When a Tree is Just a Tree

There are tree connoisseurs who know their varietals by smell, and there are those who believe that it’s not the greenery that matters but rather the presents under it. Local grocery stores cater to the latter, offering up a perfectly good no-frills selection, baled and ready to be strapped in for a ride home atop the family station wagon (or dragged back to the bachelor pad). Trees are basic and priced to sell. Select Dominion stores are peddling single-sheared balsam firs—which feature that distinctive Christmas tree scent—from Nova Scotia in two sizes (four to six feet, $24.99; six to eight feet, $39.99). Loblaws stores, in cooperation with various local charities, including the Boy Scouts of Canada, are also offering sheared balsams (six to eight feet, $29.99) and the balsam’s high-end cousin, the Fraser fir (six to eight feet, $59.99), at select locations.
Dominion, 425 Bloor St. W., 416-923-9099; 100 Lynn Williams St., 416-530-4100, plus 14 other locations.
Loblaws, 396 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-651-5166; 50 Musgrave St., 416-694-3838, plus 51 other locations.

Best Bet at the Last Minute

East End Garden Centre manager Judy Clark gets two shipments of premium and top grade Ontario-grown balsams, Frasers and Scotch pines. The first comes in November and caters to enthusiasts eager to deck their halls before the holiday rush. The second arrives mid-December for last-minute shoppers and…Mennonites? “Mennonites don’t put their trees up until Christmas Eve,” says Clark. “So I make a point of having stock available through the 24th.” Trees ($25 and up), ranging from dainty three-footers to the jumbo 16-foot pines favoured by local yacht and curling clubs, are certainly the hot ticket item. Other greenery is not to be missed, however: festive garland and pine cones are on offer, as well as eucalyptus leaves, magnolia tips and pepper berries imported from California, Florida and Oregon.
East End Garden Centre, 1395 Queen St. E., 416-469-4925.

Support Your Local Growers

With grocery stores monopolizing Christmas tree sales across the city, offering the basics at bargain prices, it’s easy to overlook the little guy. Jeffrey Jordan’s first job was dragging Christmas trees on a farm at the age of 12, and he’s been selling quality pines and firs at the St. Lawrence Market for the past 16 seasons. Visit Jordan at his post just outside the north building of the market and you’re likely to be wooed by service that’s a cut above. He’ll trim the bottom off of the tree (so that it can drink water) and give proper instructions on how to store and care for your purchase. Jordan will also help you tie it to your car or, if necessary, he will deliver your tree. White birch reindeer, a staple of elaborate holiday-themed tableaux on Forest Hill lawns, are a popular add-on ($30).
St. Lawrence Market, 92 Front St. E., 416-769-2810.

Best All Around

A happy medium for those who like their Christmas trees affordable and their Christmas tree salespeople knowledgeable, Fiesta Farms scores high for price, selection and ease of purchase. Although the balsam is his most popular tree (six to seven feet, $28 and up), Garden Centre manager Dino Virgona recommends the Fraser fir (six to eight feet, $55 and up). “People buy the balsam because of the price, and it’s got the smell. But it’s not necessarily the best choice, because it drops a lot of needles,” says Virgona. “The Fraser is a great tree; it’s still affordable and it has the best needle retention rate.”
Fiesta Farms, 200 Christie St., 416-537-1244.

Wholesome Family Fun

For some urbanites, venturing to York Region seems as practical as a romp to the North Pole, especially when perfectly decent firs are available at the corner store. But for Christmas devotees, the only trees really fit for decoration are of the CYO (that’s cut your own) variety—something that’s just not available in the concrete jungle. Customers flock to Horton’s Magic Hill Tree Farm to pick from thousands of Scotch and white pines, green spruces, and the ubiquitous Christmas green, the Douglas fir. Once the perfect tree has been selected, it takes about 30 seconds with a saw to cut it down. At $40—with tax and baling included in the cost, not to mention the chance to unleash one’s inner lumberjack—it’s a steal. (Cash only, however.) While at the farm, families (and that includes Fido—dogs are welcome if they’re on a leash) can hang out by the bonfire, enjoy such festive treats as hot chocolate and candy canes and, weather permitting, toboggan down the Magic Hill.
Horton’s Magic Hill Tree Farm, 13953 9th Line (just north of Stouffville), 905-888-1738.