By Karen England, for Let's Talk Plants! December 2023.
My family, mom, dad, grandma, and myself, moved to Encinitas in 1970 when I was eleven years old and that is when our cut-your-own Christmas tree tradition started at a tree farm somewhere in Valley Center. I started working at Sunshine Gardens Nursery for my cousin a year later when it opened to the public, but it would be fifteen or so years after that before Sunshine started to sell cut Christmas trees, so we kept up our cut-your-own tradition until then.
Different year, different car, I am the photographer this time and we cut down two trees, one for us and one for Grams. This time, notice my Pop's cool plaid pants. Mom held dad's hat while he worked to tie both trees to the top of our car. Honestly, by the looks of it, we were style icons in the cut-your-own tree world.
Sunshine may have closed a few years ago after 50 years of the nursery business in Encinitas but some things have carried on in a new way and I still to this day work for my cousin as Mrs. Claus to his Mr., taking pictures of kids sitting in his lap, only these days we do this in Bonsall, CA at Waterwise Botanicals the first three weekends in December.
Come see us! Bring your kids, grandkids, and even well-behaved pets! (Over the years we've had families come with dogs, cats, and bunnies to see Sunshine Santa but if you bring a horse, please note that Santa will sit in its lap...)
But back to my story.
Waterwise Botanicals sells so many wonderful things this time of year for the holiday, both for inside and outside the home, but cut Christmas trees are not one of them, so after a little googling (turns out there are lots of options) I found myself a winery in Ramona that not only sells delicious wines, varietal balsamic vinegars, olive oils and more but also cut-your-own Christmas trees! The Christmas trees are nestled among the grape vines and olive trees on a working winery vineyard. Home | Highland Valley Christmas Tree Farm (pineandwine.com) (In case you are wondering, this is not a sponsored article. I don't work for them. I received the senior citizen discount just like anyone else over a certain age does and that is all. This article is about what I have done to procure my Christmas tree and balsamic vinegar this season and I wanted you to know about it too.) About | Principe di Tricase (pineandwine.com)
Here's what they say about their trees:
"THE TREES WE GROW AND REPLANT CONTINUOUSLY ABSORB MORE THAN 120,000 POUNDS OF CO2 EVERY YEAR AND GIVE BACK OXYGEN TO THE ENVIRONMENT EVERY SECOND. WE DO THAT BECAUSE YOU CHOOSE US FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS. ALSO, THEY ARE NOT SPRAYED AT ALL. NO PESTICIDES, NO INSECTICIDES, NO CHEMICALS. NOTHING BUT WATER, SUNSHINE AND LOVE."
At this particular farm, the trees started selling the day after Thanksgiving, but you still have time this year to get your tree where I got mine if you are so inclined.
Principe di Tricase Winery
BUSINESS HOURS
SAT & SUN 9AM to 4:00PM
THU & FRI 12:00PM to 4:00PM
MON-TUE-WED by appointment only
THE LAST DAY OF SALES THIS YEAR WILL BE SUNDAY DECEMBER 17th.
18425 Highland Valley Rd, Ramona, CA 92065
If you'd like to see what the finished decorated tree looks like in your SDHS president's home, please give Karen about a week from the publication of this article and check out her social media @edgehillherbfarm on Instagram or @karenenglandsshop on Facebook on or about December 7, 2023.
Quote of the season:
“There’s no experience quite like cutting your own live Christmas tree out of your neighbor’s yard.” ― Dan Florence, Zombies Love Pizza, as found on Christmas Tree Quotes (24 quotes) (goodreads.com)
If you enjoyed reading this article, consider joining (or renewing your membership with) the San Diego Horticultural Society.
