Margaret Cheasebro

Every year, my wonderful neighbors fill their yard with blow-up Christmas decorations of sleighs, reindeer, gingerbread men, Santa's helpers, snowmen, North Pole memorabilia, candy canes, Christmas trees, and so much more. On the roof over their front door sits a red Christmas helicopter with its propeller turning.

They decorate their yard to entertain their grandchildren and to bring holiday cheer to children of all ages. Every year I benefit from their magnanimous gift to everyone fortunate enough to see what they create. It takes them hours and hours to put up. The electric lights and motorized parts on some of their displays add many dollars to their electricity bill. But that never stops them.

Once they take down and store away their Christmas displays, they put up more for Valentine's Day, Easter, Independence Day, Halloween, and probably a few other occasions I don't remember at the moment. I feel fortunate to live next to them.

One of their Christmas displays includes a blue dinosaur with a red Christmas hat. It picks up and sets down a Christmas tree many times throughout the day. When I take walks through the neighborhood, I always slow down as I walk by their yard so I can enjoy their colorful decorations.

We each celebrate Christmas in our own ways. I am happy to live next door to people who choose to celebrate by turning their yard into a delightful realm of Christmas magic.

December is here, and we are well into the Christmas season. With the generosity that permeates this season, I thought about ways we could honor trees, help our local communities and do something positive for the planet on which we live.

I didn't have to come up with my own plan, because the business in Farmington, NM, where I buy a lot of my flowers and bushes, San Juan Nurseries Inc., already has a great plan in mind. It might be a fun Christmas season activity to check with the nursery in whatever town, state or country you live in to see if that nursery also has a plan involving trees for the Christmas season.

Here's how the one at San Juan Nurseries works. People may come in to buy a live Christmas tree in a pot at the nursery and use it in their home for a Christmas tree. After Christmas is over, they can donate the live tree to the city of Farmington or to any other business that participates. If you are going to do that, San Juan Nurseries will give you a discount on the purchase of the tree.

If you donate the tree after Christmas to the city of Farmington, the city will use it in medians and parks and around corporate buildings. The nursery is working with the city on a botanical garden at Gateway Museum. Some of the trees will be used on the river walk, a lovely trail system along the Animas River that runs through Farmington. Gateway Museum may also use the trees in other ways that promote the Christmas season and keep the trees alive and healthy.

I am sure San Juan Nurseries and the city of Farmington are not the only nurseries and cities that have plans to promote planting trees in the community. Check out your own favorite nursery in your own town to see what opportunities are available to spread Christmas cheer and allow you to support businesses and the community as well.

It brings a smile to my face to think of all the live trees that could be added to my community so that it benefits from the many wonderful things that trees do for us.