Tree Boycott: X-Mas Tree Co & Community Garden at Odds

Somebody at the The Brooklyn Bear’s Pacific Street Community Garden is not happy with the dudes selling Christmas trees on the sidewalk along side the garden on Flatbush Avenue. The protests scrawled on the sidewalk read (among other things) “BEARS GARDEN ASKS YOU NOT TO SUPPORT THIS TREE CO” and “BOYCOTT THIS TREE COMPANY.”

When one of the tree sellers, Guillaume, saw that the writing had caught my attention, he approached and asked “You want to know who wrote that?” Without skipping a beat, he proceeded to explain that someone from the adjacent garden had just been by to harass them for selling their trees on the sidewalk.

Guillaume took a moment out of his duties to give FIPS a little creepy scoop: This guy who visited with his girlfriend had threatened to burn the business down. The would-be arsonist reportedly said, “If you guys don't move, I'm going to set fire to your business.” WTF FIPSters! That’s some flamin’ fightin’ words, and trees are known to burn. Excuse me while I get in the fetal position and suck my thumb. To quote Linus Van Pelt in A Charlie Brown Christmas, “Christmas is not only getting too commercial, it’s getting too dangerous.”

From what FIPS can tell, the rules are being followed. The company is required to keep their trees six feet away from the fenced in area surrounding the garden. Check. They need a license to be there. They are with the Evergreen Tree Co., a licensed seller that brings in trees mostly from Vermont and Maine, so check.

But there are always two sides to every flame thrower…I mean, story. Pacific Bears Garden, what’s your side? Is it one threatening arsonist that’s ruining the good garden vibe for the rest of you?

FIPS is not one to say who has been naughty and who has been nice. FIPSters, do you have any other info? Repeated requests for comment from Pacific Bears Garden have so far gone ignored. Hopefully, they’ll post in the comments and finally there will be peace on earth or at least on Pacific & Flatbush. Peace out!