Christmas Tree Roundup: Where to Pick & Cut Your Trees + an Interview (& Reader Discount) with Kennedy’s Country Gardens | South Shore Moms

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and you’re likely cooking, prepping or traveling! Whatever it is we hope you’ll soon be cozying up with your family. We know that many of you head out the weekend after Thanksgiving to look for your Christmas tree so, we’ve rounded up some local spots to pick and/or cut your own trees!

We also recently spoke with Chris at Kennedy’s Country Gardens in Scituate about what to look for when choosing that perfect tree. Chris has shared some great tips and tricks for keeping your tree healthy and full throughout the holidays. He’s also answered the question we need to know  — what tree stand should we get?? Because, our marriages are depending on it! Last but not least, Kennedy’s is generously offering TSSM readers a discount. Keep reading for more. A huge thank you to Chris and Kennedy’s Country Gardens for taking the time to speak with us. Happy tree shopping!

Local Tree Shopping Roundup

SCITUATE
Kennedy’s Country Gardens
(pre-cut, wreaths)
Tree Berry Farm
(cut your own)
MARSHFIELD
Kiwanis Christmas Tree & Wreath Sale
(pre-cut, wreaths)
HINGHAM
Weir River Farm
(pre-cut)
Hingham Congregational Church at Bathing Beach
(pre-cut)
Penniman Hill Farm
(pre-cut)
Lambert’s Garden Center
(pre-cut)
PEMBROKE
The Christmas Tree Farm
(cut your own, pre-cut, wreaths)
KINGSTON
Blue Anchor Tree Farm
(cut your own)
OTHER
Mistletoe Tree Farm
East Bridgewater
(cut your own, wreaths)
Pakeen Farm
Canton
(cut your own, pre-cut)
Indian Rock Farm
Foxboro
(cut your own, pre-cut, wreaths)
Deerfield Tree Farm
Millis
(cut your own, pre-cut)
For additional cut-your-own tree farm locations visit the Massachusetts Christmas Tree Association

*READER DISCOUNT*

Kennedy’s Country Gardens is offering the South Shore Moms’ readers $10 off any purchase of $50 or more. Simply show the below coupon at checkout to receive your discount.

Many of the trees at Kennedy’s Country Gardens are sourced locally in Massachusetts – we love that. Can you tell us more? (Without giving away any secrets, of course.)
Local Trees are a family tradition! We love our local vendors! Our Massachusetts supplier is a 2nd generation tree farmer in the western part of the state in a top secret location. My dad and I used to trek out there to tag each tree individually, usually on a hot August day. The owner, Randy Senior would greet us, take us around and tell us his stories. Thanksgiving week we get help loading the trees from Randy Senior, his son Randy and his grandson Randy in our truck. I’m not kidding. I am hoping to take my 11 year old son to get a 5-generation photo. We found another new local supplier in New Hampshire this year that we are excited about too!

What varieties can we expect to find at Kennedy’s this year?

Fraser Fir is our most popular because they last a long time, have strong branches, and have that traditional look and smell.

Balsam Fir is most fragrant, but loses it’s needles a little faster.

Canaan Fir is a newer hybrid with supposedly the best traits of the above 2 varieties.  We like these because they are local and have great shapes.

Noble Fir and Nordmann Fir are the Cadillac trees. These are pricey because they travel from the west coast. Nordmann Fir might be my favorite. Both are really nice but they are in short supply this year!

Concolor Fir is not as traditional.  It has a long blue needle. The shag carpet of Christmas trees. It is usually a little thin on one side, but is a favorite by many people who get them every year. They last as long as any and have a little bit of a citrus smell.

Blue Spruce are also blue in color but very prickly. These are best on on a deck with just lights, they have perfect shapes.

White Pine are the shaggiest, fluffiest tree. Long soft needles. Very unique. We sell 3 per year, 2 to the same people. You have to keep the decorations simple since the branches do not hold any weight.

Douglas Fir might be the fullest trees with the best shape. The color is a little lighter. We sell more of these at night because people can’t see the color. 🙂 We do tell them, but color is less noticeable when fully decorated.

Another note — trees are in short supply in general this year. Certain varieties will sell out faster than normal. I have more Fraser Firs coming than normal, but have heard they are sold out in many places.

This is great information! Once you choose your tree and get it home, how often should you water it? Any other tips or tricks for keeping it healthy all month long?
One tip I always tell people is to shop early for trees. Almost all of them are cut before Thanksgiving. In Canada, for example, they have to cut the trees before the snow flies up there. Pick your tree early while the selection is good. Also the longer cut trees stay in the sun and wind the more they dry out. Store your tree in the garage, tool shed or north side of the house out of the sun & wind in a bucket of water. Re-cut the tree before you bring it in the house. Bring it in as late as you can because the heat inside dries it faster. If you keep your tree up longer then pick a longer lasting variety and try to keep the heat down.  Once in the house fill the stand with water and check as often as you think to. Once it dries out, the bottom will seal and stop drinking. I use a long funnel at my house. We sell a green plastic tray that catches any spills (well worth the $14.99) and it lets you spin the trees easily on carpet and helps prevent scratching a wood floor.

Do you have any favorite tree stands that you would recommend? Because, the struggle is real!
Everyone seems to have nightmare stories about getting trees in the stand and then the trees not staying up. Save your marriage and have us put the stand on if it isn’t too busy! We recommend getting at least a $40 tree stand. Unfortunately, anything less than that is usually a waste of money and more hassle than it is worth. There are some stands above $100 that I don’t recommend either. I have put hundreds of stands on trees for people over the years. We carry two good plastic stands with metal parts that work great and can be transported home with the stand on. However, almost everyone now loves the newer Genie tree stand that lets you set up in the tree in about 30 seconds. We also love these since we don’t have to put the stand on because it is so simple and easy compared to everything else out there. Just lift the tree trunk into the middle of the stand, hold it straight and step on the lever that cranks until it is tight. Lock it and add water. They are so good we are using them in the tree lot to display trees. They usually retail for about $99 and sell out every year!

What else can we find at the shop?
Wreaths & Filleruppers. Almost all of our wreaths displayed on walls are designed by our staff who live locally. We are famous for our long lasting handmade boxwood wreaths. Filleruppers are greens already arranged and decorated with a color scheme so you can just drop them into an outdoor pot by the front door and go. Or you can borrow ideas, purchase the greens and save the labor by doing them yourselves. Our Kathleen termed the Fillerupper phrase about 20 years ago. We do our own Swags, ground baskets and wall baskets too! You’ll also find lots of gift ideas, ornaments and decor! The greenhouses are filled with colorful holiday plants. It is fun for kids to visit the birds and especially, Tigger the cat. We also just added my new Golden Retriever puppy named Mookie to the staff!

Thank you, Chris!

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