RAIN was drumming so fast and hard on the tin roof of the office at Broken Arrow Nursery here last Friday that the crew practically had to shout as they discussed the crazy weather: the freak snowstorm in October that took down a third of their magnolia collection; Tropical Storm Irene in August, which felled their beloved scarlet maple "swing" tree, with its thick horizontal branch; and the warm winter temperatures that had brought the forsythia into bloom in December, although the witch hazels were right on time.

"Is this the clearing shower?" joked Richard Jaynes, 76, who started the nursery with his wife, Sally, in 1984.

In fact, Broken Arrow put down its first roots 65 years ago, when the young Mr. Jaynes planted a couple hundred spruce seedlings in his father's apple orchard as part of a 4-H project — selling Christmas trees.

"Dad kept it going while I was in college," said Mr. Jaynes, who went off to Wesleyan University and then Yale, where he earned a doctorate in botany. (And over the years, those Christmas trees have been planted across 20 acres.)

By Ann DeMatteo, Assistant Metro Editor

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HAMDEN — In a far off corner of town, there's a place where the Christmas tree is king.

And it seems that no matter the economy, it's a commodity people want during the holiday season, according to Richard Jaynes, owner of Broken Arrow Nursery.

There are hundreds of species of Salix, native to nearly every continent, and many lesser-known willows boast a sufficiently compact growth habit that enables them to be included in your garden planning.

Adam Wheeler of Broken Arrow Nursery in Hamden, Connecticut shows us some of his favorite willows. With their diverse leaf forms, growth habits, and stem colors, there is plenty to like about willows.

Willows grow hastily into comely shrubs with vigorous root systems that prevent erosion and they tolerate moist soil. To keep a willow's energetic growth in check, coppicing and pollarding can be practiced.

Picking out wreaths and a Christmas tree are some of Martha's favorite holiday activities. This year, Martha visited Broken Arrow Nursery in Hamden, Connecticut, where they offer an impressive variety of greenery for their handmade wreaths and acres of trees from which to select and cut down the perfect tree. Take a look.