Cynthia Perkins, owner of Sugar Hill Wreaths, is one of Santa’s special helpers in Eastbrook, Maine. To ensure that needles stay on her balsam fir holiday wreaths as long as possible, she collects the greens “only after the third frost or three consecutive nights of 26-degree weather,” she says.
Her 22-inch-diameter wreaths range from $24 undecorated to $54 with bows and other decorations.
A transplanted Georgian who fell in love with Maine, Perkins’ small, 5-year-old company goes into high gear in early November, when she begins shipping 3 1/2-to 7-foot-tall Maine balsam fir trees all over the country in special, moisture-retaining boxes. Although their shape and color are “perfect,” says Perkins it’s not the visuals that cause folks to order their Christmas trees by mail. “It’s the balsam fragrance, which is the smell that people associate with the holiday season,” she says. Trees range in price from $39 (plus $6 for shipping) to $55 (plus $15 for shipping).
While balsam wreaths, garlands and trees are Sugar Hill’s specialty, the company also offers handmade natural wreaths for other times of the year, including special designs for autumn, summer and spring ranging in price from $45 to $125.
Shipping is free for wreaths. Call 800-572-0488 or write: R.R. 1, Box 532B, Eastbrook, Maine 04634-9740