The tree’s the thing

At holiday time, people who celebrate Christmas have a million decisions to make: what gift to buy, what to serve for holiday dinner, which church service to attend, which relatives to see. But many people have another decision to make: live or artificial?

Some area residents waffle a bit on which type of tree to put up; others have strong feelings one way or the other.
Overall, it seems that many people prefer real trees, even if they put up artificial ones.

“We used to like to get live trees with balls and plant them afterward,” said Richard Broderick of Gainesville. “Then we switched to just real trees because they smell good. Now we have an artificial tree because it is so easy to set up and take down.”

Gainesville’s Kim Hale said real trees are the way to go. “When the kids were young it was always fun going out and finding the perfect tree to cut down.” Now she and her husband, Gary, go to a local store to pick up a tree, which could mean getting “the Charlie Brown Christmas tree that no one else wants,” but first she’s got to convince Gary. Both her sons, Justin of Haymarket, and Adam in Catharpin, get real trees. Her daughter, Laura is “the fake tree queen,” perhaps because she puts up three very early in the season.

Troy Payne of Catharpin said they now have an artificial tree even though he prefers a real one. Holiday travelling means it’s impossible to keep a live tree healthy.

Christina Miller of Manassas said her family used an artificial tree for the first time last year. “It’s the best thing we ever did,” although shes misses the pine smell; she buys spray to compensate.

Monica Walker of Haymarket has two practical reasons for an artificial tree: “Our family always puts up a fake tree because we can leave it up longer and we have allergies.”

Haymarket’s Matt Bradley keeps an artificial tree in a box, but rarely pulls it out; he and his family opt for the real greens.

Danielle Mostacciuolo, also of Haymarket, loves her artificial tree, partially because she hates the smell of pine and detests cleaning up needles.

Haymarket’s Krista Kimble started going fake after “hundreds of praying mantis egg sacs hatched in our living room when we brought our beautiful live tree into the warm house.” Kimble, a teacher, appreciates “a living science lesson as much as the next person ... but having a gazillion baby insects in the house “is not an experience I would like to repeat.”

Becca Isaacs, a Fauquier High School librarian, puts up a “tiny real tree since my house is so small. Sometimes I cut a small wild cedar tree or get a potted tree I can plant later. I like the fragrance of a real tree.”

Charlene Manning, a Bristow Run teacher, puts up both kinds of trees, partially because her family has so many ornaments. The artificial tree is for her children to use to bend and shape the branches to hold ornaments. The real tree, for Manning, “smells so good and brings the feeling of Christmas to life.”
Haymarket’s Becky Taylor said real is the thing for her family. “Getting the tree is a family event to kick off our Christmas season.”

Four Nokesville residents agree they like real trees, but use artificial ones. BJ Thomas puts up an artificial with lights on it. Jeanne Adams likes the ease of the fake trees. Dixie Baker, also of Nokesville, likes real trees, but her cat makes that impossible. PJ Dwyler said she started with an artificial tree when she lived in Nebraska, but now she likes the ease of clean up. Sharon Farr’s reasons are more green. “I hate to see a tree lot full of cut trees and no one takes them home.

Peggie Kosmicki, of Manassas, has used an artificial tree for four years even though she “was totally opposed to it. I’d always had a real tree and loved going shopping for one and loved the smell of a fresh tree.” She likes the lack of mess and the extended time she can have the tree up. “However, I have to admit that my heart still belongs to a real tree.”

Nokesville’s Stephania Powell puts up both kinds of trees since holiday travels mean less clean up.
Nokesville’s Dona Swanson, said, “Only real trees appeal to me, their scent, their feel, the nostalgia they evoke.”

Bridgett Wilson, a decorator in Gainesville, puts up three trees. The one real tree, in the family room, is trimmed “with all of the family ornaments that we’ve collected throughout the years. We all love the smell of a real tree.” A large artificial tree is in the more formal living room, which is decorated in a specific color palette, which most recently included peacock feathers. Then, she places a small, vintage artificial tree, which was her grandmother’s, in the kitchen. She decorates it with “kitchen-themed ornaments, pasta garlands, and ribbon. It makes me smile every time I look at it,” Wilson said.

Staff writers Jan Davis, E. Bruce Davis, Sandy O’Connor, Sarene Cullen, Gail Williams and Gretchen L.H. O’Brien, contributed to this story.