Christmas

tree farms produce the traditional greenery we

associate with the holidays and a whole lot more.

They provide a destination for a family outing,

are havens for wildlife, and are personalized

retail outlets where good cheer abounds.

Jim

Lindquist, who farms about 24 acres of Virginia

pine, leyland cypress and red cedar trees in

Senoia, has almost as many stories to tell about

his business as he has trees.

There's

the story about the couple who selected a tree

and had it secretly paid for by another family

who recognized them from their church. Then

there's the grandmother who wanted a special

holiday experience for her two grandchildren

adopted from a Russian orphanage.

School

children running through the straight rows of

trees are a familiar sight on weekdays at

Lindquist's Farm when classes come to hunt down

the perfect tree to decorate.

Lindquist

and his wife, Kerran, are totally immersed in

selling trees right now, along with beautifully

appointed wreaths and holiday accessories. What

started as a retirement sideline in the 1980s has

been cultivated by Lindquist into a lucrative

seasonal business. "It's a lot of work but

it's a good sideline," Lindquist said.

"It gives us a little flexibility and it's

gotten to be a pretty good thing," he added,

referring to his tree plantation.

Lindquist

grew up on a farm in Illinois, but spent most of

his adult life in Georgia. He planted his first

trees in 1983, six years prior to his retirement

from Delta Airlines. Most of Lindquist's trees

are quick-growing varieties sprouting two to four

feet a year. "I have some four-year-old

trees that can grow to 12 feet," he said.

Aside from performing soil tests and fertilizing

the soil, the trees need little care, according

to Lindquist.

He

predicts a good season for tree sales, if this

past weekend is any indication. "Friday was

our first day of sales and we were up 21 percent

in the number of trees sold, and 30 percent in

revenues," Lindquist noted. The leyland

cypress also emerged as the holiday shoppers'

tree of choice. The leyland variety is known for

its feathery branches, light scent and

non-reaction to allergy sufferers. According to

the Georgia Christmas Tree Association, these

trees don't shed needles and stay fresh much

longer than other varieties.

Fayette

County's oldest Christmas tree farm is the

Christmas Forest, owned by Gary and Jeannie

Simpson. It's one mile south of the Old

Courthouse and directly across from the city's

new Kroger on Ga. Highway 85.

The

Simpsons planted their first tree 22 years ago

when their son was just an infant. "We've

had families coming to us since 1981,"

Jeannie said. "We've seen their families

grow up, and they've seen our family grow

up." The husband and wife team started

cultivating 10 acres with trees to "put

money aside for the kids' college

educations." While Jeannie admitted that the

savings part didn't materialize, their enthusiasm

for working outdoors and providing trees for

Fayetteville families has continued.

The

Simpsons sell leyland cypress, Virginia pines,

cedars and Carolina sapphires.

Now

that the Halloween hayrides are over at Harp's

Farm on Ga. Highway 92 in Fayette County, it's

time to gear up for tree sales. According to

Linda Culbreth at Harp's, business was brisk over

the weekend with an overwhelming number of

customers choosing to saw their own trees.

Harps's,

as well as Lindquist's and the Christmas Forest,

provides wagons for their customers to tour the

farm and select their trees. Once a tree is

chosen and cut down, the wagon returns and picks

up the weekend woodsmen and their trees.

Selecting

the perfect tree among hundreds can be a daunting

task, but assessing the size of the room where

you plan to set up the tree and deciding on

sheared or natural, strong-scented versus lightly

scented, can narrow the field.

Once

a tree is cut and baled for travel, Lindquist

advises placing it in a bucket of water when it

arrives at its destination. The trunk will not

seal over for about six hours, allowing the tree

to drink up plenty of water. "A leyland

cypress will drink over a gallon of water a

day," Lindquist estimated. Eventually, the

amount tapers off. "That's the secret, to

monitor it a couple times a day for the first few

days."

Cedars

are prone to developing a fungus on their trunks.

Lindquist said that adding two teaspoons of

Clorox to a gallon of water can significantly

reduce the chance of the trees getting slimy at

the base.

Most

tree farms will be open from early morning until

dusk from now until Christmas. Below is a listing

of local tree farms with directions:

* Lindquist Tree Farm, 105

Leylor Lane, Senoia 30276; 770-599-6490; Carries

Va. pine, red cedar, leyland cypress, frasier

fir, potted leyland. Wagon rides and petting zoo

($1 admission to zoo containing goats, llamas,

rabbits, birds and guinea pigs). From

intersection of Ga. highways, 85 and 16 in

Senoia, go west 1.5 miles. Turn left at Rockhouse

Road. Farm is 1/2 mile on right. (Look for the

giant snowman.)

* Christmas Forest, 822 Glynn

St. South, Fayetteville; 770-461-8850; carries

Va. pine, red cedar, leyland cypress, Carolina

sapphire. Wagon rides on weekends.

* Harps' Farm, 1692 Ga. Hwy.

92 South; 770-461-1821; carries Va. pine, red

cedar, leyland cypress, Carolina sapphire. Wagon

rides.

* Wee Three Tree Farm, Arnold

Road, Fayetteville; 770-487-6397; carries Va.

pine, white pine, leyland cypress. Take Redwine

Road to Ebenezer Church Road and turn right. Go

two miles and turn left on Arnold Road.

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