After visit two or three other lots, I was so happy to have found Don's Trees!! This is a sweet, very well curated small lot in Novato. A couple things I love about this place:
1. The Trees Themselves - While this isnt a massive lot like Pronzinis, every tree is absolutely perfect. I kid you not. Every single one is a winner. Nicely shaped, straight, filled out. Most are Noble Firs (the best kind anyway) but they have other varieties as well.
2. Presentation and Organization - I came on a windy and rainy afternoon. First full weekend in December and I had just been at Pronzinis, where most of their trees had tipped over and were laying in the mud...seriously, a field of expensive trees laying in rivers of mud. Needless to say, I left. When I arrived a Don's, every tree was lined up in rows by size, upright and nicely displayed so I could actually see each of of them and assess each comparatively. This saves so much time and makes the experience so much more pleasant!
3. The Customer Service - When I arrived, I was immediately greeted by Betty who stood on the steps of a trailer (i.e. their makeshift office). It was not crowded and they had plenty of super sweet nice high school kids helping out as well. I had a lovely conversation with Betty about what I was looking for and she helped me immediately. We also chatted about the wonderful family history of the business (see No. 4). As soon as I had made my selection, one of the helpful high school boys, jumped into action and brought my tree over to the area where the cut off the bottom and affix the water bowl. Then he brought it over to the car and tied it on top for me. Five stars for the helpers.
4. Family History - This lot is owned by Tom and Betty, who have been operating this tree lot for over 36 years! Tom's family (his father and his grandfather) started the business 70+ years ago! Can you imagine that? In the 1950s! I love it. It feels so great to support a small business like this one. Tom (in his waterproof muck overalls) and Betty (in her cheerful Christmas sweater) were absolutely lovely. So friendly.
5. The Price - Totally competitive with other lots in Marin. In fact, just a bit cheaper than Pronzinis and the overall experience exceeded my every expectation. Once I got beyond the fact that there is a tree shortage this year and the cost of a real tree will be more this year than any other, I yielded my business to the most deserving - Don's! I paid $72 for my 6ft Noble and an extra $10 to put a water bowl on the bottom. Same size tree at Pronzini's was $87 without any stand.
If you still havent gotten your tree this year, or you are reading this in the future (hey hey 2020! ), definitely visit Don's Trees! read more