Given COVID-19 issues, it may be hard this year not to feel a little like Scrooge or the Grinch that stole Christmas. But before you say, “Bah, humbug,” and try to fast forward into the new year, look for ways to create some fond and fun memories this holiday season.
More Americans are staying home for the holidays amid pandemic restrictions and are realizing that for the first time in years — or maybe for the first time ever — they will be home to set up and care for a live tree.
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAm(96E96C 4FEE:?8 J@FC @H? r9C:DE>2D EC66 @C D6=64E:?8 @?6 2E E96 =@42= =@E 2?5 E96? 3C:?8:?8 :E :?D:56 E96 9@>6[ 2== 2C6 A2CE @7 >@56C? 72>:=J EC25:E:@?D] %@ >2?J[ E96 368:??:?8 @7 E96 9@=:52J D62D@? :D 564@C2E:?8 2 EC66] %96 2C@>2[ 362FEJ 2?5 DA64:2= 25G6?EFC6 @7 92G:?8 2 EC66 2C6 D6?D65 3J 2== :? E96 9@>6]k^Am
kAm~7 E96 >2?J EC25:E:@?D :?G@=G:?8 A=2?ED 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 r9C:DE>2D[ E96 r9C:DE>2D EC66 :D AC@323=J E96 >@DE 36=@G65] p H:56\6J65 49:=5 82K:?8 2E 9:D @C 96C 7:CDE r9C:DE>2D EC66 :D 72C C6>@G65 7C@> 2?4:6?E #@>2?D D9@FE:?8 :?42?E2E:@?D E@ 2 564@C2E65 EC66] *6E[ :E :D 7C@> E96D6 4F=EFC6D E96 r9C:DE>2D EC66 4FDE@> @C:8:?2E65]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 >@DE A6@A=6 AC@323=J 36=:6G6 E96 r9C:DE>2D EC66 EC25:E:@? 92D 2=H2JD 366? H:E9 FD :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D[ 2 9:DE@C:42= @G6CG:6H @7 9@H r9C:DE>2D EC66D C@D6 E@ DF49 AC@>:?6?46 :D BF:E6 :?E6C6DE:?8 2?5 ?@E 2=H2JD AC64:D6] %96 7@==@H:?8 AC@G:56D 2 DJ?@AD:D @7 D@>6 r9C:DE>2D EC66 EC25:E:@?D E9C@F89@FE E96 46?EFC:6Dik^Am
kAm• %96 564@C2E65 r9C:DE>2D EC66 42? 36 EC2465 324< E@ E96 2?4:6?E #@>2?D H9@ 5FC:?8 E96:C H:?E6C 76DE:G2= 564@C2E65 EC66D H:E9 D>2== A:646D @7 >6E2=]k^Am
kAm• p? 6G6C8C66?[ <?@H? 2D E96 !2C25:D6 EC66[ H2D 564@C2E65 H:E9 2AA=6D 2D 2 DJ>3@= @7 E96 762DE @7 p52> 2?5 tG6 96=5 s64] ac 5FC:?8 E96 >:55=6 286D]k^Am
kAm• $:IE66?E9\46?EFCJ 7@=<=@C6 4C65:E65 |2CE:? {FE96C 7@C 36:?8 E96 7:CDE E@ 564@C2E6 2? :?5@@C EC66] p7E6C 2 H2=< E9C@F89 2 7@C6DE @7 6G6C8C66?D H:E9 D9:?:?8 DE2CD @G6C9625[ {FE96C EC:65 E@ 56D4C:36 E96 6IA6C:6?46 E@ 9:D 72>:=J 2?5 D9@H65 E96> 3J 3C:?8:?8 2 EC66 :?E@ E96:C 9@>6 2?5 564@C2E:?8 :E H:E9 42?5=6D] $@>6 9:DE@C:2?D DE2E6 E96 7:CDE 6G:56?46 @7 2 =:89E65 EC66 2AA62C65 >@C6 E92? 2 46?EFCJ 27E6C |2CE:? {FE96C’D 562E9 :? `dce]k^Am
kAm• %96 @=56DE C64@C5 @7 2 564@C2E65 r9C:DE>2D EC66 42>6 7C@> 2 `e_d 5:2CJ 7@F?5 :? $EC2D3FC8[ uC2?46] %96 EC66 H2D 564@C2E65 H:E9 A2A6C C@D6D[ 2AA=6D 2?5 42?5:6D]k^Am
kAm• %96 7:CDE C64@C5 @7 r9C:DE>2D EC66D :? p>6C:42 H2D 7@C 49:=5C6? :? E96 v6C>2? |@C2G:2? r9FC49’D D6EE=6>6?E :? q6E9=696>[ !6??DJ=G2?:2[ 5FC:?8 r9C:DE>2D :? `fcf] %96 24EF2= EC66D H6C6 ?@E 564@C2E65[ 3FE H@@56? AJC2>:5D 4@G6C65 H:E9 6G6C8C66? 3C2?496D H6C6 564@C2E65 H:E9 42?5=6D]k^Am
kAm• r92C=6D |:??68C@56 :?EC@5F465 E96 4FDE@> @7 564@C2E:?8 EC66D :? (:==:2>D3FC8[ ':C8:?:2[ :? `gca]k^Am
kAm• qJ `gd_[ E96 r9C:DE>2D EC66 925 364@>6 72D9:@?23=6 :? E96 62DE6C? DE2E6D] &?E:= E9:D E:>6[ :E 925 366? 4@?D:56C65 2 BF2:?E 7@C6:8? 4FDE@>]k^Am
kAm• %96 r9C:DE>2D EC66 >2C<6E H2D 3@C? :? `gd` H96? r2ED<:== 72C>6C |2C< r2CC 92F=65 EH@ @I D=65D @7 6G6C8C66?D :?E@ }6H *@C< r:EJ 2?5 D@=5 E96> 2==] qJ `h__[ @?6 :? 7:G6 p>6C:42? 72>:=:6D 925 2 r9C:DE>2D EC66[ 2?5 a_ J62CD =2E6C E96 4FDE@> H2D ?62C=J F?:G6CD2=]k^Am
kAm• r9C:DE>2D EC66 72C>D DAC2?8 FA 5FC:?8 E96 56AC6DD:@?] }FCD6CJ>6? 4@F=5?’E D6== E96:C 6G6C8C66?D 7@C =2?5D42A:?8[ D@ E96J 92CG6DE65 E96> 7@C r9C:DE>2D EC66D] rF=E:G2E65 EC66D H6C6 AC676CC65 3642FD6 E96J 92G6 2 >@C6 DJ>>6EC:42= D92A6 E92? H:=5 @?6D]k^Am
kAm• uC2?<=:? !:6C46 H2D E96 7:CDE AC6D:56?E E@ :?EC@5F46 E96 r9C:DE>2D EC66 E@ E96 (9:E6 w@FD6 :? `gde 7@C 2 8C@FA @7 (2D9:?8E@? $F?52J D49@@= 49:=5C6?] %96 7:CDE ?2E:@?2= r9C:DE>2D EC66 H2D =:89E65 :? E96 J62C `hab @? E96 (9:E6 w@FD6 =2H? 3J !C6D:56?E r2=G:? r@@=:586]k^Am
kAm• %96 7:CDE r9C:DE>2D EC66 :? 2 49FC49 D66>D E@ 92G6 366? :? `gd` 3J !2DE@C w6?CJ $49H2? :? r=6G6=2?5[ ~9:@] pE 7:CDE[ 9:D A2C:D9:@?6CD @3;64E65 E@ E9:D AC24E:46] $@>6 >6>36CD @7 E96 4@?8C682E:@? 6G6? E9C62E6?65 9:> H:E9 92C>] qFE E96 >:?:DE6C 4@?G:?465 9:D 7=@4< E92E r9C:DE>2D EC66D H6C6 2 r9C:DE:2? C:E6[ 2?5 @AA@D:E:@? D@@? DE@AA65]k^Am
kAm}6H 4FDE@>D[ 6G6? E9@D6 2D 7:?6 2D E96 564@C2E:?8 @7 r9C:DE>2D EC66D[ @7E6? C646:G6 DEC@?8 C6D:DE2?46 H96? 7:CDE :?EC@5F465] %96 EC25:E:@? @7 E96 r9C:DE>2D EC66 :D ?@ 6I46AE:@? — 9@E E6>A6CD 4@@=[ 6?E9FD:2D> 8C@HD 2?5 ?6H AC24E:46D 364@>6 @=5 EC25:E:@?D]k^Am
kAm%2<6 2 >@>6?E E@ ECF=J =@@< 2E J@FC EC66 E9:D J62C 2?5 D66 E96 9:DE@CJ] u@C >@DE A6@A=6[ 9@=:52J EC66D C6AC6D6?E ADJ49@=@8:42= 4@>7@CE 24C@DD E:>6[ 86?6C2E:@?D 2?5 2 492?8:?8 H@C=5]k^Am
kAmx7 a_a_ 92D E2F89E FD 2?JE9:?8[ :E’D 9@H >F49 E96 A6@A=6 :? @FC =:G6D >62? E@ FD[ D@ 8@ 29625 2?5 DAC625 D@>6 92AA:?6DD H96C6 J@F 42? 2?5 4C62E6 D@>6 ?6H >6>@C:6D :? E96 AC@46DD]k^Am
Dr. William Johnson is a horticulturist with the Galveston County Office of Texas AgriLife Extension Service, The Texas A&M System. Visit his website at aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston .
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.