A Three Tree Christmas
Monday, November 29, 2010 at 2:30PM Some years ago I was feeling grumpy at Christmas time. Bah! Humbug! I just wasn't in the mood. My boys were older and not particularly interested in decorating the house. I felt nobody appreciated my efforts, so why bother? Traditionally we always had a large, fresh Christmas tree loaded with sentimental ornaments. This particular year I decided to buy a small two foot version and put it on a table. I hung a few ornaments on it. That was it. Bah! Humbug!
No one said anything, but I began to feel guilty. Every time I passed that two foot tree, I felt the taunting calls of Christmases past. I finally realized I wanted a big tree, even if no one else cared about it. So I went out and bought a beautiful eight foot tree. Other family members weren't home, so it would be a surprise.
Later that day my husband and sons returned.
"See what we have!" they announced. I laughed when I looked out the front window. For they, too, had brought home a wonderful, tall tree.
We put the small tree in the kitchen and one of the larger trees outside, where it's white lights warmly welcomed guests driving up our road. We placed the third tree in the customary place of honor in the living room and covered it with lights and ornaments, garlands and icicles, just as we had always done. I loved the way it all looked.
That is the way our three tree tradition started, for ever since we have had a large tree outside, a large tree inside the living room, and a small one in the kitchen. Here are my plans for this year:
A Colorado blue spruce is perishing in our climate, so we will cut this tree from our property and use it for our outdoor tree. Originally it was a living Christmas tree I planted after the holidays, so this will be its second time as a Christmas tree.
For the kitchen I will buy a rosemary tree. I can't wait for the smell!
And this past weekend I bought our tall indoor tree, a fraser fir. Over the years we have had many different types of Christmas trees, and fraser fir is my favorite. Fraser firs are noted for their fabulous smell and long needle retention. 
A view of fraser fir's long lasting needles.My tree was grown in Plumtree, North Carolina by a family owned business, Trinity Tree Company. The family sells some of their trees in Pelham, Alabama at A Very Merry Christmas Tree Farm, not far from where I live. 
A Very Merry Christmas Tree Farm sets up this tree lot in Pelham every year.The tree I purchased was cut just the day before. (Talk about fresh: One year, after the holidays Lou tossed one of their trees out into the woods behind our house. The following April he noticed the tree was still green. Upon investigation he discovered the tree stump, covered by leaf mold through the winter, had sprouted roots!)
Amongst all the great trees, this is the one I selected:
As this special season begins, may you be safe and warm, and may your heart be filled with true peace and joy. Deborah
Christmas trees, fraser fir in Christmas
Reader Comments (21)
Your Three Tree story was cute. Just when you think nobody cares... Then you find they really, really do. I have a selection of any tree at the tree farm where I work during the Christmas season, and I too am getting a Frasier this year. I am cutting it down myself tomorrow. I have had Grand Fir, Noble Fir and Concolor, but the Frasier, like you said is a best seller because of the needle retention. I will keep checking in to see your tree decorated. I love to see what others do at Christmas.
That's a sweet story and I love the idea of a rosemary tree - lovely!
Hi,
Such a nice tradition, growing up we always had similar... One in the living room and another in the dining room... One for the boys to decorate in their ad-hoc carless way and the other for mum and I, always interesting to see how differently people decorate the tree.
Then of course I would have a small pretend tree in my own bedroom and so on. In total we probably had 5 trees around the house. Now I just go for the single tree in the living room...
I'm feeling your bah humbug this year my usual excitement just hasn't come yet.
How wonderful to have three trees for a Christmas tradition! I love your selection... show a post of it all decorated!
Great looking Christmas tree you got there and it will be lovelier when its laden with Christmas decorations. I would love to see your rosemary Christmas tree too...just curious actually!
A great post Deborah and nice story. I love traditions, it's what really makes a family special. I hope we get to see the decorated trees!!
What a lovely story! We're usually a one (albeit fake) tree household. I used to have a cat that insisted on eating fresh pine needles. Of course, when cats eat things, they don't tend to stay down, so my tradition of a fake (but as realistic as I could find) tree started. Here though, this year, I'm considering decorating a tree that's outside near the house. Some sort of blue-tinged fir that the previous owners said they planted after one of their Christmas celebrations. It's since become rather large, but I can reach the lower branches at least, and have thought about maybe decorating it with birdseed ornaments for our feathered friends this holiday season.
Lovely story and a lovely tradition! I love the smell of "real" Christmas trees, so evocative.
I love the three tree tradition. I have a friend who has a whole collection of mostly small trees, each decorated with a different theme. Birds, music, cooking . . . My tradition is of a Giveaway on my Blogoversary - which is now. I hope you'll visit.
What a great reading! Kudos to you and your family! Your post brought thoughts about our family tradition.
Hi Deb...just an extra note hoping the storms coming through today don't cause any damage to you and yours!
What a wonderful story Deb. I bet you all had a laugh over the two big trees. Nothing smells any better than the scent of pine at Christmas time.
Ooh, that is a beautiful tree! Loved reading the story of your three-tree tradition!
You have started the season off in the very best way Deb. Beautiful tree and your story of buying it fresh from a local grower. A lovely ritual. Enjoy the season!
Three trees? You want three Vs. Venison, vodka and ... ummm ... I can only think of something rude; that's what happens when you don't think things through ... ummm .... velocity. yes, a bit of velocity is great for overcoming inertia.
I'll get my coat.
What a great Christmas tradition. The Rosemary tree sounds wonderful. We have a Rosemary growing by our mailbox and I love the fragrance. Frasier Fir is my favorite sort of Christmas tree too.
what FUN!
The rosemary tree sounds especially wonderful-- I may just have to get a small plant for MY kitchen-- You've got the best ideas!
Sounds as though the Christmas spirit is alive and well in your home! What a wonderful time of year when we celebrate the best gift ever given.
Dear Deb, your heart-warming post has roused the Christmas spirit in a trinity of trees! Stopped bothering with trees when my children flew the nest and now live in different directions with their families. Then a couple of years ago saw a lonely small potted tree left over in the shop a few days before Christmas and had to buy it. Now I pot it on each year, to bring it in for its festive decoration - an understated slow-growing not-sure-what speciment but still a Christmas tree!
Laura
Oh, I love the idea of your three Christmas trees. I can almost smell how good they smell just looking at your pictures. One year we had two trees and I loved it. My kids each have a small artificial tree in their rooms which they just love :-)
What a wonderful story. I love a Fraser Fir. It just speaks Christmas to me! Hope you all have a blessed Christmas season!