Monday, December 24, 2018

In the Garden – What to do with the Christmas tree?

Ruth de Jauregui

Credit: shaneclements / Morguefile.com

While the festivities tonight and tomorrow probably feature a cut tree, decorated to the max and lit by numerous lights, it's likely that the tree is already too dry to leave up for more than a few more days. Many cities have Christmas tree pickup after the holidays, and in some areas, there are non-profits that pick up trees for a nominal fee.

Credit: earl53 / Morguefile.com
Though these are always options, gardeners can continue to enjoy their tree for months after the holidays have passed. There are several ways the needles and a bare tree can be incorporated into the landscape.

Consider taking the entire tree outside, stand and all, after removing the fragile decorations, tinsel, garlands and lights. Shake the tree over a tarp to remove as many dead needles as possible. Then place the tree (in the stand) outside of a window or sliding door where you can enjoy the show.

String popcorn or dried berries to make a garland, and wrap it around the tree for the birds. Hang pine cones smeared with peanut butter from the branches. Suspend little homemade bird feeders filled with seed or small hummingbird feeders for the little birds. Add solar-powered twinkle lights to add night interest.

 Quail - Credit: rollingroscoe / Morguefile.com
Pesticide- and flocking-free trees can be put into the garden pond to serve as shelter and egg-laying habitat for fish, frogs and amphibians. Don't drop off trees (or other organic matter and trash) into public waters though; it can generate a significant fine for dumping.

Anna's Hummingbird - Credit: Becky Matsubara / Flickr
Country gardeners can simply set the tree outside for bunny and bird shelters. Placed out in the back forty, the tree will gradually decompose. Meanwhile, quail, ground squirrels, wild rabbits and other wildlife will enjoy the addition to their habitat.

Cut the small twigs from the tree and use them as supports for flowers. Larger branches can be set aside and used to stake tomatoes, peas, green beans and other fruits and vegetables in the spring and summer garden. The denuded trunk can be used as a border for flower or vegetable beds.

While some creative gardeners cut the trunk of the tree into rounds to use as coasters and trivets or to line paths, be aware that most species used as Christmas trees have sticky sap. Clean the saw carefully after cutting the trunk into discs. Allow the wood to dry completely before painting or coating with varnish or polyurethane.

Credit: davidpwhelan / Morguefile.com
Put the dry needles on the compost pile, or spread them over flowerbeds as a natural mulch. If a chipper is available, chip the entire tree for mulch. When spring arrives, dig the needles or chips into the soil. All soils benefit from the added organic matter. It lightens clay soils and helps sandy soils retain moisture.

Check out my other In the Garden articles; the links are at the bottom of my #OurAuthorGang profile.


COMMENTS

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Erika M Szabo shared this via Google+

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Thank you for sharing!
 
Great idea!

Ruth de Jauregui

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BTW friends, we have a spam post I muted and reported. It wouldn't let me delete it entirely.

Spammers, we stay on top of this, don't bother!!
 
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Tricia Drammeh

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Good information, Ruth! Merry Christmas to you!
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Thank you! No need to waste all that organic stuff if you have a garden!

Chris Weigand

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Merry Christmas
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Merry Christmas!

Chris Weigand shared this via Google+

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Thank you for sharing!

Toi Thomas via Google+

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Today, Ruth de Jauregui offers fun and sensible tips for recycling trees after the holidays. #OurAuthorGang
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Thank you! Gardeners have many options for their trees!

Joe Bonadonna

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MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS, AND A JOYOUS NEW YEAR TO ONE AND ALL!
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And Merry Christmas to you too! May you have many new adventures in the New Year!
 
+Ruth de Jauregui -- thank you! And all the best that Christmas and the New Year can bring to you!

Joe Bonadonna

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Some excellent ideas here, Ruth. I never knew about any of this!
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Thank you Joe!
 
+Ruth de Jauregui - you're welcome!

Joe Bonadonna via Google+

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Christmas Eve on #OurAuthorGang . . . today Ruth de Jauregui​ talks about what to do with your tree after you take it down.
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Thank you for sharing!
 
+Ruth de Jauregui - you're welcome!

Erika M Szabo

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Great advice for those who have gardens :)
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Thank you Erika! No need to waste that perfectly good, dried-out tree!

Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

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My contribution to #OurAuthorGang today.

May you all have a wonderful holiday season!
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Ruth de Jauregui

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Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Solstice, Happy Hanukkah, may whatever you choose to celebrate be awesome and lead into a fabulous New Year!!

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Thursday, December 20, 2018

Christmas Gift


Christmas Gift

Christina Weigand




I am going to take a break from my author series for my next two posts. Christmas is in a few days and I don’t have a post scheduled for that day so today I will do my Christmas post.

At my age I have quite a few memories from Christmas’s past. Today I want to remember one in the not so distant past. It is from last Christmas. Between the kids and my husband and I moving around a lot in recent years, we had not had all the kids under one roof for a while. We always were short of at least one. We had gotten used to it, but it still a little sad not being able to gather as a family.



Now keep in mind, I have a son who lives in Vermont with his wife and two daughters.


 My other son lives in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, with his wife.


 And my oldest daughter lives in the state of Washington with her husband and two daughters.


 For a few years my  husband and I lived in Washington before moving back to Pennsylvania. So you can see being spread across the country as we are it can be difficult to get everyone together.

Since moving back to Pennsylvania we have established a pattern in which my son in Vermont comes to PA one year and the next year my husband and I travel to Vermont a few days after Christmas to do a second holiday with Scott and his family. With Nicholas living so close to us we manage to see him pretty much every Christmas. Katie in Washington is the one that is most difficult to see. This one really hurts because for seventeen years she was my only daughter in a house full of men so we had a special bond. Not being able to see her at Christmas was hard.

So we come to 2016, our year to go to Vermont. We Skype with Katie and her family in Washington. The conversation is fun and sad at the same time. One thing to come out of it: Katie and her family are going to come to Pennsylvania for Christmas 2017. The planning begins. The first thing we do is plan to host Christmas for both my husband’s and my family at our house. I forgot to mention: both my husband and myself are the oldest of eight, so when the families manage to get together it is a big deal.

So back to the planning, both my son and his family as well as my daughter and her family will be staying in my four bedroom house. Counting the three of us living there, the four coming from Vermont and the four from Washington adds up to eleven people under one roof for a week.

We pick up Katie and her family at the airport and Scott and his family drive down from Vermont a few days before Christmas. We get them settled just in time to have a small get together with my family on Christmas Eve. Nicholas is not able to make this one.
It is a nice quiet get together as my family is not as large as my husband’s. Even though we have the same amount of siblings, the sibling’s families are not as numerous.

So quiet: we share a meal, exchange gifts and go our separate ways. Al and I go to 10:00 p.m. mass and afterwards get some rest before the madness Christmas day will bring. While we are at mass my daughter and daughter -in-law start the cooking for tomorrow.

Christmas morning; Nicholas and his wife arrive and we open our gifts. Then it’s on to cleaning and more cooking.


 Afternoon arrives and my husband’s family starts to arrive. By the time they all arrive there are forty two people in my house and madness ensues, from gift exchange to eating to visiting. Definitely not the quiet party from Christmas Eve, but just as much fun.

Several hours later and a small meltdown from my introvert daughter (this is the youngest that still lives with us), the house is once again quiet as we sit and review the day’s activities.
In a couple of days Scott and his family leave and after another week Katie and her family leave. It is back to just the three of us.



The last month was  a whirlwind of family and activity. Now we take a little time to catch our breath and then tackle the upcoming year, which will be full of it’s own adventures. There were days when I couldn’t wait for everyone to leave, days when I just wanted to hide, but I wouldn’t trade the time spent with my kids for anything in the world. The best gift I received was having all my kids in one place, for all the madness of the holiday, but also for all those times when we got to be with each other in the quiet and peace of the season.


The next time we do this, the photo will be different, as our lives grow and change. People will be added others will grow and move on, but for one quiet moment in the flow of life we were all together, and until the next time, this was the best Christmas gift ever.


Christmas 2018 will be a little quieter with only one of my children visiting. We will go to my sisters for a small get together on Saturday and then will host a smaller version of my husband’s family Christmas day. On the 27th we will drive to Vermont to spend New Years with Scott and his family.




May you all have a Blessed Christmas and may all your dreams come true.


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Tricia Drammeh

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I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, Chris! Thank you for sharing your holiday memories with us.
 
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Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

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Chris Weigand​ shares Christmas memories and looks ahead to the holiday next week on #OurAuthorGang.
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Ruth de Jauregui

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Oh that is lovely!!

None of my kids will be with me this year. But I'll be with my sisters and brother at Mom's, so it will be good... (And I'm scheduled to work the day after Christmas, so it's OK.)
 
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Chris Weigand

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Thank you
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Joe Bonadonna

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This is a beautiful, sad, and joyous post, Chris. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
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Joe Bonadonna via Google+

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Today on #OurAuthorGang, Chris Weigand​ offers us a touching post about her Christmases past and present.
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Chris Weigand shared this via Google+

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Toi Thomas via Google+

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Today, Christina Weigand shares her best Christmas Gift. #OurAuthorGang
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Eva Pasco

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Thank you for inviting us into your home and your heart for the holiday!
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Erika M Szabo via Google+

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Today Chris Weigand​ shares her Holiday family tradition
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