Different Trees For Different Needs

Very few things embody the notion of “Deck the Halls” more than an ornate Christmas tree.

The iconic image of a green pine tree has been weaved throughout the annals of Christmas lore for centuries, and for many the holidays are not complete without their favorite ornaments on its branches.

It is no different in the Hamptons, where yuletide revelers have myriad options for selecting a top-notch centerpiece for their Christmas celebrations. In many cases, where to get the tree is just as important as the tree itself, with family traditions formed on a tree lot.

“We are definitely a holiday tradition,” said Catherine Mashburn, an employee at East Hampton Gardens. “We offer hot cider, cookies and candy, so we have had people coming here for 20 years and look forward to coming every year.”

On the East End, many Christmas tree retailers stick to Fraser and balsam fir trees—a family of trees that are known for needle retention. Most stores will begin carrying the trees right after Thanksgiving, selling up to Christmas Eve and, in some cases, Christmas morning.

According to Ms. Mashburn, the garden center located at 16 Gingerbread Lane turns into Christmas central for the month of December, offering primarily Fraser fir trees from Canada. Along with selling trees, garland, potted plants, artificial trees and wreaths, the store is known for having its own Christmas Shop, with small gifts and holiday treats.

In Southampton, local shops go just as big. At Lynch’s Garden Center, 175 North Sea Road, the store is known for its end-of-year display centered around a jolly Santa Claus taking pictures with children and an antique train set. Also primarily sticking to the fir family of trees from Canada and North Carolina, Lynch’s specializes in both decorated and non-decorated wreaths, and will deliver trees directly to a customer’s house in a tree stand to avoid hassle when it comes time to decorate.

“We have a whole holiday village that we set up in a corner,” said Rick Fowler, co-owner of the village store. “For a lot of families, they come together and they browse our selection looking for the perfect tree for them. A lot of families come.”

A main attraction for Lynch’s is Santa Claus, who has been taking pictures with kids on weekends for the past several years, free of charge.

Lynch’s received their first shipment of trees just before Thanksgiving and is already in full swing this Christmas season.

A little farther east, in Bridgehampton, at the corner of Montauk Highway and Lockwood Avenue, Small Potato has been selling Christmas trees since 1996, when owner Liz Linker began renting the property. At the small corner lot location, customers are waved in by St. Nicholas himself—an honor which is usually bestowed upon the newest employee to the business.

Specifically specializing in Fraser firs from North Carolina, Ms. Linker said the tree lot is a small side business that she uses to help the community and decompress from a long year. She added that $10 from every tree purchased is donated to Our Lady of the Hamptons School.

“We do it to have fun,” she laughed while sitting outside of the lot. “People come from all over just to get a tree from us. It really is a Hamptons tradition.”

For Small Potatoes, it really is a family business, with Ms. Linker saying she first opened shop to teach her son, Bryce, about running a business and using a cash register. “I had Bryce in September, and I opened Small Potatoes that Thanksgiving,” she laughed. “There he was, on day one, in his little bassinet—customers thought it was baby Jesus!”

Along with the trees, patrons can get decorated and non-decorated wreaths, garland, roping and potted plants.

“It really is just to give back to the community and a chance for me to change gears instead of sitting in an office or working outside with my crew,” Ms. Linker said. “It is something I do for fun and to spread holiday cheer.”