GardenLife :: Recycling The Cut Christmas Tree

Although artificial Christmas trees are becoming the norm because they can be used year after year and many are already strung with lights, I need a fresh, cut tree, even if it is more expensive and drops needles all over. The reason is it reminds me of my wintry childhood in Chicago. Chicago Decembers are notoriously blustery and I was often cooped up indoors, but days before Christmas my father would trundle up a to our third-floor apartment with a fresh cut tree and my world suddenly seemed brighter. It was the tactile pleasure of fresh conifer branches and the perfume of pine that transported me to a forested wonderland. I can’t recall what my parents did with our tree after the first week of January, but if you have space in the garden, here are a few ideas to extend the pleasure of a cut tree during the darker days of January and February:

Take the bare tree outdoors, preferably near a window (to watch and/or photograph the entertaining nature show put on by feathered and furry guests), and festoon it with suet, pinecones shmeared with peanut butter and peppered with birdseed, cranberry or grape garlands, slices of fresh apples and other goodies

Cut the tree in half or thirds and push into the underbrush of shrubs to create habitats for your garden creatures

Use a wood chipper to chip the tree into mulch for the coming spring

If these ideas are not practical for you, check with your local city or town website to find a recycling collection site

Do not use as cut firewood indoors before aging (about 6-12 months) because burning sap is hazardous and smoky and freshly cut wood does not burn well