The Decembers of my childhood were filled with joyful trips to my grandparents’ homes, nighttime visits to live nativity scenes across town, romps to the mall to sit on Santa’s lap, and numerous batches of homemade divinity, pecan fudge, and Southern-style fruitcake. But nothing reminds me of the magical Christmas seasons of my youth more than the lingering scent of a freshly cut Christmas tree.
As an avid outdoorsman, my dad canvassed the woods all year, keeping his eyes peeled for a perfect Eastern Red Cedar tree. As Christmas approached, he led our family of five deep into the woods to evaluate a selection of evergreens he had discovered on his excursions. Some years we emerged from the woods with a spectacular specimen-full, bushy, and raindrop shaped. Sometimes we returned home with a skimpy Charlie Brown Christmas tree in tow, but it really didn’t matter to us. These family outings became less about the appearance of the trees and more about love, togetherness, and tradition.
This holiday season, I encourage all of you to throw your family in the car, visit a local Christmas tree farm, and start making memories that will shine brightly for a lifetime. A plastic replica is no substitute for the grandeur of a real, aromatic Christmas tree. Nor can shopping to buy a fake tree replace a family journey to the countryside to harvest a real evergreen.
Some people prefer artificial Christmas trees to real trees because of the convenience; you simply haul a bulky box up from the basement, assemble the dozens of loose limbs to the wobbly center, shape each bough, and Bam!-you have an instant, imitation tree ready for decorating.
The National Christmas Tree Association estimates 28 million American families will place their gifts under a real tree this year, and many of those will come from local tree farms. Buying a tree from a local grower not only ensures that you will get the freshest tree possible, but your purchase will support the local farming economy.
Here are five of our favorite Christmas tree farms-all within an hour’s drive of the Scenic City-to help you plan a trip to cut your own Christmas tree, and to make your holidays the merriest ever!
Come See Come Saw
David and Elaine Bosshardt and Family
www.bosshardt.gacta.com/
1713 North Long Hollow Road
Chickamauga, Ga. 30707
(706) 861-5672
Operating Hours: Opens on Thanksgiving afternoon. Open to public Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. until dark
Tree Varieties: Virginia Pines and Balsam Firs
Price Range: Virginia Pines are $25 and Balsam Firs are typically around $30
The Bosshardt’s started their 10-acre Christmas tree farm 20 years ago as a home school project for their six children. The family planted the trees and learned about the care and upkeep of Virginia Pines. The project expanded into a small business and introduced the children to marketing and sales. The farm is situated in a lovely pastoral setting. “Memories are made here,” says Elaine Bosshardt. “We look forward to the holidays every year. We love meeting the families and watching them create their own traditions at our Christmas tree farm.”
Cove Christmas Tree
Farm Mike and Regina Murdock
654 Kensington Road
Chickamauga, GAGA 30707
(706) 375-2729 or (423) 322-8809
Operating Hours: Weekdays from 5:20Ð6:30 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., and Sundays from 12:30 until 6 p.m.
Tree Varieties: Leyland Cypress and Norway Spruce
Pricing: $30-$45
Several years ago, Mike Murdock visited a Christmas tree farm with his wife, Regina, and their young son, Damon. “We had a blast that day,” says Murdock, remembering the family’s experience. “So when we found out some property was for sale that already had Christmas trees on it, we bought it and quickly learned the business.” Ten years later, the Murdocks still welcome dozens of families onto their four-acre farm. “Everyone’s idea of a perfect Christmas tree is different,” he adds. “Some like tall and skinny ones, and other people prefer short and fat trees. No matter what kind of tree they are looking for, I’m confident they can find it here.”
Reese Family Christmas Tree Farm
Chad and Heather Reese and Family
205 Chestuee Road
Calhoun, TN 37309 (423) 336-9757
Operating Hours: Opens on Thanksgiving afternoon and stays open seven days a week from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Closes for the season on December 22.
Tree Varieties: Leyland Cypress, Blue Ice, Carolina Sapphire, and another cypress variety. Reese also carries a few pre-cut Fraser Firs from a grower in North Carolina.
Pricing: $3-$5 per foot for cut-your-own trees. Fraser Firs are priced competitively.
Chad Reese says that he sells Christmas trees to families along with the whole farm experience. He, his wife, and his two young sons run the 10-acre operation outside of Calhoun, TN-a little more than an hour from Chattanooga. His farm experience includes plenty of land to ramble on in search of the perfect tree, tractors, wagons, a cow train for the kids, hot chocolate, coffee, and a wood heater in the barn to warm cold fingers and toes. “It’s a family affair,” he notes. “Heather’s parents help us, and my parents help us, too, especially my dad, Edward Reese-he definitely deserves a gold star. Since he retired, he spends many days during the year pruning the trees, fertilizing, and bush hogging.” Reese hopes to pass his tree farm along to his sons.
Little Mountain Tree Farm
Andy Bickford and Family
3186 Griffith Road
Pikeville, TN 37367
(423) 881-3904
www.LMTreeFarm.com
Operating Hours: Opens Thanksgiving afternoon. Open seven days a week from 10 a.m. until dark
Tree Varieties: White Pines and others
Pricing: $3 per foot for all sizes
North Carolina native Andy Bickford spent much of his youth visiting his grandfather in Pikeville. They planted their first pine seedlings in 1974 and watched them grow together. “It was a hobby that just kind of turned into a passion,” says Bickford, who eventually moved to Pikeville and now lives on a farm that has been in his family for over a century. Bickford encourages Christmas tree shoppers to drive the hour to his multi-acre farm-four acres that showcase rows and rows of perfect evergreens. “It’s a beautiful drive over from Chattanooga,” he says. “The Sequatchie Valley and the Cumberland Plateau are sites to behold in the wintertime.”
Kittle Christmas Tree Farm
Thomas Alvin Kittle and Family
985 Salem Valley Road
Ringgold, GAGA 30736
(706) 935-3563
Operating Hours: Opens Thanksgiving afternoon. Open seven days a week from 10 a.m. until dark.
Tree Varieties: Leyland Cypress, White Pines, Blue Ice and others.
Pricing: $40 for all sizes (includes netting)
The Kittles have enjoyed the Christmas tree business since 1978. Crowds of people visit the 10-acre farm every year to select an evergreen and commune with a host of farm critters including peacocks, llamas, chickens, goats and horses. “One year, a couple brought their two children to the farm to pick out and cut a tree,” says Wilma Kittle. “The children had the best time playing with the other kids and exploring the farm as their parents got the tree to the car. Anyway, I guess they all got lost in their own worlds that day because the couple left and drove all the way home before realizing that their kids weren’t in the car with them. They called us and quickly returned to retrieve their children, and we all had a big laugh about it.”
BEFORE YOU GO
Measure twice, cut once: Before you jump into the car with your family to seek the perfect Christmas tree, take some time to plan. Measure the space where your tree will be displayed, and decide on the tree’s height and width before you make the trip. If you have eight-foot ceilings in your home, then a nine-foot tree simply will not work. Be smart and take a tape measure with you.
Take this: Remember to take driving directions and phone numbers just in case you get lost. Consider wearing a jacket and shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty. Finally, don’t forget to pack your camera because there will be dozens of once-in-a-lifetime photo ops during the day.
KEEPING THEM FRESH
A freshly cut Christmas tree will last for weeks if you take care of it. Here are some tips from Wilma Kittle and the National Christmas Tree Association to help preserve the natural beauty of a cut evergreen.
TREE PREPARATION: When you get your tree home, make a fresh, straight cut across the base of the trunk (about a half of an inch up from the original cut), place the tree in a tree stand with a deep reservoir, and immediately fill the stand with water.
WATER, WATER, WATER: Proper watering of your tree will not only prevent the needles from drying and shedding, and the boughs from drooping, but will also keep your tree fragrant throughout the holiday season. A freshly cut evergreen will absorb as much as a gallon of water or more in the first 24 hours, and one or more quarts every day after that. Check the water level every day and add water as needed.
LOCATION: Place your Christmas tree in a location away from direct sunlight, draft and heat sources such as fireplaces, heater vents, radiators, and televisions.