Did you get your tree yet? We're choosing ours this weekend, at Booker Farms in nearby Melfa on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. We make an outing of it, taking time to pick out just the right size of a live White or Norfolk Pine, and then Mr. Booker cuts it for us (757-787-9517).
You can even buy the entire live tree! They will dig it up for you, roots and all (you'll probably need a pick-up to get it home!) Then after the holidays you can plant it in your yard. Now that's an eco-friendly Christmas.
But cutting a live tree at a local farm is still a fairly green option. After all, this tree was raised for this purpose, so you're not depleting a forest. No fossil fuels were used transporting it by truck from the north country. After Christmas, be sure to recycle it with green waste or have it chopped for mulch. Many municipalities are doing this now.
You might think an artificial tree used year after year would be the greenest option, but not so according to The Daily Green website:
"Most artificial trees are made in China, typically from oil-derived, pollution-releasing polyvinyl chloride (PVC). A number have been found to contain lead. Once finally disposed of, artificial trees will last for centuries in landfills."
So, if you go artificial, try to get one made in America.
The truest green option would be a potted tree you decorate at Christmas, like the little tabletop guy pictured here. The rest of the year, it will provide beauty and give off oxygen in your home!
If you choose to cut a live tree locally, Virginia Tourism has a listing of Christmas tree farms around the state.
Merry Christmas!
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