Tree hunting is fun

Picking a Christmas tree at Wonderland Christmas Tree Farm is an experience, not just a shopping expedition.

"It's the experience of cutting the tree," Jill Babb said, explaining that families come together and search through rows upon rows of pines, firs, spruce and cypress in an effort to select their favorite tree based on color, shape, fragrance and feel of the needles.

Jill and Martin Babb opened Wonderland Christmas Tree Farm last year. They operated a tree farm in Omaha, Ark., for years.

The farm will open Nov. 19, but has been busy for weeks. Three photographers have contracted to use the farm and have been accepting clients for Christmas photographs for Christmas cards. And, the Babbs, along with three of their grown children, have been preparing the farm for the Christmas season in addition to building a gift shop.

Martin Babb, a ship captain, works long hours when home. He shears the trees with a special tool that allows him to prune the trees in the traditional Christmas tree shape. That pruning makes the inside branches grow more full.

"I sheared three times this year," Martin said, explaining that he can shear about 1,000 trees a day.

The Babbs are replacing last year's gift shop, which was in a portable building, with a much larger shop that is 20 feet by 40 feet; they are also expanding the parking. Hot chocolate and Christmas cookies, gifts, ornaments, mantle garlands and wreaths are available in the shop. There are also miniature trees for table decoration, Jill said.

The couple planted 3,000 trees this past year with 3,400 more coming to be planted for next year. Trees for sale begin at about five feet tall and range up to 12 feet tall. Prices depend on size and species. A five- to six-foot Virginia pine is $38.

"A lot of people love the Frazier firs, especially because of their fragrance," Jill said.

"The Leyland cypress is lacy," Martin said, adding that some people prefer cedars because they evoke memories of their childhood trees. "The Scotch pine are gorgeous but have sharp needles."

There are pre-cut trees available as well as cut-your-own. Species available include Fraser fir, Concolor fir, Scotch pine, Virginia pine, Leyland cypress, eastern white pine, southwestern white pine, blue spruce, Meyer spruce and Turkish fir.

In the rural setting, just minutes from Pea Ridge, Martin and Jill Babb have turned a hobby into a business -- a business they moved from Omaha, Ark., when they moved to Pea Ridge in 2009.

The Christmas tree farm is five minutes from the south four-way stop in Pea Ridge, 20 minutes from Bella Vista, 40 minutes from Anderson, Mo., 20 minutes from Rogers or Bentonville and 45 minutes from Fayetteville.

The Babbs said they want to provide a fun, wholesome family experience for Christmas on the 38 acres of Christmas trees ready for new homes. They have carefully orchestrated the experience for their customers, providing Christmas music playing over outside speakers and a hayride to transport customers into the fields to find the perfect tree. For those who prefer to walk, tree carts are available to carry the trees out of the field.

"We have everything except the gloves," Martin said, explaining that bow saws are available on site.

Once back up by the shed, trees may be placed in corrals, then in the "tree shaker" to remove dead needles. The tree is bagged and placed on the customers' cars or in trucks. To make it easy to tie the trees to vehicles, Babb built wooden boxes, which a vehicle parks between. Twine runs through PVC pipe, which allows people to thread the twine through the tree limbs over the car to tie it on.

Growing Christmas trees began as a hobby and flourished as Babb continued to educate himself on the trees. He experiments with different species and plants as many as 3,000 2-year-old seedlings every year.

"I started trying to grow trees," Martin said, adding that he eventually "figured it out."

"It's in him," Jill said of Martin. "He just loves trees."