White House Staff Chooses Blue Room Tree

By Joel Frady

Seven short weeks from now, First Lady Laura Bush will be standing in the Blue Room of the White House beside a giant Christmas tree covered with more than 400 ornaments. Television cameras will roll as she tells the country about the tree's decorations and theme.

For now, however, that tree stands at the top of an Ashe County hill. Grown at River Ridge Tree Farms in the Creston community, the 21-and-a-half foot tree was chosen by three White House staff members on the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 21.

Jesse Davis, owner of River Ridge Tree Farms, said that having White House staff members on his farm to choose the tree has "been like celebrating a Super Bowl victory.

"I think it's a great honor for our farm, for Ashe County and for North Carolina to be able to put the tree in the White House this many years," he later added. "I'm just pleased and tickled to death that River Ridge Farms had the opportunity to do that one time."

Davis opened the tree farm in 1983 with his father-in-law, Joe Pennington, and planted the chosen White House tree in 1985. This is the 11th time a North Carolina tree has been chosen. Six of those, including the last two, have come from Ashe County.

Davis said the tree that was chosen was "one of the ones we thought would get picked, but we weren't really sure what they were looking for. We had it narrowed down to three, and they had it narrowed down to two of the three same ones. That tells me they're getting a good tree."

The tree was selected by Stephen W. Rochon, Director of the Executive Residence and Chief Usher; Nancy Clark, White House Chief Floral Designer; and Dale Haney, Superintendent of the White House grounds. Rochon and Clarke were also on hand in 2007 to pick the White House tree from the Mistletoe Meadows tree farm in Laurel Springs, while Haney was selecting his first Blue Room tree.

Rochon said "it's important to get the right tree, but it's the people that go along with the tree - that's what we look forward to the most."

He said that they were looking for a tree that was both tall enough and the right width.

"It has to reach enough height so that when we get a fresh cut it will equal 18 and a half feet, because that's the height of the Blue Room," he said, noting that three feet will be cut from the tree before it is ready to be decorated.

"The other thing is the fullness of the tree," he continued. "It has to have the right symmetry, with no major gaps that can't be covered with an ornament." The tree also has to be "the width to fit the Blue Room. If it's too narrow, then it's lost in that beautiful room. If it's too wide, it takes up too much space." Other factors included a straight trunk, the proper deep green color and branches strong enough to hold all the ornaments.

The tree will not be moved to the White House until the end of November. Clarke said the tree would be placed in the Blue Room on Sunday, Nov. 30. The tree will be cut on Friday and transported to Washington, D.C., on Saturday.

Davis said that the fields of River Ridge Tree Farms will be open to choose-and-cut customers beginning in late November. To find out more about the farm, call (336) 982-3081 or click to www.riverridgetreefarms.com.