Nursing Holiday Cheer

Along with the season's first snowfall come thoughts of the approaching holidays.

And those in search of a Christmas tree to decorate their dorm room or home need look no further than Bonny's, a nursery and landscaping company located at 41 Bay State Road and only a 15-minute walk from the Alewife T stop.

Bonny's, which supplies both Currier and Cabot Houses with Christmas trees for public display, sold approximately 800 trees last year, according to nursery employee Sal J. Bonacci, Jr.

The nursery sells Balsam Firs, Scotch Pines, and Douglas Firs obtained from Spence Farms in Canada. The business is housed in a small white, wooden building that is flanked by a fenced-in outdoor area for the trees.

Some of the trees sold by Bonny's have been grown in a nursery and pruned and clipped all year.

The rest of the trees are of the au naturel variety--they were grown in the woods.

The trees, which will go on sale for the season this Sunday, range in size from two feet to 11 feet tall, and cost between $7.95 and $49.95.

Bonny's sells no artificial trees.

"I personally don't like them," Bonacci says. "It doesn't smell like a Christmas tree."

"Bonny's" is short for Bonacci, the last name of the four brothers--including Sal J. Bonacci, Sr.--who started the business back in 1947.

Bonacci Jr. says the middle two weekends in December are the busiest times at the tree lot.

He says he usually does not get his own tree, however, until Dec. 22 or Dec. 23. and leaves it up until mid-January.

Selling Christmas trees is a significant part of the company's business.

"It's an important time of year," Bonacci says.

"You basically have a one-month sales season."

He says the nursery has many return customers which, he adds, "makes it enjoyable."

"You can watch the family grow up," he says. "You can see kids go from three, two, and one, to 16, 15, and 14."

Bonacci Jr., who has been working at the nursery since 1980 adds, "I can remember customers for as long as I've been here."