Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays Gardening Friend,

Hard to believe it's Christmas time already! Where did the year go?

Christmas trees have arrived. We have a nice selection of Douglas, Fraser, and Noble Fir. They are selling fast, so don't wait. 

For your shopping convenience, we will be open until 6:30 pm on weekdays through Friday, December 10. Enjoy the glow of Christmas lights and the sounds of holiday music while shopping for the perfect tree.   

Our gift shop has many unique gift items, plus we have holiday cactus, poinsettias, and cyclamen to brighten your home. We still have a good selection of pansies, violas, and dianthus if you are wanting annual outdoor color that can handle the cold.  

If you just can't decide what to get for the plant person in your life, gift cards are a great choice. Our new plastic cards allow you to assign any dollar amount you want. 

As always, if you want to know what's new at the nursery, check out our weekly Inventory Update video.  

Lastly, note that our store hours change during the holidays and into January. 

• Shades of Green will close at 2 pm on Tuesday, December 21 for our staff Christmas party. We apologize for any inconvenience. 
• Shades of Green will be closed for the holidays December 24 - January 4.
• We are closed every Sunday in January (January 9, 16, 23 & 30).
• Our Annual Tree Auction will be held on Saturday, January 29. All the details will be in our January newsletter and posted online. 

Here's wishing you a safe & happy holiday season,  

Jarratt Calvert
Operations Manager, Shades of Green Nursery + Landscape

Gift Cards Available in Any Amount

Shades of Green Nursery + Landscape has gift cards for the plant people on your shopping list. Select any amount you wish. 

Christmas Tree Shopping at Shades of Green

Enjoy extended holiday shopping hours with lights and music. We're open until 6:30 pm weekdays through Friday, December 10.

We have three varieties of Christmas trees this year in various sizes. If you like the "snow covered" look, any of our trees can be flocked for an additional charge. Flocked trees need to dry for 24 hours before you can take them home.  

• Fraser Fir: Has branches that turn slightly upward. They have good form and needle-retention. They are dark blue-green in color. They have a pleasant scent, and excellent shipping characteristics as well.
• Douglas Fir: Has soft needles that are dark green to blue green in color and are approximately 1 to 1 ½ in. in length. Douglas-fir needles radiate in all directions from the branch. When crushed, these needles have a sweet fragrance. They are one of the top Christmas tree species in the U.S.
• Noble Fir: Has needles that turn upward, exposing the lower branches. Known for its beauty, the noble fir has a long keepability, and its stiff branches make it a good tree for heavy ornaments, as well as providing excellent greenery for wreaths and garland.

Learn more about Christmas Trees at the National Christmas Tree Association.

Living Christmas Tree Options

Some customers opt for "living" Christmas trees. These are living trees (with roots and all) that are decorated as Christmas trees then planted in the yard after Christmas. The best live Christmas trees for Collin County are:

• Afghan Pine (Pinus eldarica) - This pine performs well in hot, dry sites with alkaline soil, so it will do well in a Collin County summer! Grows 40 feet tall x 20-30 feet wide. To learn more, click here. 
• Blue Arrow Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum 'Blue Arrow') - A relatively fast growing, narrow and upright selection of Rocky Mountain juniper with dense, blue-green foliage. Grows 12-15 feet tall x 2-3 feet wide. To learn more, click here. 
• Blue Point Juniper (Juniperus chinensis 'Blue Point') - A dense, pyramidal evergreen with blue-green foliage. Grows 12-15 feet tall x 8-10 feet wide. To learn more, click here. 
• Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens 'Glauca') - A beautiful silver-green evergreen with a pyramidal shape. Grows 50-75 feet tall x 10-20 feet wide. To learn more, click here. 

Christmas Tree Facts

• There are approximately 25-30 million Real Christmas Trees sold in the U.S. every year.
• There are close to 350 million Real Christmas Trees currently growing on Christmas Tree farms in the U.S. alone, all planted by farmers.
• North American Real Christmas Trees are grown in all 50 states and Canada.
• For every Real Christmas Tree harvested, 1 to 3 seedlings are planted the following spring.
• There are about 350,000 acres in production for growing Christmas Trees in the U.S.; much of it preserving green space.
• There are close to 15,000 farms growing Christmas Trees in the U.S., and over 100,000 people are employed full or part-time in the industry.
• It can take as many as 15 years to grow a tree of typical height (6 – 7 feet) or as little as 4 years, but the average growing time is 7 years.
• The top Christmas Tree producing states are Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Washington.

Source: The National Christmas Tree Association

December Timely Tips

PLANT: TREES! Fruit trees, shrubs and perennials can all be planted and/or transplanted now. Onion sets and seed potatoes should go in the ground towards the end of January.

PRUNE: Shrubs to shape if needed. Major trimming can be done now if needed. – Click here to download our How & When To Prune Perennials garden guide.

FERTILIZE: Pansies every two weeks with blood meal. Use Superthrive® on newly planted trees once per month.

PEST: Apply Dormant Oil on trees and shrubs to control scale. Spray pesky weeds in your dormant turf with vinegar and Orange Oil solution on sunny, warm days.

WATER:  Hand-water newly planted flowers and plants with a hose. Turn off your sprinkler! Only water if we get less than 1/2″ of rain every two weeks.

OTHER BITS: Feed the birds! Your feathered friends will appreciate the supplemental food source to help them survive the winter! – Mulch bare soil. – Put leaves in your compost pile. – Cover blooming pansies and color bowls with frost cloth during cold spells below 25 degrees.