Darnall's Christmas Trees cultivates holiday traditions

If you're on the hunt for an ideal Christmas tree, festive gifts or just searching for a new holiday tradition — look no further. Darnall's Christmas Trees, a family-owned business based in Findlay, might be the perfect seasonal stop for you and your loved ones. "We've got the Christmas spirit here," said Roger Darnall, the company founder. "We enhance that for people. It's tradition for so many of our customers." Darnall has been selling Christmas trees for around 25 years, dating back to 1987. Darnall also founded Clean-Line Sealing & Striping — a residential and commercial sealcoating business — before he branched out to sell seasonal evergreen trees. He sold the trees at Clean-Line prior to making the move to the current location at 101 Center St., where he said they have more space. Every year, the trees are hauled from a family-owned tree farm in Mesick, Michigan, located close to the Manistee National Forest in the state's Lower Peninsula. "The soil is mostly sand, so it's really ideal for growing Christmas trees," said Eli Darnall, the son and business partner of Roger. "They grow a lot faster and healthier." The trees are ordered between the months of August and September. Before they're shipped, the trees are trimmed, sprayed for insects and inspected through the state of Ohio to ensure they are fit for the homes they will stay in. Darnall's Christmas Trees ordered around 600 trees this year and is offering four different types, which include Frazier firs — the most popular — Douglas firs, Scotch pines and Concolor firs. A stand-straight platform, which aids in putting up the Christmas tree by giving it a sturdy foundation, is also available for purchase. "We offer free drilling," said Eli, who notes that the company will fix any tree-related issues. "So it's really easy for people to put up their trees. It's more of a long-term solution for Christmas tree stands." Darnall's is also selling handcrafted products from local business owners. While browsing through trees, one can also find homemade soap by Running River Soaps; fun stocking stuffers; decorative signage with jolly sayings from 3 Oaks LLC; hot cocoa bombs; and crafty knickknacks by Happy Place Felt Boutique. Roger also mentioned that it's a Darnall tradition to give out Christmas-themed finger puppets to the children of the families who purchase trees. "We actually have some customers that got the finger puppets when they were kids," he said. "Now they have families and they're bringing their kids to get the finger puppets." Darnall's Christmas Trees will remain open until the end of the Christmas season. If there are any trees leftover, they will be donated to the City Mission of Findlay or offered to families in need, Eli said. "We're big on family," he said, adding that he feels people in the community can rely on their business. "Everyone's so busy throughout the year — it's a good time for them to enjoy time with their families." Darnall's Christmas Trees operates from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, call 740-513-6417 or email eli.darnall@gmail.com Douglas: 419-427-8505