Gardening Nana: Nothing like a Fresh Christmas Tree

“O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree”

IMG_2565-_ForPrint
Steve Dehart and his family have been growing Christmas trees since 2004.

Our first Christmas away from family and friends was when we moved to Holland. By the time we got to Amsterdam, the delightful Dutch Sinterklaas celebration that we grew to love had already taken place, so we had to make our own holiday. Back home in Indiana, we always had live Christmas trees, so I got a live, small potted fir tree at the Flower Market, and we decorated it with red bows, tiny teddy bears, clip-on candles and red wooden apples.

This Christmas, we will be starting another holiday tradition of cutting our own tree. We are going to take our great nephews, Max and Eli, to a Christmas tree farm. On the Indiana Christmas Tree Growers Association website, indianachristmastree.com, I found Trees from DeHart, a tree farm near Franklin.

Steve DeHart and his family have been growing Christmas trees since 2004, and this year, your tree will come from a section planted in 2006. They let you hike out into the trees with a handsaw, and you select and cut your own tree. Then they will shake, drill and bale your tree to make it ready to bring home. The DeHarts grow Scotch pine, White pine and Douglas fir, or you can get a precut Indiana grown Canaan Fir. Their prices start at $35. In addition, a fresh tree lasts much longer and smells like Christmas!

Trees from DeHart is open on weekends from 9:30 am until dark. They are located on Airport Road in Franklin. Take State Road 135 south to State Road 252 and turn east. At County Road 200 East (Airport Road), you will see their sign.

ThePineTreeParable

There are so many stories about Christmas trees, but I like this one, The Parable Series: The Pine Tree Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs and plan to read it to my great nieces, Lindsey and Lauren.

The Pine Tree Parable tells the heartwarming tale of a farmer and his family who nurture tiny seedlings into fragrant Christmas trees. When the trees are tall enough to offer to their neighbors, the farmer’s wife plans to keep the most beautiful pine tree for her family until one snowy December night when a child teaches her the true meaning of Christmas.

To a Happy & Merry Christmas tree,
The Gardening Nana


Nancy loves flower gardening almost as much as she does her great nephews and nieces. Her interest in gardening intensified while living in Holland and was perfected with Master Gardener courses.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Send me your media kit!

hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: "6486003", formId: "5ee2abaf-81d9-48a9-a10d-de06becaa6db" });