Here’s your yearly reminder about holiday trees: Once they are stripped of their finery, please don’t place them on the curb on your trash day if you live in Philadelphia, as they will end up in the landfill. City residents can visit www.philadelphiastreets.com/holiday for alternatives, but you may want to consider recycling your tree at the yearly TreeCycle event sponsored by Weavers Way Environment Committee and GRinCH. This year, the event will be Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Sunset Avenue entrance to Norwood-Fontbonne Academy. Requested donation is $10, and all proceeds go to support WWEC’s grant program and GRinCH’s Green Warrior student grant program. (You can also drop off your tree at various sites around the city. Go to www.philadelphiastreets.com/holiday for the latest details.

Also, instead of recycling your tree, you could repurpose it:

• Prop the tree up in your yard to provide shelter for backyard wildlife. Once the needles dry out, you can use them to mulch acid-loving plants such as azaleas and blueberry shrubs.
• Cut off the branches and use them to cover areas of your garden where bulbs and other sensitive plants are located. Plants can be heaved out of the soil due to the frost-thaw cycles that are common in our area during the winter, and placing evergreen boughs on these areas will prevent that.