Back in the Spring, I took an adventurous solo cruise to the Caribbean with the intention of writing like a crazy woman and having a spa moment or two.  Well, I did get a lot of work done the first night in Miami (never fly on the day of the cruise!) and the first couple of days but the allure of snorkeling and eating a 2:00 Cuban second
lunch lulled me into a state of relaxation. Frankly, I think that this was as much of an accomplishment as the blog posts, category text and product descriptions that I cranked out from Miami to Tortola.

One of the big highlights of my 7-day solo recharge was meeting folks from all over the world.  One such couple was Arlene and Rocko from Sacramento. I was seated next to them wedged in at the end of the front table during a fantastic magic show. When it came up in conversation that I own a website that sells Christmas lights, Rocko, asked me if I’d ever heard of “renting” a tree.  The past few years, my new acquaintances had rented a tree from a company called The Living Christmas Company. They serve the Northern and Southern California areas.

It’s a fantastic concept and I thought a few of the thousands of customers we have in California might be interested in learning more about the service.

Basically, you rent a live tree that’s in a pot and keep it watered.  (I assume they come with directions.)  At the end of the season, the company drops by and picks up your tree.

It looks like you can even have the same tree for several years.

When the tree has outgrown it’s function, it’s sent out to pasture or planted somewhere handy like an urban park or something cool like that.

Yes, it’s last minute and a tree may not be available in your area at this time but file this information away for next year. I’d love to see a similar service here in Texas.

If you live North of  California, The Original Potted Christmas Tree Company serves Portland and Eugene

If your home could use a few extra trees you might also consider working with a local nursery to purchase a 7-8 foot tree and then plant it when the Christmas season is over – not quite as convenient as a tree rental service but a workable option if you don’t live in an area served by this type of company.