December 6, 2012 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
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I i i
~ial !~ ~ an independent By ~RDON WEEKS
a a ~!~ ~mp~nyi gordo n~_~won co u n ty.com
Bauer Con-
atmg The owners of downtown Shelton
Sue R~U ~ bee~ ~ hlgheS~ p~fo~man~ ral shops are joining forces.
S h e m the release. ~thoug
elor : of communities, we have
Science maintained a 5~Star rat-
d e g r e e ing while being able to
Sue in ae- serve our members at the
retired it Uni0n'was founded in
government accountant. 1941 and operates six
The Belfair office is branches throughout Ma-
Sally O'Dell, owner of Ferguson
Flowers, is closing her doors at 627 W.
Railroad Ave., and moving her sales and
arranging talents three blocks to Lynch
Creek Floral, owned by her friend Col-
leen Hunter.
'Tee're moving forward as a team,
and we're just thrilled," Hunter said.
'%Ve're both very excited about it,"
O'Dell said.
Hunter called the new partnership "a
perfect fit."
'Tee both have the same goals: excel-
lent customer service, and knowing that
what we do is important work," Hunter
said. '%Ve love meeting people's needs."
O'Dell agreed. '%Ve do the same
things," she said.
Both say the merger allows each to
take some time off, and it adds more
flexibility in their scheduling.
The two have been friends for about
20 years since meeting as neighbors on
Lynch Road.
Journal photo by Gordon Weeks
Long-time friends Colleen Hunter, left, owner of Lynch Creek
Floral, and Sally O'Dell, owner of Ferguson Flowers, are
merging their talents at Lynch Creek Floral, 331 W. Railroad
Ave., in downtown Shelton.
O'Dell has owned Ferguson Flowers old hardware store.
for about 12 years. Ferguson Flowers O~Dell said she kept the name be-
has been in business for 70 or 80 years, cause of its long tradition. Past and
and originally conducted business on current customers call from all over the
the 100 block of Railroad Avenue in the country, she said.
300,:at the end of McLen- to host 2013
Mason General
Businesses interested
in hosting a Shelton Ma-
son County C~mber of
Commerce membership
assistant
can call the ~orgamza-
tion at 426-2021 or email
at Mountain View Worn-2013 are open:the June
en's Health at the Mason 20 membership meet-
General ing luncheon, the July:
Family of membership meeting lun-
CIinics. cheon, the Nov. 13 Busi-
J a ~ ness After Hours, and the
cobs~:who Dec. tl Business After
started Hours.
s ee i n g
Learn to make
A free Business Build-
on making
Journal photo by Gordon Weeks
Brewer Christmas Trees and Wreaths outside Shelton has been a family enterprise since 1980.
Patriarch Bob Brewer died unexpectantly in January, but matriarch Gail Brewer, center with
3-month-old grandson Carsen Bobby Hunter, continues with the help of many family members,
including grandson Cody Dewall and sister-in-law Carolyn McGrath. 'My children are helping
me, and we're carrying on,' Brewer said.
Locals provide bushy noble and Douglas firs to their na- The slower growth makes the trees full-
five pine trees, er, he said. '~hey weren't just whips."
backbone for county "(The pines are) good in the house for It takes eight to 10 years to grow a
about one day, and then they lose their Christmas tree six to eight feet.
needles," said Bill Hunter Sr. "They don't mind the rain," Hunter
Christmas
: .4 ÷~..,
tree
tnct~stt)/ In 1948, Hunter and his brother Jim said. 'q~ney need plenty of moisture."
bought 30 to 40 acres of trees near their The customers at Brewer's Christ-
family farm in Union and sold the exist- mas Trees are mostly Mason County
By GORDON WEEKS ing Douglas firs as Christmas trees. They and Olympia-area residents, and Se-
gor~b~nO_.~oncounty.com now oversee 60 acres of pines, spruce, and attle folks who have cabins and vacation
Douglas, as well as grand and Shasta firs. homes in the area, Brewer said.
Allen's Tree Farm is also a family 'q~ey come down on Thanksgiving
Gail Brewer, matriarch of the family venture: Allen's father grew Christmas and get a tree and it's a tradition for
business Brewer's Christmas Trees out- trees. "I learned to like it as a teenager, them," she said.
side Shelton, occasionally spots former and I still do," he said. Allen's Christmas Tree Farm sells its
longtime customers examining her 25 Brewer's Christmas Trees lost its pa- trees wholesale to markets mostly from
acres of trees on West Deegan Road. triarch when Bob Brewer died unexpect- Tacoma to Everett. For 34 years, they've
When Brewer asks them where edly in January. But three generations sold at stands in Bellevue and Kirkland,
they've been, 'q'hey shyly say, 'I bought of the family are 'pitching in. Brewer's with only the Kirkland stand open this
......an artificial tree, and we got sick of it. grandson Cody Dewall has taken charge year. For the past five years, they've sold
We threw it out. It just wasn't the same. of the U-cut operation, to U-cut customers.
It wasn't pretty, it didn't smell good, we "My children are helping me and we're Bay View Farm in Victor now caters
missed cutting it down,' ~ Brewer said. canh~g on ... This year is bittersweet, solely to U-cut customers. Russ and Patti
She added, '%Ve like hearing that from but we're getting by," Brewer said. Schillinger began planting trees on 60
them: They got rid of their plastic trees." Thirty years ago, the most popular to 70 acres in the early 1970s. They now
Nevertheless, many of Mason Coun- tree was the Douglas fir, but today's is cultivate about 30 to 35 acres.
ty's largest Christmas tree farms have the noble fir, Allen said. Customers like BayViewFarmsusedtosupplyChrist-
downsized or gone out of business. '%he keepability," he said. 'q'hey don't mas tree lots in King County, but now it
~i ~ "Mason County and Kitsap County had drop their needles; they stay green." hosts only customers with saws, primar-
..... the big Christmas tree industry 25 years A newcomer is the Nordman fir. ily families from throughout the region.
Wi Ghiden ago, but the business has changed ... The "The Nordman is coming to be very "It's younger people with kids, who
biggest thing is the artificial tree has tak- popular, next to the nobles (in popular- want to run around in the woods,"
en a huge bite out ofthe market," said Jay ity)," Brewer said. 'q2aey stay fresh a long said daughter Karen Johnson, who for
Allen, whose business, Allen's Christmas time, with normal care." 29 years has also created Christmas
Tree Farm in Tahuya, peaked at about Nordman firs are like noble firs, '%ut wreaths at the farm.
t00,000 trees on 100 acres a few years ago. they hold up better, and have a silvery, As for artificial trees, Patti points out
But holiday revelers from throughout blue cast to them," said Brewer's sister- that some people are allergic to real trees.
Western Washington continue to make in-law Carolyn McGrath, who has helped "The biggest drawback is storing
their annual pilgrimage to Mason County at the farm for eight years, them, as far as I'm concerned," Russ said
to select and cut a Christmas tree. Thou- Most of the Mason County farmland is with a laugh.
sands of other families purchase Mason- gravelly, glacial till that farmers enhance No one is predicting the death of the
grown trees on wholesale lots in urban with nitrogen-rich fertilizer, natural Christmas tree, though.
areas in King and Pierce counties, while "That's what made Mason County the Allen said he always goes back to
others are shipped throughout the world. 'Christmas Tree Capitol of the World'" in an adage by a longtime Christmas tree
Hunter Farms in Union sends trees the 1940s and '50s, because the soil was farmer: "As long as parents have chil-
to Alaska, where customers prefer the so poor they grew slowly," Hunter said. dren, there will be Christmas trees."
Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012 - Page B-3
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