Windfall Trees The new, environmentally friendly and creative way to experience a real tree in your home for the holidays. Picture(s) of Cut Tree, Plastic Tree, Potted Tree Every year millions of people celebrate Christmas and other winter holidays with the tradition of putting up a decorative tree in their homes. As people become more environmentally-conscious and more prudent in making financial decisions, choosing a tree has become more complicated. Until now, there have been three primary options: the classic traditional choice of (1) a live, harvested tree; (2) an artificial tree; or (3) a live, potted tree. Now there is a fourth option - the “Windfall Tree.” Picture(s) of Windfall Tree A Contemporary Christmas Dilemma Cut Artificial or Potted? Now There is a Fourth Option: Every year millions of people celebrate Christmas and other winter holidays with the tradition of putting up a decorative tree in their homes. As people become more environmentally-conscious and more prudent in making financial decisions, choosing a tree has become more complicated. Until now, there have been three primary options: the classic traditional choice of (1) a live, harvested tree; (2) an artificial tree; or (3) a live, potted tree. Now there is a fourth option - the “Windfall Tree.” With our custom trunk stands you can build your own tree in very much the same way you would compose a bouquet of flowers. You can build a traditional monoculture tree or let your creativity run wild by mixing various branches from firs, pines, spruces, cedars and even deciduous branches; holly, rosemary or whatever else you can find to easily create a unique tree for your holiday. Windfall Branches “Windfall” is a term giving to trees, branches or fruit that has fallen down or broken off naturally from the wind. While in most cases it might be hard to find enough material on the ground to build a true 100% windfall tree, just including some windfall materials makes a strong connection to the cycle of life in nature, the need to conserve, reuse and perhaps create a more symbolic alignment with what the season should be about. A Family Tree Sharing Branches and Making Connections Another nice way to make your Windfall Tree meaningful is by sharing branches from the homes of family, friends and loved ones. The fond memories of a family getting together and going out in to the country to get are tree are difficult to achieve in this day and age, and going to a store parking lot to pick out a tree is not as romantic as it could be. With a Windfall Tree, you can spend the first few weeks of December gathering and exchanging branches with friends and family. Someone you know may have a tree that needs a little pruning. One branch off of a large tree can provide enough for a whole Windfall Tree. When you build a Windfall Tree, incorporating branches from family and friends, you create a loving symbol of connections in your home, a new kind of family tree. (Now compare those warm and fuzzy thoughts to a lead laced, PVC tree, shipped from a polluting factory from the other side of the world. (See “Pros & Cons) Beauty and Diversity With a Windfall Tree you are not restricted to a mono-cultural option. While you could build a tree with only one species of branches, it is much more enjoyable to mix it up a little. With our rich diversity of hardy winter evergreens, why limit yourself? Multi-species Windfall Trees are beautiful even without decoration. A Totem Tree The Branches Tell the Story The stories behind a harvested or artificial tree are sad ones. We can do so much better than that. With a Windfall Tree, each branch can have a story: a family-walk in a park after a windy day; a visit to friend’s house; rosemary from the grandparents; holly from your neighbor; dried flowers from a wedding; a hike in the Olympics or vacation to the desert. Each branch tells a story. The experience can be an educational activity for your kids as well. A Celestial Story My daughter and I collected a couple of windfall branches from under the Moon Tree located on the state capitol campus in Olympia Washington to incorporate into our Windfall Tree. It was very educational and quite a story!