SYDNEY, N.S. — More people are buying Christmas trees — and much earlier — this year, according to local growers.
David Mombourquette, who has been operating Green Hills Farm for the past 15 years, said the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a noticeable increase in business at his Albert Bridge farm this year than ever before.
“I think people are just ready for Christmas — a happy time with their family — and the Christmas tree is a pretty integral part of people’s traditions, I guess,” he told the Cape Breton Post this week. “We had people taking trees home last weekend. That’s very unusual for us.”
Kevin Elworthy of Elworthy's Nature In Bloom Greenhouse on George Street has been cultivating Christmas trees for nearly 40 years. He said business typically picks up the first and second weekends of December, but customers began picking up trees in mid-November.
“It has been extremely busy — a lot busier than normal,” he said.
“It’s basically because a lot of people are home and they’re going to be home for Christmas and they want to decorate a lot earlier.”
Mombourquette said the pandemic has also led people back to their roots when it comes to celebrating the holidays.
“A lot of people who haven’t had a real tree in a long time are actually going back to a real tree for family traditions — I think it kind of coincides with everything that’s been going on in 2020.”
Of course, with more folks getting their trees earlier, keeping them green and healthy into the new year can be a bit of a challenge.
Both Mombourquette and Elworthy said the key is to keep them well-watered — particularly in the first week.
