look and shape of spruce trees. It’s nature at its finest – no two trees are exactly alike. We usually get a 12-foot tree and one year even got a 14-foot tree.”
The Johnston family enjoys the full experience offered by the 100-acre farm, which is home to the Maple Syrup Museum of Ontario. A horse barn that was built in 1850 serves as a canteen.
Being a Christmas tree farmer is a labour of love. “We’re really good at growing trees. I love Christmas and I enjoy seeing families coming back year after year and seeing the smiles on their faces. It’s great to see the kids growing up,” says Elliott, a member and director of the Christmas Tree Farmers of Ontario.
“The Christmas tree really brings nature into your house. When I was growing up, a lot of people were choosing plastic trees but there’s more of a desire today to bring nature and that fresh scent into the house.”
Elliott’s is a sustainable tree farm: for every tree it cuts, it plants three. “At the farm, you’ll see trees at different stages of growth,” he says. “It takes about 10 years to grow a seven-foot Christmas tree. It’s a long process…The trees have to be shaped and pruned.”
Buying a natural Christmas tree supports a local farmer and is an eco-friendly choice. Tree farms soak up carbon dioxide and in turn produce oxygen. They’re also havens for a wide variety of birds and mammals, including sparrows, chickadees, foxes and squirrels. Most municipalities collect discarded natural Christmas trees and chip them for use as mulching materials.
“Coming to the farm and getting a tree is an experience,” says Elliott. “The energy is great. People are in the fields, taking pictures, throwing snowballs, pulling one of our toboggans that you can use to bring your tree in from the field. You can sit by our campfire and warm up. A lot of people walk in and say they feel like they’re in a real-life Hallmark movie.”
SIDEBAR:
Keep your tree fresh
The Christmas Tree Farmers of Ontario (CTFO) and the Canadian Christmas Tree Growers Association have declared the first Saturday of December as Christmas Tree Day in Canada. Keep your tree fresh indoors for several weeks with the following tips from CTFO:
- If buying your tree several days before setting it up, store it outdoors. An area that provides protection from the wind and sun will help the tree retain its moisture. Make a straight cut about one inch from the end and store it upright in a container of water.
- When bringing the tree indoors, make another fresh cut across the trunk about an inch from the original cut. Use a stand that holds plenty of water as trees need up to four litres of water per day. If the water level drops below the bottom of the tree, a seal will form and a new cut will be needed.
Visit www.christmastrees.on.ca for more tips and to find out where to cut your own tree.
Plan ahead
- Decide where you’ll display your tree so you know the height you need and whether all sides must be suitable for display.
- Decide the species of tree you want. The most popular are spruce, pine and fir.
- It might be colder and snowier at your destination than at home so dress appropriately, including proper footwear.
- Farms provide handsaws, but consider taking your own to avoid delays, especially on busy days.
- Decide how you’ll get the tree home. Take a tarp if you want to wrap it and rope or tie-downs if you plan to secure it to the roof of your vehicle.
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