Recycling Christmas Trees and Greens

By Tamara Galbraith Soon, your once-fresh Christmas tree and greens will be moving from Christmas to crispness. No matter. When you’re ready to take down the decorations, explore all your options of how to reuse or recycle. Many communities across the state offer a recycling program, whereby trees are collected and ground up into mulch for municipal use. Areas with lots of man-made lakes sometimes collect and sink old...

Christmas Fun Facts

• The first commercial Christmas cards were commissioned in London, in 1843, by Sir Henry Cole, with illustration by John Callcott Horsley. President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first official White House card in 1953. • “Rudolph” was actually created by Robert May for Montgomery Ward in the late 1930′s as a holiday promotion. The song was written later by Johnny Marks, and recorded by Gene Autry in...

Choosing and Caring for Cut Christmas Trees

There’s nothing that says Christmas quite like the fragrance of a fresh cut Christmas tree. Somehow, scented candles and air fresheners just don’t have the same natural aroma. Selecting and bringing home a fresh cut tree is just a natural part of the holiday tradition. You can get the most out of your holiday tree by following a few simple guidelines. •When selecting your fresh cut tree, gently stroke the...

A Christmas Cactus Makes a Great Holiday Gift

While the poinsettia remains the most popular of the holiday plants, a healthy Christmas cactus in full bloom is a great gift idea for that special gardener. It is easy to care for and can be grown indoors throughout the year. The flowers range in color through yellow, orange, red, salmon, pink, fuchsia and white, as well as combinations of those colors. Its pendulous stems make it a great choice for hanging baskets The...