I LOVE my Christmas tree! Ok, let’s back up for a moment and provide some context. For one reason or another, it’s been a few years since I have put up a Christmas tree at home. I should also say that I typically embrace Christmas with a ‘go big, or go home’ kinda attitude. So the choice for this year’s festive season was simple, embrace the season and go big or pack it all in and be ‘ba humbug’ forever.

In my quest to ‘go big’ the house (both front and back) is sufficiently decked with too many strands of lights to count, but not enough to be classed as a drive-by attraction, check. Next up – The Tree. Don’t ask me why, but while on the phone planning the annual family trip to select the perfect tree from Giesbrecht Tree Farm in Langley, BC, I announced to my mom that I wanted a ‘flocked’ tree this year. Cue the bad news, the lovely family tree farm that we have been going to for years, doesn’t flock trees. So, now some of you are probably asking,  “What the flock?!?”

The family tree adventure resulted in a Friday afternoon field trip for me, the dog and my mom in a quest to find someone that could provide a locally grown Christmas tree and the artful spray of faux snow.

As we pulled up to Port Kells Nursery in Surrey, BC, the first question we asked was “do you flock Christmas trees?”  The answer, “Go see Cheryl in the back.”  As we made our way past the rows of locally grown Christmas trees and the potted Evergreens decorated for a  Whoville-style Christmas, we found a forest of flockey goodness. Heavy flock, light flock, blue flock, pink flock, Cheryl is the resident flocker and has been perfecting the art for over 20 years.

Like me, you are probably wondering how many toxic chemicals are involved with synthetically applying snow to your carefully selected tree. Cheryl answered my many questions; the synthetic-like snow is made up from non-toxic, biodegradable materials, glue, paper and water. A properly flocked tree will not drop its needles all over your living room and once you’ve wrapped up the festive season, you can haul your flocked Christmas tree down to the local fundraiser for chipping. I am also going to assume you are thinking that there will be white ‘snow’ all over your house – not so. At Port Kells Nursery, they hang each of the trees from the top, and apply the flocking to your specifications. They also will string the lights for you, prior to flocking, so they blend into the tree.

I will warn you, if you head out the door after reading this column and think you can pick a tree, get it flocked and drive it home in the same day, you will be mistaken. My adventure on Friday afternoon was also an exercise in patience. Unless I was happy to go home with a pre-flocked tree off the floor, I had to allow two days for the process to properly unfold. As Cheryl explained, each tree needs to properly dry after being sprayed. If you take home your tree too soon, you will have gloopy, sticky faux snow.

As we left the nursery on Friday night, I purchased a beautiful, not quite A1, Nobel Fir from our favourite tree farm for a discounted price and turned around the following morning to deliver my tree to Port Kells Nursery for Cheryl to work her magic.

It was a bit like waiting for Santa to arrive on Christmas Eve, as my folks agreed to help me out on Monday to pick up my custom flocked tree. As it came out of the truck, Cheryl and the team at the nursery had thought through each of the installation details. Each tree has the Christmas light plug tagged with a blue ribbon – so you can find it BEFORE putting the tree in the stand and comes wrapped in a HUGE plastic bag tied at the top and with a hole in the bottom for the stump to go into the stand. As advised, we left the tree in the bag and attempted to navigate the 9 foot beauty into the tree stand.  In true family fashion, there were many opinions on how to get the tree straight in the stand – all that came to mind was an old friend who would often say “We’re makin’ memories here!”  Memories they are and with much ‘directing’, the tree is safely secure in the stand, lights and decorations on. The house is filled with amazing scent of Fir and I couldn’t be more pleased. In fact, my tree has me thinking I should break out invitations of good cheer, as this beauty deserves to be ogled by many.

Check out our flocked tree photo gallery on our facebook page.

Flocked or not, from my house to yours, may you have a very Merry Christmas!

by Kristine Carrick