Living Christmas tree rental (alternately titled "hug a tree, don't cut it down!")

Photo by Michael Czerwonka for the NYT

Since I celebrate Hanukkah and B is a tree-hugger, we don't have a real Christmas tree come the holiday season. Trust me, I'd be all for it - a reason to buy things and decorate with them! - but we don't feel it necessary to cut down a tree just for our short-term merriment. I'd rather have fresh, clean air than a shedding tree, no? Instead, we string white lights onto our kayak (yes, we have it in our house - it's a long story) and put a sparkly bird on top. It's festive but subtle and twinkles nicely next to our fireplace.

But, if I lived in California (which I gladly would), I would seriously consider renting a tree from livingchristmas.com. Scott Martin, a landscape architect and the guy behind the awesome concept, rents out living trees - which are potted in soil, don't shed and remain alive while giving off that amazing Christmas tree smell - to families for the holidays. You can even get the same tree year after year. Some of the families who do this have even named their trees.

Even better than the brilliant concept is that the company is green in more ways than reusing trees. The trees are cared for throughout the year by adults with disabilities, the delivery trucks run on biodiesel, and the drivers are willing to take your used wrapping paper for recycling.

The article in the New York Times is really interesting; check it out here. Think B and I should start a similar service in Annapolis? Somehow it seems like it would be more fun in year-round sunny California...

Found via beachbungalow8 on twitter.