As Thanksgiving approaches heralding the arrival of another glittering holiday season, thoughts often drift to an unhurried, more nostalgic time.
It’s not hard to imagine a Currier & Ives greeting card (we’ve all gotten them) featuring an illustration of Dad and the kids hauling a fresh-cut tree on a sled and heading home to a warm hearth and hot chocolate. Who wouldn’t want to jump into that scene?
Searching for the perfect Christmas tree and holiday trim is an event; the fragrant greenery — whether cut or purchased — is the bonus.
Of the many hundreds of nurseries, roadside stands and Christmas tree farms in the Maryland area, here are three to make a holiday jaunt a memorable occasion. The perk is in the haul.
South of Baltimore, in Anne Arundel County, Modlins’ Christmas Tree Farm is a 40-acre spread, lush with living Douglas fir, Fraser fir, white pine and spruce fresh for the cutting.
“If the customer does not have a saw, we either provide one or we have one of our employees cut, haul and even load the tree in the car,” said Cyndi Modlin, the farm’s co-owner. “Pretty much the customer just has to point a finger at the [chosen tree], and we do all the labor.”
Wreaths, garland and bows are also sold at the farm. A concession stand serves hot drinks, and children can pose with Frosty the Snowman.
At Davidson Christmas Tree Farm, just north of Reisterstown in Carroll County, owner Bruce Davidson also presides over 40 acres of trees.
“I’m passionate about growing Christmas trees,” he said, having first gotten involved in the family business by helping his dad in 1973.
While Davidson is particularly proud of the farm’s exotic tree types, such as “the Serbian spruce with its graceful boughs,” he also offers a variety of pines and firs as well as Norway and Colorado spruces. Greens, wreaths, roping, tree stands and saws are also available. Tractor rides to and from the trees and a food and beverage concession make for happy and fulfilling hunting.
Over the years, it has become a tradition in many families to make a day-long event of greenery gathering. For many of them, Valley View Farms in northern Baltimore County represents the ultimate Christmas fantasy. Under a dome of more than 50,000 twinkling lights, more than 140 fully decorated trees glint, gleam and shimmer with 6,000 different ornaments, all of which are for sale. Pre-lit trees, both artificial and live, await the awe-struck customer, and shelves teeming with holiday plants are dressed in bows for soon-to-be owners.
As family traditions go, bringing home the greens can be a much-anticipated yearly event — maybe even a jump into the Currier & Ives scene.
