One of the many carols that we sing leading up to Christmas is the familiar “Oh Christmas Tree” (also known as “O Tannenbaum”), written by Ernst Anschütz, a German composer in 1824.

A Tannenbaum is a fir tree. The original lyrics do not actually refer to Christmas or describe a decorated Christmas tree.

Instead, they refer to the fir’s evergreen quality as a symbol of constancy and faithfulness.

Over time, the words were changed to reflect their connection to our decorated Christmas trees.

There is nothing more welcoming than entering a home and being greeted with the scent of a fresh-cut Christmas tree. This wonderful fragrance has a way of bringing back memories of Christmas past.

Your tree is your canvas, so it is important to select a good one — gorgeous ornaments can only do so much for a scraggly tree.

Of course, the perfect tree is in the eye of the beholder. There is something to be said for falling in love with that lonely “Charlie Brown” tree that keeps calling your name.

Here are some tips for selecting the perfect fresh-cut Christmas tree:

Determine where the Christmas tree will be going. This seems like a basic first step, but by knowing exactly where the tree will be going allows you to determine what size of tree will fit in that space.

Do not be afraid of using a measuring tape. Even though we think we can visualize the space and guess on measurements, it never hurts to take actual height and width measurements to know what size of tree will work for your room.

When out shopping for your tree, take your measuring tape again to double-check. Make sure you take into consideration that you need space for a tree topper as well as a tree stand. Choosing your perfect tree while in a larger, open space can be deceiving.

Get a well-shaped tree. If you’re getting a real tree, make sure you see it out of its netting.

Many tree lots keep their trees wrapped up to conserve space, but it is impossible to know what the branching of the tree will look like until it is opened up.

Look for full, evenly spaced branches and a symmetric shape that tapers toward the top.

Remember that you do not want a tree where the branches are so dense that it makes hanging ornaments difficult.

Buy a tree that isn’t dropping a lot of needles. It is normal for an evergreen tree to drop some of its oldest inside needles.

Run a branch or two through your hands to see if there are a lot of needles (especially towards the tips) that are dropping. This is a sign that the tree is already starting to dry out.

You should be able to feel if the needles feel dry as opposed to fresh. A fresh tree will have a pleasant fragrance, not a musty smell.

A freshly cut tree will last indoors for about two to three weeks before drying and starting to drop a lot of needles.

You may want to buy your tree early to make sure you get what you want, but if you are buying it early it would be best to keep the tree outside in the cold temperatures until you are ready to set it up inside two to three weeks before Christmas.

The most common varieties of evergreen trees that are sold as Christmas trees are balsam fir, noble fir, Fraser fir, Douglas fir and Scots pine (sometimes mistakenly called Scotch pine). Balsam and noble Fir hang on to their needles the longest.

Wait to make a fresh cut on the base of the tree until you are ready to move it inside for setup. A fresh cut will allow the tree to draw up water.

Once you have made a fresh cut, set it up in a suitable-sized tree stand that has a deep, water reservoir.

On the first day, you can expect the tree to draw up about one gallon of water and one or more quarts of water every day after that.

Always make sure that there is water sitting in the stand at all times.

Happy Christmas tree shopping!

Joanne Young is a Niagara-on-the-Lake garden expert and coach. See her website at joanneyoung.ca