The Ultimate Guide to Christmas Trees
The Hunt
Choose a healthy tree by feeling the branches. Needles should be pliable and stay in place when touched. At the tree lot, ask for a fresh cut on the trunk to help the tree take in more water. And get netting for the trip home.
The Drive
Position the top of the tree over the back of your car so the branches don’t meet air resistance and break as you drive. If you weren’t able to get netting, wrap your tree tightly in a blanket or tarp before securing it.
The Setup
Put the tree in a stand large enough for its height (check the label) and with an adequate reservoir for water. Place it away from floor vents and radiators, which can make the tree dry out.
Water and Care
Make sure the bottom of the trunk is submerged in water at all times, even when the tree starts drinking less. Trees will usually guzzle water the first few days and then slow down. Check the water level regularly, for the whole season.
The Cleanup
When the tree starts dropping a lot of needles, it’s time to take it down. Use a tree bag — basically an oversized garbage bag — for quicker cleanup. Christmas trees are biodegradable, and many communities offer free pickup and recycling. If yours doesn’t, look for an organization that will turn your tree into mulch or wood chips. Some goat farms will even take trees as a treat for the animals!
Take Your Pick:
Balsam Fir
Long-lasting needles with a sweet, woodsy scent make this one of the most beloved Christmas trees, especially in the Northeast.
Colorado Blue Spruce
It’s famous for its silvery blue hue, but this pick has other perks, too, like stiff branches that can hold lots of ornaments. Plus, it sheds the least of all the spruces.
Douglas Fir
Since the 1920s, this Pacific Northwest native has been a sought-after Christmas tree nationwide. Dense branches and soft needles make it a favorite.
Eastern White Pine
Choose this tree if you have allergies: It’s less fragrant than other trees. Just keep in mind the branches are not the best for holding heavy ornaments.
Fraser Fir
Few trees are as picture-perfect as this one. It typically has a uniform shape, upturned branches and silvery tinged needles.
Scotch Pine
This hardy tree has a vibrant green color and hangs on to its needles even as it starts drying out — which means easy cleanup at the end of the season!
White Spruce
Similar to its relative the blue spruce, this one has lean, bluish green needles that are on the softer side. The stiff branches can stand up to ornament overload.
Concolor Fir
Extra-long needles, especially for a fir, and a citrusy fragrance make this tree special. Its needles have a white tint, hence its other common name: white fir.
Christmas Tree Slideshow at link: https://www.hgtv.com/lifestyle/holidays/the-ultimate-guide-to-christmas-trees-pictures
Quick aside: How are crops proving down there? Jeez, we had 6 weeks with no rain and just a piddling before and after until just about harvest time. But yields are normal. No one can believe it, but the proof is in the bins. Local elevator has bunkers filled and heaped like golden mountains, and then some piles growing on the ground. We are down to the last 25 acres of corn to combine. Unbelievable situation. Corn and beans. Hay pretty good, too, for that matter. Happy head scratcher.
Warm weather still here in SoCal, 75-80 so we are enjoying sitting outside.
Here is a late (or early) blooming iris, I think it's got the seasons mixed up:
Also putting out Christmas yard decor:
The wire frame is probably 16 or 18 inches and looked like this probably when first used. Heavy wire. I can't bend it. But once it is bent and you pull out the old greens it is so easy to slide in new branches and just go around in a spiral. No hassle. 
We finally got a week of seasonable weather conditions here in Central Missouri. Cold, damp, and miserable with a bit of snowfall over the weekend. Just enough to remind me how much I despise winter.
Aside from Thanksgiving Day I spent most of the weekend in my workshop cleaning/organizing. Friday was the rendering of the turkey carcass. Saturday was picking the bones/gristly bits out and turning the remainder into a lovely pot of turkey soup. Those things I did out in the shop while I was putzing about. It’s really nice to be able to keep that mess out of Mrs. Augie’s kitchen, especially when she’ trying to use it for something else.
Thought I’d finish up moving dirt out of the kitchen garden on Saturday but Nanner wouldn’t cooperate. The new starter I installed last month - kaput! I pulled it off yesterday to see what was up and it wouldn’t even spin when I connected it to a battery on the workbench. Just got off the phone with the dealership... it will be a couple days to get a replacement shipped in... with any luck I’ll be back in business by the weekend.
