O, Christmas Tree

Updated Feb 14, 2013

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Landscapers fight the obstacles to light up a city.

Timberland Outdoor Services illuminated St. Paul’s parks, streets and holiday season with towering beacons of light. They wrapped 435 trees throughout the city – including 189 street trees, 93 trees in plazas, 150 trees in parks and three Christmas trees they transported to the site – ranging from 100-string lights per tree to ones the Griswolds would be proud to call their own. The three Christmas trees reached from 40 to 75 feet in height and were adorned with more than 20,000 LED lights each. With a tight, five-week deadline, the most challenging aspect of the project for the landscapers was coordinating between their staff and the various departments of the City and other jurisdictions, says Carl Gillies, Timberland’s lead designer. “We worked closely with the City electricians to combat any electrical issues we ran into, such as bad outlets, repairs to their infrastructure and the installation of temporary electrical panels,” he says. To limit the amperage used per circuit, they grouped the trees and arranged them to fit into the 14-amp limit. And learning from past issues, they applied a special spicy mix on the lighting strings to repel squirrels and mice from chewing on the wires. To see more of their work, visit timberlandoutdoorservices.com.

Project:
City project, St. Paul, Minnesota

Landscaping:
Timberland Outdoor Services, Savage, Minnesota

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