For just over a year, Fairlight resident Mary Anne Donald has been helping her customers mark life's milestones via her home-based business, 'Treelings West.' Donald utilizes both her psychology degree and her love of all things green while running the business with her husband and partner in the venture, Allen “Ajay” Donald.
“It all started with a trip I made to Nova Scotia to visit my friend, Gail Martin,” says Donald. “She lives in Moser River and we've been friends since we went to university together in Regina. In 2014, I went out to visit her and I ended up helping her out with her business-'Treelings', which she formed in 2004.”
“Basically, the bulk of her business is supplying tree saplings to customers to use as gifts for things like wedding favours and guest gifts at other big celebrations.”
“I loved it and once those few weeks were over, I got immersed in the tree business.”
Donald's 'Treelings West' offers the same natural gifts that it's Nova Scotia branch offers, with tree seedlings or “treelings” forming the bulk of the business.
“We offer a selection of green gifts,” says Donald. “Not only our treelings, but also seed bombs and seed-embedded stationery, such as our gift tags.”
“Seed bombs are just wildflower seeds packed in an earth-friendly medium,” explains Donald. “People toss them in the air and the idea is that when the seeds disperse, there will be a wildflower meadow effect when they grow.'
“But really, our trees are the backbone of our business. We get the tree seedlings from a supplier in northern Saskatchewan. They're grown in big flats and they come to me bundled in batches of 15 and wrapped in plastic. They're packed in a box and shipped to me by bus.”
They're frozen when I get them, but of course, when I get a shipment during spring, they're pretty thawed out. I usually buy about three flats, about 1,000 trees at a time.”
“Usually, I only use spruce, but sometimes I might get some pine and fir,” says Donald. “Spruce is versatile and interior spruce-which we use a lot-is very versatile. A lot of people request blue spruce and interior spruce has that blue tinge. One of the most important things about supplying trees to different environments is trying to match the soil to the environment where the trees are going to. I'm always researching what will work in different provinces.”
“With her base in Nova Scotia, some orders are best fulfilled by Gail in Nova Scotia and we've found that I'm more of a central point to ship to people in Manitoba, Alberta, B.C., and of course, Saskatchewan.”
Once she receives a shipment of tree seedlings, Donald cares for them by watering them daily and if necessary, trimming them and generally ensuring that their environment is conducive to their survival.
“It's quite a pleasurable thing,” she says. “And that's one of the great parts of my job.”
Another part of the job that Donald finds “really rewarding” is the human aspect.
“I will probably never meet most of my customers in person,” she says. “But I'm invited to help them mark the significant milestones in their lives. It's a tremendous privilege and responsibility.”
“I've supplied treelings for almost any kind of celebration you can imagine,” says Donald. “Weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, a bar mitzvah, funerals and a celebration of life that I'll always remember.”
“We did one where the father loved a certain shade of blue. The family was out of province, so we went back and forth a bit online and I was able to figure out the right shade of royal blue they wanted tied around the treelings which they were going to plant in his memory.”
“Everyone who attended the service received one and the tags were quite elaborate and beautiful and included a colour photo of him,” she adds. “There was also a verse which read: “Trees don't need people. People need trees. Please plant in my memory.”
“I was so happy and honoured to be able to do this for them during a sad time. Everything from the tag to the tree to the colour of the ribbon is important,” says Donald. “People have given me the privilege of participating in big life events. I'm participating in a small way, but it's still significant.”
“I really feel fortunate. I get a lot of joy preaparing for these life events-whether they're sweet or bittersweet. Whether it's preparing for a joyous event like a wedding or a christening-or even a bar mitzvah in Calgary, which I've done recently-or a funeral service, I almost feel like I'm invited.”
“I'll probably never meet most of my customers,” she says. “But I try to care for them in what I do. Sometimes they know exactly what they want, but sometimes, I'll help them come up with the right words or we'll work together to personalize the tags and figure out colour schemes.”
“I had a bride who loved the idea of a tag illustration I came up with. The tree tag had an illustration of a tree with a heart carved into it with the couple's initials, and it was so rewarding for me that she was so happy.”
“I really pride myself on that personal, human touch. It might just be a small part of an event or a life milestone that someone is marking, but I want my customers to be reassured that the part I play is just the way I want it.”
For more information, check out www.treelings.ca or call (306)-434-9144.
