CasaSugar

Cool Idea: Tree Stump Relief Printing

CasaSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:00:00 -0700

For good reason, environmentalists are up in arms over rain forests being bulldozed for their timber value, one of the earth's greatest biological treasures left carved down to sad little stumps. If I were to play devil's advocate, I'd call up Bryan Nash Gill, who has translated a dismal tree stump into something beautiful. Through relief printing and a laborious rubbing technique, Bryan created the print Hemlock 82 ($4,000), essentially a manual Xerox of the gorgeous growth rings of one section of a tree. To do so, he rolls ink out onto the stump and places a piece of hand-crafted Washi paper onto the "print block." Then, he presses the paper with his fingertips little by little, imprinting the texture of the wood onto the surface of the paper. Jaw-droppingly beautiful. I love the idea that something dead can be given a new life with this technique - or a dozen lives, seeing as it's a limited-edition of 12.

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Name This Tree

CasaSugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 07:00:19 -0800

This tree may be losing its leaves, but its pear-like pods look bountiful indeed. The pods are actually tough husks that contain a seed. The seed of this tree is considered good luck, and if it's ground and leached thoroughly, it then has medicinal properties. Can you name the tree? (Hint: It shares a name with a Big Ten team.)

Midday Muse: Happy Valentine's Day

CasaSugar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:00:22 -0800

Whether you're a Valentine's Day curmudgeon or a full-blown romantic, I think you can agree that this is one pretty picture. So, at the risk of you telling me to hush my mouth, I wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!

Photo courtesy of Kakadu

How To: Recycle Your Tree

CasaSugar — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 14:00:21 -0800

Now that the holidays are over, your Christmas tree may be dropping needles like crazy. But don’t throw your natural tree away! Take a look at my tips on what to do with your tree after the holidays:

Mulch it! Mulching programs are common in communities. Check with your local department of public works for information on mulching your tree, or see if it can be left with your green bin.
Stop erosion. See if your community uses Christmas trees as soil erosion barriers. These barriers are particularly effective along beaches and on river beds.
It's for the birds! Place the Christmas tree in the garden or backyard and use it as a bird feeder and sanctuary. Make your tree extra-irresistible by placing fresh orange slices or strung popcorn in the branches.
Garden mulch. Since a Christmas tree is biodegradable, its branches may be removed, chipped, and used as mulch in the garden.

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How To: Keep Your Tree Looking Its Best

CasaSugar — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 09:05:42 -0800

To keep your tree looking its best (and to limit the amount of time you spend hand vacuuming up needles), make sure that it has plenty of water. Maintaining a steady water supply will prevent the needles from drying out and dropping off. It will also help to keep the boughs from drooping (and potentially causing ornaments to fall off). Best of all, in my opinion, a well-watered tree will be very fragrant!

For a list of other great tree life span-lengthening tips, just read more

Always keep the tree stand filled with water.
Did you know that dried sap will form a seal over your tree's cut stump within several hours if the water level falls below the base of the tree? If this happens, you'll have to make another cut in the bottom of the stump! Hot water will help to soften sap and encourage water absorption.
A tree will absorb as much as a gallon of water or more in the 24 hours after it is cut, and one or more quarts everyday after.
Keep your tree out of a high-traffic area. This will prevent jostling and also prevent pets, kids, and guests from potentially knocking the tree over or spilling water from the tree stand.

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How To: Make Your Tree Stand and Deliver

CasaSugar — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 12:52:10 -0800

If you've struggled with getting your tree perfectly situated in its stand, then take a look at my list of tips for getting the perfect tree stand fit. (And this way you won't have to worry about your tree toppling over in the middle of the night!)

Just before putting your tree in the stand, cut off a disk of wood from the base of the trunk about 0.5 to 1 inch thick to make sure that the tree has a fresh cut for absorbing water. Alternately, have the tree lot salesperson do this just before leaving.
Do not make a v-shaped or angled cut. This makes it difficult to keep the tree steady in its stand. It also makes it difficult to keep the tree hydrated.
Do not cut off too much trunk, or it will be hard to secure the tree trunk in the stand.
Make sure your stand is the right size for your tree. You don't want something too big or too small.
Stands with circular rings at the top are better for smaller trees, while open stands allow for more range in trunk size.

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How To: Get Your Tree Home

CasaSugar — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 15:00:28 -0800

Lately I've been seeing trees precariously tied to the tops of cars - I even saw one slide off the top of a station wagon over the weekend! To ensure that transporting your tree is safe for you, your special tree, and for everyone else in the vicinity, please check out my tips for getting your tree home for the holidays.

To see my tips, just read more

If your travel time is in excess of 15 minutes, wrap the tree in a tarp, or place it in the back of a pick-up that has a topper. Winds of 60 mph, especially when combined with weather, can damage a tree quickly.
Put the bottom of the tree aiming forward to protect the needles from being blown off.
Tie your tree securely! If the tree is carried on the outside of a vehicle, loose ties can be a hazard to your valuable tree, your car, you, and other travelers, so relearn your knots or bring someone who knows how to tie them well.

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Casa Verde: Save the Christmas Trees!

CasaSugar — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:00:53 -0800

A recent This Old House article discussed the virtues of live Christmas trees. One family in the article brings in a live tree to trim indoors, and after the holiday is over, they plant the tree on their three-acre property. "You can look at it every year and think, remember when we did that?" points out landscape contractor Roger Cook. "It's fun for kids because you can point to it and say, 'That's your tree.' You can't do that when the tree's ground into wood chips."

Live trees are also fresher, and thus more fragrant, add value to your landscape property after they are planted, and can begin a family tradition. However, the trees are heavy, may cost twice as much as a cut tree, and cannot immediately be planted if you live in an area that gets a hard freeze. Still, I think it's a good option for folks who have some outdoor acreage to spare. I even know of a family in Berkeley who bought a live tree last year and then planted it in a local wildlife preserve after the holidays, so the possibilities are even there for apartment dwellers.

Is a live tree something that you would consider?

If you're curious, you can read the whole article here.

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Deck the Haus: Urban Outfitters Charlie Brown Tree

CasaSugar — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 05:00:22 -0800

I've had a love/hate relationship with Charlie Brown ever since I was a kid. In fact, if truth be told, I probably relate more to Lucy and her football than Chuck and his constant anxieties. Still, I can't resist this Charlie Brown Christmas tree $24. An exact replica of the tree from the cartoon, made of bendable wire branches and plastic needles with a criss-cross wooden base, the set comes with one red Christmas ball ornament, because that's how Chuck would want it. Granted it's a bit of a high price to pay for some plastic and wood bits, but the true Charlie Brown fan will love you for this gift.

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Tips on Selecting the Best Tree

CasaSugar — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 07:13:51 -0800

I love looking for a Christmas tree. There's always such anticipation as I head down the fir-filled rows of wrapped trees at the tree lot. But don't let a sentimental attachment to a particular tree get the best of you. Use some common sense tips to get the best tree for your money.

To see my tips, just read more

Make Sure Your Tree is Healthy! Avoid any tree that's dropping green needles, has dry, brittle twigs or smells musty.
Get the right size for the job. A too-large tree is going to just be a pain in the butt to hack down to size. I spent one holiday getting my hands and clothes all sappy while I took a hand saw to the bottom foot of our tree. Avoid this unfavorable scenario by using our handy tree height guide.
Check the bottom branches. Are there large branches at the bottom of the tree? If so, see if the lot attendant can remove these before you take it home and attempt to put it in your tree stand.

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