Connecticut Garden Journal: Celebrate the holidays around a living Christmas tree

Many gardeners have already selected and decorated their holiday tree for the season. But if you're still planning on getting a tree, consider this alternative; a living holiday tree. Living holiday trees are ones you'll plant in your yard once the holidays are over. It's a great tradition where you can grow a forest of holiday trees over time. Garden centers offer lots of options for a containerized, living holiday tree in pots, including smaller sized trees for tabletops. Here are some options. Blue spruce has bright blue, sharp needles on stiff branches that are great for hanging ornaments. If the needles are too sharp for you, try the softer, but green needled, Serbian and Norway spruce trees. Dwarf Alberta spruce has beautiful green needles, but they're tightly pruned. They're fine for wrapping lights and tinsel on the tree but harder to hang ornaments. For fragrance nothing beats a balsam fir tree. You can even find juniper shrubs and white pine trees in small sizes for your home. Once you have your tree, leave it outdoors. One week before bringing it in, move the tree to a protected, unheated shed or garage. Once you bring it inside, place it in a bucket to catch water, and place it in a bright, cool room for only one week. If you leave it indoors too long, the tree might break dormancy. After the holidays, plant it outdoors in a full sun location where it will have room to grow for years. Keep it watered and protected from drying winds this winter with anti-desiccant sprays or wraps of burlap.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.