[dropcap]C[/dropcap]hristmas and other winter holidays bring out the desire to fill our homes with greenery and decorative flowers. With a little extra care and forethought, many of these wonderful plants can continue to thrive long after December becomes just a distant memory.
Choosing a living Christmas tree is a great place to start. You can have it indoors for the holiday season, and then enjoy it for the rest of the year as a beautiful addition to your landscape. The trick is to choose the right type of tree that can survive indoors for three weeks or so, and then thrive in our soil and climate.
Some options to consider are Leyland Cypress and Arizona Cypress. If you live in the Elgin-Bastrop area then the Afghan Pine is a good choice. It will grow west of that area, but will not grow quite as strong because of our alkaline soil.
