Not too big, not too small and especially no bare branches. The search for the perfect Christmas tree is in full swing. This Saturday is a peak time at the Intratuin and at Christmas tree seller Peter Dielissen in Rosmalen.
There is a lot of choice at the Intratuin, but that is no problem for mother Kelly and her three-year-old daughter Lily. “I have a good helper with me. It is fun to choose a tree together. My boyfriend doesn’t like it as much when it is so busy, but he adapts for a while,” Kelly laughs. And when asked which balls will go on the tree, Lily already knows the answer. “Elsa Christmas balls with Olaf on them.”
Visitor Jan also knows exactly what he wants. “The perfect tree must be the right size. The tree I chose fits in our room. It has a nice shape. Round and full. And it’s a Nordmann, right? A Nordmann holds its needles well and remains beautiful until the end.” Jan waits a little longer to decorate his tree. “Tomorrow it will be carefully decorated and on Monday we will complete the tree 100 percent. We do this with care and diligence.”
Mats Vos is a sales employee at the Intratuin and he loves that all those enthusiastic people come to choose a tree. “Some people grab the first available tree, but there are also people who walk around here for three days. They come back a week later to get the tree, which is nice to see.”
“A Nordmann stays green for a long time, it does not sting and it is a very wide tree.”
It’s not just the garden center that is busy looking for the most beautiful tree. People are also queuing at Christmas tree seller Peter Dielissen. “You see that everyone wants a Nordmann. A Nordmann stays green for a long time, it does not sting and it is a very wide tree.” It is a beautiful and challenging time for Peter, who does this together with his brother. “We start at half past eight in the morning and we are busy until half past eight in the evening. Seven days a week.”
Peter’s work is not in vain, because visitors walk around with happy faces. “I really enjoy choosing the tree and decorating it together. We waited until after Sinterklaas, because we have two small children. When Santa is gone, the tree can come,” says Maarten, who chooses a tree together with his children.
Maarten’s children know exactly what is so important about the right Christmas tree. “That it fits in our house,” says daughter Vie. “And that it is not too bald,” Thijn adds.
“It’s wide at the bottom and thin at the top.”
Two other visitors take it seriously. “We found the tree. It is wide at the bottom and thin at the top. ”, say father and son. They are going to set it up first, but not rig it up immediately. “We give the tree a lot of water and tomorrow we hang the balls in it. He has to sink first.”
Setting up is primarily part of the children’s duties. “But after five minutes my mother takes over,” says the son. His father knows why that happens. “Yes, she thinks she knows better. But yes, mothers decide what the house looks like, including the Christmas tree. And we can do the carrying work!”
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