By Pam Johnson, Courier Senior Staff Writer:
You’ve heard of the Ghost of Christmas Past–now meet the trees of Christmas Future. Two “new” white spruce trees that appear to have grown overnight on the Town Green are actually part of a master plan by Guilford Tree Warden Kevin Magee. Magee hopes to ensure the town will have a healthy, hearty Christmas tree to deck with lights and help ring in the holiday season for many years to come.
“We’re trying to start a new progression for the Christmas tree on the Green,” he said.
The town’s current tree, across from the Whitfield Street shops, reaches 65 feet and was put into tree-lighting action after an electrical outlet was installed near it a few years ago. It replaced a much smaller tree that had been planted across from Town Hall and served for just one year, before failing to become established and grow.
The plan to add strategically-placed, future Christmas-worthy trees to the Green was hatched in November; after Director of Facilities Clifford Gurnham notified Magee that two pines at Guilford High School needed to be removed.
“The trees are 15 feet high and were creating a fence issue,” explained Magee.
The two healthy trees were originally planted at the school as part of a class project, he added.
Instead of cutting down the trees, Magee contacted the Guilford Garden Club, now in its second year of a town-wide tree planting effort, and secured a donation to help have the trees uprooted and replanted on the Green.
As soon as the school building cleared for the Thanksgiving holiday, Magee and the hired tree-removal professionals arrived at the New England Road campus. Traveling with them was an impressive tree-moving machine also known as a “tree spade.”
“The work was arranged by Nick Vallas of The Care of Trees, who subcontracted Mountain Tree Movers to transplant the White Spruce Trees,” said Magee.
With a big assist from the giant spade, the trees were plucked, roots, soil plug and all; and delivered to the Town Green. One was planted along Park Street (across from Town Hall), the other along Whitfield Street (across from the Purple Bear shop).
About one month later, the transplanted trees look healthy. Magee expects to see them become established and grow.
“They look good right now. I know The Care of Trees gave them nutrients after they were transplanted. It will take about a year to see if they made it and start growing,” he said.