Buy a live Christmas tree
During the first year of my marriage to CJ, flushed with the joy of planning charming traditions to share, I bought a tiny conifer (10cm high) in a pot, believing it would grow bit by bit over the years as a sweet metaphor for the growth of our love.
It died. Horribly.
This year, I bought another – somewhat earlier in the year, so it’s three times the height and 100 times more healthy. Hopefully THIS charming metaphor will survive.
I was intelligent enough to buy something (a) slow-growing, (b) sun-loving, and (c) not that big when it’s fully grown.*
If you want to buy yourself a living, growing Christmas tree in a pot, NOW is the right time. Around September, a whole lot of people get the same idea all at once.
It looks happy, don’t you think? I’ll let you know if it makes it to December.
In case you’re curious, it’s a Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’. Here’s hoping all the teasing it gets from the other plants helps it to toughen up (and it doesn’t get too confused due to growing up in a giant teapot painted with Lavenders).
*assuming it lives. . .
Felicity Banks 
Ann said,
March 30, 2011 at 4:47 pm
Just to get it out there:
If it dies, it is NOT the fault of the potting mix you appropriated……..
Louise Curtis said,
March 30, 2011 at 5:52 pm
Ann: Ok, FINE. When the murder trial comes up, your alibi is solid.
Ann said,
March 30, 2011 at 7:23 pm
Hee hee….. If it dies we should so have a mock trial!!! See how many ridiculous theories about the death we can consider.
Louise Curtis said,
March 30, 2011 at 8:14 pm
Ann: Any jury would convict me in minutes.
W said,
March 31, 2011 at 9:30 am
Smaragd sounds like the Latin word for ’emerald’.
Louise Curtis said,
March 31, 2011 at 9:35 am
W: Cool. That’s much some sense for, like, a tree.