Christmas trees in Florida...??

[faithfulfrank]

Hello all.
As most of you know, I'm currently at our main home in upstate NY, where we have snow and currently 29 degrees. Today after work we went and cut down the 12 foot Douglas Fir Christmas tree we tagged last August.

I just put it up, and it looks great and the whole house smells like Christmas. Tomorrow I'll put on the lights and ornaments. This is a tradition that we do every year that I know will have to change somewhat when we move to Florida.

On this subject, I have some questions about Christmas trees and Florida.

1) Do people buy REAL trees down there?
2) Can you get Douglas Fir trees?
3) How fresh are they?
4) How big can you find them, and what do you have to pay? (Mine was $35.00 this year...it's gone up some from previous years...)

5) Do they last? Up here you keep your house at a constant 68 degrees..any warmer and your heating bill goes through the roof. Down there in the HEAT, do Christmas trees last??

I know that life is all about trade offs, and that some of our traditions will change and be replaced with great NEW ones, but I just would like to know about Christmas trees and Florida.....I look forward to some good responses.

Frank D.

[The Great Fumar]

I've been here five years and I don't know of anyone who has a real tree....I'm sure they would be very expensive ......Your $35.00 there would be on the order of $135.00 down here .........
Folks here don't feel the need for real trees I guess,,,,,,,,,,But if you haven't seen the home decorations in The Villages , them you've really missed something........Some have dancing light displays with music that you can listen to on your car radio...........That is of course if you have a car radio , and you almost have to have a car , trying to Carry around your old PHILCO is really very taxing...........

feeling my age fumar

[faithfulfrank]

Wow.....that's a bummer. I'll have to think of other traditions when we move there I guess.....:shrug:

Frank D.

[Best Mom]

Yes Frank,
I enjoy our beautiful Christmas tree up north. It is always hugh and when you walk down the stairs and it is always magical. We live in Fredonia,NY. My husband is still working and puts up a Big Christmas Tree every year.
So remember to enjoy your real Christmas tree.

[faithfulfrank]

Thank you Best Mom. We are not too far away from each other.
I was hoping that people would tell me that it was still easy to have a real tree down there.....that it might cost a bit more, and you have to buy pre-cut, but that it was still done by some Floridians. I see tons of pine trees all around Leesburg....they are not Douglas Fir trees, but they are still pines.

So, do people switch to artificial trees in Florida because it is just easier, or do they indeed have no choice??

Frank D.

[Cassie325]

We have some friends that had one shipped....from Maine. I am told it was about $100 total....

We also have some friends that use a Palm Tree(fake) as their Christmas Tree....as much as I thought I would hate it....it looks GREAT!!

[Shirleevee]

Sadly after a years of real Christmas trees, I just ordered an artificial tree. Sigh!

[graciegirl]

Great BIG real Christmas trees weigh a LOT. Great big artificial trees come in segments. I just like great big trees and although I had some pine scent withdrawal when we switched it is working out just great!

I will NEVER NEVER NEVER replace our traditional tree with one of those lit up palm trees. To me they look like bar signs.

To each his own. Or her own.

[MMC24]

We have used artificial Xmas trees for years. Even when we lived in Connecticut. They are no-muss/no-fuss. I got tired of the dead spills, adding water to the base and of course the potential fire hazard. I purchase an electric Balsam & Cedar fragrance unit from Yankee Candle and you would swear that it was a real tree. It looks and smells like the real deal.

[njgranny]

I've gone all the way down to a small artificial tree. Last year, I put it in a plastic bag and stored it in the closet decorated. How lazy is that? :pepper2:

[thegreenerside]

Home Depot and Lowes carry cut trees of all varities. The cost range from $25 to $100 based on the height. We always buy a 12 foot tree and have never paid more than $100. The trees tend to dry out quicker down here and therefore we remove the day after x-mas, but otherwise they have the same smell and same look as any tree up north.

[faithfulfrank]

an acquaintance of mine told me he bought a 7 foot Douglas Fir at Lowe's for 40 dollars in West Palm Beach.

So I guess there are options even in Paradise for Christmas trees.....I guess we would no longer enjoy hiking around the tree farm in August before the snows come to tag our own, but I did not expect that. It's just nice to know we still have options.

I assume that the real trees you can buy at the big box stores are already wrapped up, so you really cannot see how "Good" a tree is.....correct?

Thanks! Frank D.

P.S. I'm putting on the lights right now and have sap on my hands:o

[texasfal]

I've been here 4 Christmases and I've always had a live tree. The first two years we went to a tree farm in Summerville and cut our own tree. The last two years we've gone to Lowe's and bought huge Douglas Fir (12') trees and have never paid more than $65.00.

[faithfulfrank]

Thanks,
At least we know we still have choices ! Could you tell me, are the Lowe's trees wrapped up so you are not sure as to what you are getting, or can you see them and be a bit more picky....???

Frank D.

[captain1202]

Unfortunately, I think a phony tree is one of those compromises you make when you move to FL. After all, it's not a "real' Christmas without cold weather and a mountain of snow anyway. We decided the real tree wouldn't "feel" right.

Plastic tree for a plastic place, right?

[gnu]

Mrs. Gnu and I shopped at the Home Depot in Naples, Fl today and they had the huge tent outside loaded with real Christmas trees. They were pre- cut and wrapped, but available. Even the Island Publik store has trees for sale out front. You'll have no trouble finding a tree, but as to which species, I don't know.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and your family!

[Villages Kahuna]

I'm not certain that the absence of "real" trees in TV is caused by their cost as much as not having the "stuff" to decorate them, or the people to decorate them for.

I can't tell you how many of our neighbors have said that boxes and boxes of Christmas lights and decorations were among the items that were sold during the garage sales we all seemed to have before moving to Florida. Then when we get here we're faced with a couple problems. If we decide we want to decorate--and if we're not traveling north to be with family for the holidays--we'd have to buy all new lights, decorations, etc. But maybe more important, finding a place to store all that stuff for eleven months each year is not a small problem. It seems that among a lot of things that are different between our houses "up north" and here in sunny Florida is the amount of storage space available. For those of you who don't live here yet, that's something you'll find out soon enough.

I think those issues may have a lot more to do with changes in Christmas traditions than anything else.

[Just Susan]

Are there air conditioned storage, rental units nearby for seasonal and overstock items?

[Just Susan]

I've gone all the way down to a small artificial tree. Last year, I put it in a plastic bag and stored it in the closet decorated. How lazy is that? :pepper2:

Smart, not lazy!

[faithfulfrank]

VK,
Good points. A real tree is nice, but they are more work then an artificial one.
We've always had a real one, and a 12 footer is more work then a 7 footer. Our biggest was a 14 footer two years ago.

Storage is indeed less down in Florida.....which is why I'm building another garage onto my existing garage....just got approved.

Frank D.

[graciegirl]

The Christmas tree in Florida is a thing that I view with some apprehension. Christmas has always been a huge holiday for our family and we have always decorated a LOT and had LOTS of parties. However...I have to admit that just before we came home on the First of December for the Holidays, I sorta, kinda, just a little bit, wished I didn't have all of the work ahead that faced me. I think there must be more like me, that may secretly wish NOT to have as much Christmas paraphenalia and as much preparation and entertaining at home as we once had.

sigh. Now I am probably in REAL trouble with Santa Claus.

[faithfulfrank]

At least down in Florida you don't have weather to contend with in decorating.
I have to wrap my outside trees with christmas lights before the ice storms come and wreck our trees.

We also have to put up the lights on the gutter a month ahead of time because of the weather.

I can't wait to decorate in Florida.

Frank D.

[downeaster]

Are there air conditioned storage, rental units nearby for seasonal and overstock items?

Yes. The one we used was in Oxford. However there are a number of them. Just check the yellow pages.

[downeaster]

Last year my neighbor, who goes all out decorating, placed one of those large inflated scenes on his lawn. It killed all of the grass under it. If you use one of those it may be a good idea to move it occasionally.

[rsetterlund]

My Sister moved down to Florida about 8 years ago from New York. She says it is real easy to get a real tree if that is what you want. She also says the price is not that much more than she would have spent up North.

[RayB]

I have read these posts with great amusement. We have lived in Florida for over Twenty years. Yes they have Christmas Trees in Florida. We lived in Tampa and for years we visited Christmas Tree farms just north of Tampa where we could pick out our tree, cut it down a bring it home. If you don't believe there are real trees available in The Villages just visit the Public stores a look at the beautiful cut trees they have for sale. The state of Florida is covered with pine trees. The State is one of the largest lumber and wood products producer in the nation.

[nONIE]

The Christmas tree in Florida is a thing that I view with some apprehension. Christmas has always been a huge holiday for our family and we have always decorated a LOT and had LOTS of parties. However...I have to admit that just before we came home on the First of December for the Holidays, I sorta, kinda, just a little bit, wished I didn't have all of the work ahead that faced me. I think there must be more like me, that may secretly wish NOT to have as much Christmas paraphenalia and as much preparation and entertaining at home as we once had.

sigh. Now I am probably in REAL trouble with Santa Claus.

Gracie,

Why not cut back a little on all the hoopla. Im sure you have gone all out for many years to make people happy,(cause thats how you are). Isnt it time to be just a teeny weeny bit more conservative in your efforts? You have earned a rest this year, trust me noone will even notice. The main thing is that you will be all together and enjoying each others company. Please be good to yourself this year and take a little rest, you deserve it. And tell them One of Santas elves said so!!!!!