This is probably too late, but if you still have not disposed of your Christmas tree here are seven surprising ways you could use it in the garden. I’m not too keen on number five, but there are some quite sensible suggestions on the list. This is the brainchild of Sierra Bright whose article I came across on the Natural Living Ideas website.

It?s so much fun putting up that tree and getting it decorated for the holidays, but once the presents have been unwrapped and the needles have started to shed like crazy, taking it down feels a bit melancholy. But the good news is that you don?t have to let it go to waste, the are a number of ways to put it to good use, including these:

1. Create a mini-animal sanctuary

If you want to watch birds and other wildlife, your tree offers the perfect sanctuary to bring those wild creatures into your yard. After you?ve removed all of the decorations, including every last strand of tinsel and anything else an animal might choke on, simply move your tree, with its stand, outside. Now decorate it with edible ornaments or popcorn strings. One of the easiest ways to decorate it for the birds is to collect pine cones, smear them with peanut butter and then roll them in birdseed. Now you?ve got an enormous animal playhouse. Check out some more DIY bird feeders here. By the time winter is over, the tree will have completely dried out making it easy to break apart by hand and recycle with all of your other yard waste.

2. Add it to your garden

There are a number of ways to use your old Christmas tree in the garden. You can chop up the trunk and branches, breaking it down to add insulation, use the pine needles to cover your garden bed?or compost?your tree to enrich the soil. Since pine needles dry quickly and decompose slowly, they?re great for adding moisture- and mold-free mulch. The branches can also be used to edge the garden and the trunk can be strategically placed to provide the perfect rest stop for critters like birds and squirrels. You could also cut the trunk into miniature rounds and use them in an upright position to edge paths, beds or other garden features. They?ll break down slowly to add nourishment to the?soil and improve the condition of your garden beds.

3. Create a fish habitat

Overwintering fish need spots where they can hide from predators and get out of the coldest areas of the water. That?s where your Christmas tree branches can help?if you have a body of water on your property. In nature, branches often naturally fall into ponds, rivers, and streams to create a habitat for fish, but in more manicured water features, these animals typically have fewer options to choose from. Adding branches from old Christmas trees can help keep them safe throughout the winter months. It also provides a natural decomposing habitat for fish that will attract algae for them to eat.
Before proceeding, just make sure your tree hasn?t been treated with any preservatives that can leach into the water, and that all decorations, ornaments, hooks, tinsel, etc., has been removed.

See more at Natural Living Ideas