Paper or plastic?

I've enjoyed getting a glimpse of some of the holiday decorations other bloggers have shared. And really, who can resist the plastic palm tree at Clay and Limestone?  Or the video of 64 garden-themed ornaments at May Dreams Gardens?

And of course, being gardeners, we'd all like to do the green thing tree-wise. Some bloggers come down on the side of plastic (reusable), others prefer a live tree (compostable, I guess), or a potted tree. I myself actually think I have the solution to the conundrum. Above is the tree that my uncle gave me at as a gift when I started college. It's about 3 feet high, holds a fair number of ornaments, looks beautiful with candles lit (look Ma, no electricity!) or not, and can be disassebled and stuck into a drawer.

I supplement the tree with the holiday ornament below, which I received as a gift from my sister at approximately the same time. There are singing angels on the second floor and a small nativity scene on the first. The while thing turns when you light the candles.

And finally, for the fragrance of trees, I have a vase with juniper, pine, and redwood branches. My neighbors just had their pine trees radically trimmed, and the other two are from my own garden. I've hung some straw stars and some angels on the branches.

Happy holidays to all my blogging and blog-reading friends. May the New Year be filled with joy, with rain at just the right time, and flowers all year.