Tree trek Tree trek (December 17, 2004)

Searching for that perfect Christmas tree

By Erin Pursell

Some people may have fond childhood memories of making a holiday journey on a ferry boat in search of the perfect tree, playing hide-and-seek between the never-ending rows of pines and firs, and hot chocolate with candy canes waiting after the mission is accomplished.

While an exact version of this sort of adventure may not be so readily available to Peninsula folk, there are "elves" in Los Altos Hills.

"Merry Christmas," chirped Mary Lyn Moseley, taking a break from wrapping Christmas presents to open the door of her home at Happy Elves Christmas Trees, a farm she and her husband have run for more than 20 years.

"People cutting trees are out for an adventure or outing and it's just so joyous," said Moseley, dressed festively in red from her sweats and Christmas apron to her polka-dotted slippers.

At Happy Elves, tree-seekers can drive onto Moseley's property and cut down any tree they like for $40.

Providing four different varieties of Christmas trees, the farm has been a local favorite for more than 20 years.

"I do it because it stays fresh and it's something I've always done since I was a kid," said Lois Miller, who has been cutting down trees from the farm for more than five years.

"I just want one that isn't too big, is the right shape, and healthy," Miller said, "and you always know when you find the right one."

But the decision hasn't always been so simple for the Millers, who took only five minutes to find their perfect tree earlier this December.

"It's easier now that my kids are grown," she said, explaining that selecting the tree used to involve great debate when her children were younger.

Now home to Monterey and Austrian pines, which are characterized by longer needles, Happy Elves also grows shorter-needled white firs and densely-sculpted Douglas firs, the farm's biggest-seller.

"It's such a small farm that our niche is families with children," Moseley said, adding that much of their business comes from repeat customers.

But there are also options for those who don't wish to embark on a journey to kick off their holiday season.

Your perfect tree may be right down the street at the Menlo Park Kiwanis Club, holding its annual Christmas tree sale on El Camino Real, just south of Embarcadero Road (near the Stanford Stadium). For the Kiwanis, which donates 100 percent of the proceeds to local charities, selling trees is a major fundraiser.

The lot features exclusively noble firs, fresh-cut from farms in Oregon and shipped to Palo Alto at the beginning of December. One of the most popular types of Christmas trees, noble firs are characterized as well-shaped in various sizes, aromatic, and are known for holding their needles well.

"You go shake those trees and you can't shake the needles off," said longtime Kiwanis volunteer Ed Brandle, who estimates that 70 percent of their customers are repeats.

"Customers come here year after year because they're satisfied with the quality of the trees," Brandle said.

The Christmas tree rush usually starts after Thanksgiving, and Kiwanis volunteers said that the first two weeks of December are the busiest, especially on the weekends.

"You're not going to get a fresher tree by waiting," lot volunteer Loyd Ellis said.

Prices for the trees range from $27-129, depending on height, which lot volunteers agree is perhaps the biggest factor people consider when picking their tree.

"It's got to go on top of something, so size is important," said one tree shopper.

"The longevity of the tree tends to be about four to six weeks," said Kiwanis volunteer Mary Piniella, "depending on the temperature you keep your house."

To keep trees from drying out, which can make them a potential fire hazard, tree salespeople advise that trees be kept away from heating vents. It's also a good idea to maintain as low a temperature as is comfortable in the room.

Once you get the tree home, think of it as a large fresh-cut flower. Cut off the bottom of the tree to remove any residue so the tree will be better able to absorb water. It's also important to make sure the water in the tree stand doesn't completely dry out because once this happens a seal can develop that prevents the tree from absorbing any further water.

The Kiwanis lot, like others, also sells wreaths and tree stands.

"We're a one-stop shop if that's what you're looking for," Piniella said.

No matter what your family's holiday traditions are, finding that perfect tree can be a fun one.

"It's fun to work (at a tree lot) because kids and people who come down are in good spirits," Ellis smiled.

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