(Right): A train ride for kids was added to the Christmas Tree Farm; Rows of South Carolina Christmas trees ready for the season; On weekends, Santa makes an appearance at the farm. Fraser Fir and Balsam Fir, Lebanon Christmas Tree Farm ships those fresh-cut from North Carolina and stands them up in a forest setting, so families can still get the experience of choosing and cutting their perfect tree. “It’s not a Christmas tree lot; it’s like you are picking out a tree from the field, that’s what we were going for,” Velarde said. “We ship premium, top-rated trees that are fuller and prettier.” For a lifelong Christmas tree farmer in South Carolina, Julianna is partial to the local trees grown in Ridgeville. “My favorite has to be the Carolina sapphire; I call this the ‘Lowcountry favorite’ because it’s native to South Carolina, it has a blueish tint to it and I love smell; it is so fragrant and beautiful, it is definitely my favorite,” Velarde said. Lebanon Christmas Tree Farms takes care of everything; providing saws and chainsaws (although you can bring your own), netting and even securing your tree on top of your vehicle. Starting on <strong>Nov</strong>. 20, the tree farm will welcome people to the property for the <strong>2021</strong> season. Julianna has built upon the tree-cutting experience over the last decade, now adding the weekend attraction “Santa’s Workshop” with train rides, hay rides, hot cocoa and apple cider, a food truck, meeting with Santa and even letting children mail letters to Santa, where each and every one gets a mailed response. “On the weekends, we have Santa, Mrs. Claus and holiday arts and crafts and I usually add more things each year, like a scavenger hunt,” she said. Many families end up picking a tree and then spending hours exploring the fields among rows of planted trees, visiting Santa’s Workshop and enjoying refreshments and activities. “We have this holding station for trees when people choose and cut their trees and we always think someone cut down a tree and left it here, but really they’ve been spending the entire day on the tree farm. They always come back and get their tree,” Velarde said. Julianna said that seeing the same families come back each year to the Christmas tree farm is what keeps her going. “It’s so sweet to see the families who come every year and we get to know them. If we didn’t see someone, my dad and I would talk and say, ‘so-and-so didn’t come, we better check on them.’” This is a bittersweet year for Julianna; it’s the first year Velarde is running the farm without her father, who passed away in August. Her husband, Cesar Velarde, was granted <strong>Nov</strong>ember off from active-duty military to help his wife and the business. Owning and running a tree farm is a full-time job. Pruning, watering, maintenance, pest control and more are required to get the full, bushy trees worthy of a holiday home. “Growing up, my father taught me how to plant trees, prune them, use fertilizer, spray weed control...we were right there together drinking iced tea while doing it,” she said. “People don’t realize it’s a full time job, it’s Monday-Friday and there’s always something that needs to be done on the Christmas trees— we even spray a food coloring-based product to make them more traditional green.” To keep the tree farm replenished, every January, they take inventory of how many were cut down that season in order to know how many more need to be planted. PHOTO ALEECE SOPHIA 92 | <strong>Charleston</strong><strong>Living</strong>Mag.com
<strong>Nov</strong>ember/<strong>Dec</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong> | 93