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Elke Lutz stands among her prized Christmas trees. (Photo Gary Moore)
Elke Lutz is the mother of all her Christmas trees and if you could attach a smell to Christmas it would be the one at 3616 Benvoulin Road, across the street from Father Pandosy Mission in Kelowna.
Lutz, of Elke’s Christmas Trees, is wrapped up in winter clothing and her eyes light up when I ask her about her Christmas trees which she has been growing for 10 years now.
“I grow these trees on my 160 acre farm in Beaverdell, I have everything from Blue Spruce, Fraser Fir, Scotch Pine and Douglas Fir with all sizes from table top to 16 feet,” Lutz said.
“Everyone has different taste when it comes to Christmas trees, some like the open layered, some like a very bushy tree, we let people choose themselves but we like to give them advice. Blue Spruce is a little bit pokey and the Douglas Fir is a little bit softer to the touch and a little bit more fragrant than the others,” Lutz added. “We also tell them how important a fresh cut is and to check the water level everyday and they should be happy.”
The trees are grown especially for Christmas and start with local seedlings, which are nurtured and then cut down after eight years and the process is started over again in the spring.
What about the environmental impacts of this method?
“These trees when they are done are mulched down and re-used, with the fake trees, most of them are made in China, they are plastic and take forever to break down in the landfill site, I think you are doing the environment a favour buying fresh and you are supporting the local economy,” said Lutz.
The trees last about four weeks in a house and you can purchase a tree until December 20. Elke’s Christmas Trees is open daily from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m..
gary@kelowna.com
250-575-4021
Tags: Christmas, fresh, Gary Moore, Kelowna, people elke lutz, tree, Weather
