in every shopping mall in the country. One garden writer I know even dismisses poinsettias as “nothing more than Christmas wrapping paper.” Sonia Day is a freelance contributor to the Star.

There are many perks to using artificial Christmas trees during the holidays ... or a calmer alternative like lavender. You can easily purchase essential oils online in a variety of scents.

You might think a fake Christmas tree that you can reuse year after year ... This can reduce winter damage for plants like lavender and rosemary that sometimes don’t survive the cold months.

Both flower and foliage of the Heteropyxis natalensis tree emits a pleasant lavender scent when lightly crushed. PHOTO: Submitted ONE of our most useful indigenous trees is the lavender tree ...