When buying a real Christmas tree, here’s what you need to know

Hand-sewn teddy bears, plaid, silver and gold, pinecones and branches of berries … my mother chose a theme each year for the ornaments on our Christmas tree and faithfully stuck with it through the gift wrap, wreaths and garlands. The decorations never saw the light of day again, and we used to joke about who would inherit the annually dated “Christmas, 19xx” boxes in the garage rafters.
I am not my mother, and my approach to Christmas decorating is much more haphazard. What I