Blackest heresy

[jhetley]

We're considering the purchase of an . . . artificial . . . tree (there, I've said it in public) this year. This from people who have a gazillion balsam trees growing free out on our country estate, and who know a couple of commercial Merchantmas tree growers. Problem is, we want something in the 3' - 4' range, to place in front of the fireplace and beneath our Victorian mantel with the sconce lights and Grecian urn and mirror, where we set up Grandmother's Victorian Santa Set, with the cast lead reindeer (actually elk, sayeth The Naturalist, but it's the thought that counts.)

And commercial growers don't sell short trees. We have to buy a taller one and cut it down. Nor do our own balsams meet the need, as we don't prune them to make them dense and shapely at a young and virgin-ish age.

Do you think the sun god will return if we don't sacrifice a living tree this solstice? I don't want to put the future of the world in jeopardy here.

Comments

[ellyssian.livejournal.com]

As a friend to trees everywhere (except maybe the Paulownia and the Ailanthus and...) I highly advise that you get a real Christmas tree; that is to say an artificial tree whose manufacture probably caused an even larger amount of damage to the ecosystem than chopping down a wee tiny specimen that was planted specifically for chopping down and...

Oh, never mind. =)

The other day, I reminded the wife why we no longer get quite-recently-living trees, and instead have a Sears special: the last year we had one, in addition to dropping needles, it also released a bounty of spiders and other such beasties.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

What's not to like about the Ailanthus...?

We've never acquired any noticeable wildlife, even with our free-range trees. Have had a couple of bird's nests. Not in use.

Saw a news item recently about a woman bitten by a bat supposedly imported with her tree. I hae me doots aboot that one, since few temperate-zone bats roost in small evergreens.

[ellyssian.livejournal.com]

Funny thing was, right before I read that recent story about the batty lady, the guy sitting in the next cube over was relating a very similar tale about hearing some noises from the tree while they were decorating it, and then, moments later a bat flittered about the room sending them all diving for cover.

As for the Ailanthus, although you're not in the red on the distribution map (http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/aial1.htm), it does mention Maine as being within range of the Diabolical Tree-Of-Heaven, which I have personally hacked out of a nearby nature reserve (along with butterfly bushes and barberry.)

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Ain't saying bat-in-tree is impossible, just that I can think of a lot of more common ways for a bat to find its way into the house and then show up after the tree is set. We've had Transylvanian decorations in this place, without imported balsam firs. Netted the flying mice and released them outside.

If those Xmas trees contained bats, they probably joined the shipment at a warehouse somewhere.

Invasive alien attacks? The purple loosestrife is more of a problem locally.

[ellyssian.livejournal.com]

Purple loosestife is definitely flora non grata... Rosa multiflora is the only monster loose on my property - although the very native red maples and the oaks certainly try to act as invasives, particularly to the spots the wife says must remain lawn area...

Haven't had any bats in the ol' belfry yet, although they've been fun to watch as they reduce the mosquito and gnat population. Now if something would munch the Japanese beetles, that would be one alien I'd be happy to know was deported or digested.

[otterdance.livejournal.com]

We've been contemplating that again this year, too. It's been easy to say no in the past, since the trees didn' look very natural, but this year we've found a number of ---and it pains me to say thing-- really natural looking PVC trees. Darn it, but they look real! There are lots of natural trees available out here, but they're expensive and too thick for the ornaments to hang right. So we're tempted, too. I wonder if you have to dust them?

[wolfette]

no falling needles, no wilting greenery, no need to dispose of after Hogmanay - just pack it up in its box and put it in the loft/closet/garage till next year, and the year after and the year after and the year after. (mine has been going strong for 10 years now)

What's not to love?

[barbarakitten-t.livejournal.com]

do what i do...get a branch. you can have the artificial tree (ours is set up in the main living area...) but when heather was in high school and living with us we didn't have space for any kind of tree, so she went out and took a branch that the neighbor had trimmed off his christmas tree and decorated it...after nailing it to her wall with 10 penny nails. it became a tradition and i am going to find my branch this weekend.