MOUNT PLEASANT, N.Y. For decades, Green Valley Nursery in Hawthorne has offered residents of Mount Pleasant an array of decorations for the Christmas season.
People and their families have been coming here for years, said Barbara Kijak, owner and operator of Green Valley. Its become a family tradition of sorts.
Opened in 1947, each year Green Valley sells dozens of authentic Christmas trees ranging in size from three feet to 14 feet tall, beginning the weekend after Thanksgiving. The yard in which the trees are placed allows each tree to be fully open, allowing customers to see the tree exactly as it would be placed in their home. Kijak said this is a distinct advantage that the nursery can offer residents, as opposed to some larger corporations, such as the nearby Home Depot just down the road in Hawthorne.
Some places the trees are all wrapped up already when their sitting there so you cant even see what youre getting when you buy it until you open it up when you get home, Kijak said.
This year, Kijak said the most popular type of tree at the nursery is the fraser fur, which is shipped in from North Carolina. Although the nearby Home Depot may be able to sell trees for less, the local nursery offers hospitable services, such as fresh cuts and scheduled home delivery. The nursery also dedicates an entire section of the store to custom wreath making where customers can choose a wreath and decorate it with various bells, ribbons, and pinecones.
We like to call it Santas workshop because you can create basically any type of wreath, Kijak said.
Kijaks family has owned and operated the nursery for over 60 years and she has worked there since she was a young girl. Over the many years, her favorite thing during this time of year remains the same.
I just love every year when everyone comes in theyre always in such a happy and great mood, Kijak said. No one complains and theyre just in the holiday spirit.
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