Leslie Perrin: My Favorite Plant

By Leslie Perrin
from The Punch, Jan/Feb '07

This time of year what would our homes be like without the ever glowing beauty of a decorated Christmas tree. The day after Thanksgiving my husband hurried out to do his honorary job of selecting the perfect Christmas tree. I always chime in before he departs, “not so fat, we don’t have the space.” Well, he did come home with the most beautiful Balsam Fir. It stood 10 feet tall and was as full as any tree I had ever seen.

That night our usual get together for the Christmas tree decorating took place with friends and family. The smell of the fresh cut tree was glorious, along with the many pine cones that were still perfectly in tact. About two weeks before Christmas I walked into the living room to light the tree and noticed tiny buds all over the Balsam Fir from top to bottom. Some buds were covered with a paper thin husk like a popped corn kernel. Others were a vibrant fluorescent green with the husk starting to flake off. The Christmas tree was growing. I called out to my family with excitement.

Everyone who has been to our home has been amazed to see the “touched by an Angel” tree. We call it the miracle tree because no one has ever witnessed such a thing. Not my 80 year old Mother, not my 58 year old landscape architect cousin, not my neighbor Roy Guste, not my sisters, not any of our friends or passers-by who peer through our French doors at the beautiful Christmas tree. McDonogh 15 principal, Gary Robichaux, asked if we wanted to plant it in the school yard to see if it will continue to grow. We may just take him up on that!

If you make it to the next Patio Planters meeting, perhaps you would like to stroll by after and take a look for yourself! It is truly amazing.