Braden and Emily Larson along with their two young daughters, Isabella and Ana, have opened Enchanted Evergreens. The area’s newest Christmas tree farm located north of Newton will have fresh pre-cut Christmas trees as well as wreaths, porch pots, and greenery available for sale this holiday season.
Emily (Van Manen) Larson is watching a childhood dream literally grow up before her eyes. With the purchase of an acreage north of Newton, Emily and her husband Braden along with their two little girls are embarking on an adventure to bring holiday magic to everyone with the opening of Enchanted Evergreens, the area’s newest Christmas tree farm.
“For about as long as I can remember I have talked about starting a Christmas tree farm. We had a family tradition of picking out a Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving and just loved it,” recalls Emily.
Emily and Braden made the move to their new acreage located at 3756 N. 59th Ave. E. north of Newton after spending five years living on an acreage near Reasnor where they originally thought her dream for a Christmas tree farm would take root. Given their original farm’s location on gravel, the Christmas tree farm plans were placed on hold while Emily and Braden settled into married life and welcomed their two girls, Isabella and Ana.
Last winter, the acreage that is now the new home of the Larsons and Enchanted Evergreens came on the market. The couple acted quickly and connected with their realtor, Heather Engbers, for a viewing. Emily said the place seemed “perfect” with land just off the highway, the right amount of acres, multiple outbuildings, and closer proximity to Emily’s family farm, which is where she spends many months of the year helping nurture the family’s sweet corn business, Van Manen Sweet Corn and Fresh Produce. The Larsons placed an accepted offer, made the big move, and have long-term plans in place to make Enchanted Evergreens a one-stop holiday stop and help people deck the halls with Christmas joy.
“We are quickly learning the Christmas tree farm is going to take a village,” said Emily. Already this summer, the Larsons were taking notes and making plans. Braden, Emily, and Emily’s father, Kevin Van Manen, toured a tree farm in northwest Iowa where they learned valuable tips of the trade. Emily said her father’s extensive farming background has been a huge asset in planning the logistics of the farm, plus his handyman skills have certainly come in handy. With Kevin’s help, the couple cleaned out a corn crib and framed and built a new floor where the pre-cut trees will be sold out of this year. In preparation for Enchanted Evergreen’s upcoming grand opening, Emily welcomed four generations of her family to the farm, where they all helped and lent their creativity to the production of Christmas wreaths and porch pots.
The average Christmas tree takes an average of eight years to grow. The Larsons are starting from scratch with Enchanted Evergreens and will plant multiple varieties of trees in their 18-acre hay field next spring. “Seedlings can be hard to come by. We had to order the seedlings in July, and they will be shipped in late March when we begin planting.” Until Enchanted Evergreens is selling their own trees, the Larsons have teamed up with a Michigan tree farm to sell fresh, pre-cut Fraser Fir, Canaan Fir, and Scotch Pine trees in this inaugural season. Enchanted Evergreens will also sell beautiful wreaths, porch pots, garland, kissing balls, hanging baskets, and centerpieces.
Enchanted Evergreens will be open multiple weekends leading up to Christmas, starting Friday and Saturday, Nov. 22-23. They will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. both days, and again on Monday, Nov. 25, from 3-7 p.m. Following Thanksgiving on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 29-30, Enchanted Evergreens will be open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and again on Monday, Dec. 2, from 3-7 p.m. As of press time, the final two days of the season will be Friday and Saturday, Dec. 6-7, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Each weekend will feature a variety of fresh, pre-cut Christmas trees for sale as well as beautiful greenery to help with the transformation of a home into a winter wonderland. Enchanted Evergreens is located north of Newton just off the highway at 3756 N. 59th Ave. E. To learn more about the Larsons’ new holiday adventure and keep up with the farm’s progress, like the Facebook page Enchanted Evergreens.
Below, a sneak peek at the porch pots that will be for sale at Enchanted Evergreens. They will also have wreaths, garlands, and more.
