originally uploaded to flickr.com by kokloveguam
It’s that time of year! Put down your oven mitts and drop that turkey because Christmas trees are arriving on Capitol Hill. I know in our community we have people following various traditions about when to put a tree up in their homes, but the trees are arriving early this year and we are fortunate to have a number of options on the Hill (and more a little farther afoot) for purchasing this holiday staple. Whether you’re looking for a table-top Fraser Fir or a ten-foot-tall Scotch Pine, you’ll probably be able to find what you are looking for at our neighborhood retailers.
Frager’s received their first shipment of trees on Monday, November 22 and will receive another shipment on Thursday, December 9. With these trees also comes wreaths, roping, and other fresh seasonal greens, but there are no additional shipments planned at this time.
Gingko Gardens will also be selling trees of all shapes and sizes this Christmas season. Their stock of Fraser Firs from North Carolina has arrived, along with poinsettias, wreaths, and other greenery.
The vendors at Eastern Market never disappoint with their selections of trees, which will be available starting Friday, November 26 and every day after through Christmas Eve. Three or four different farms will be offering trees and greenery.
Theresa’s Garden Center at 1720 New York Avenue NE (no website available) usually has trees for sale as well.
There are certainly other hardware stores and garden centers within the District that also will be selling trees this Christmas season in addition to temporary stands being set up specifically for offering you firs and pines. A tree lot has manifested on the grounds of the Washington Historical Society (9th Street NW, across the street from the Washington Convention Center). Others will no doubt appear as well. Many local churches and community groups also sell trees, wreaths, and Christmas greenery as fundraisers. If you know of a tree lot or group selling on the Hill this Christmas season, please add it to the comments section of this post.
Now the bigger question—will all my strings of lights work this year?
Last year we bought our tree from a garden shop in Fredericksburg while we were visiting my girlfriend’s family for Thanksgiving, thinking it would be cheaper – but when I saw the trees at Frager’s (just three blocks from our place), I saw they were basically the same price. We’ll definitely be buying from a local place this year and saving ourselves some hassle!
I have always bought my tree local. There is nothing better then a fresh cut tree compared to those cut weeks ago.
We’re only going to be home about 15 days out of the month but I can’t wait to get my tree at Fragers. The good news is that we’re opting for a mini version that we can tote home on the top of the stroller!