Holiday Greenery

Ah, the smell of fresh pine.

Yes, even in Los Angeles.

Holiday wreaths bring the forest home without ever leaving the city, or in some cases, even your home. A number of online merchants offer a variety of greenery--such as pine, balsam and juniper--to decorate the house this holiday.

We found several online for less than $40. Shipping added an additional $10 to each, but all three orders arrived fresh and moist. You couldn’t help but lean your face in close and take in a deep breath.

Ah.

Cube Mountain: The New Hampshire company features 10 different holiday wreaths at www.cubemtn.com, including an $11 car wreath, and a variety of dried flower wreaths.

We chose a 24-inch snowflake wreath, made of balsam, berried juniper and winterberries for $39.95. Shipping was an additional $10.

Within a day of ordering the wreath, we received an e-mail from Katherine, the owner. Although she had received our credit card information, she wrote that the order we submitted did not indicate what item we wanted.

After checking the receipt that printed from the site, which showed an order for the snowflake wreath, we wrote back with the information.

A few e-mails later to confirm our shipping address and preferred shipping date, and the wreath finally arrived, 11 days after we placed the order.

It was still fresh, though, and the berried juniper added a festive touch.

Smith & Hawken: Although its wreaths can cost as much as $179 (see the “65 roses” wreath), www.smithand hawken.com offers several reasonably priced decorations among the more than two dozen fresh and dried wreaths featured on the site.

(Those on a budget can check out 3-inch berry wreaths, four for $12.)

We selected a 20-inch alpine wreath of Noble fir, salal, cedar and princess pine for $29. A holiday promotion threw in a wreath hanger for free. With shipping and tax, the total came to $41.23.

The wreath was delivered priority mail seven business days later. The tissue paper wrapping it was still moist when it arrived.

Sunrise County Evergreens: The Milbridge, Maine, company offers a range of fresh balsam decorations--from table centerpieces to 7-foot trees--at www.wreath.com.

We decided on the 30-inch candy cane wreath for $30, and for an additional $9 in shipping fees, specified which day the wreath should arrive.

The best part: The wreath actually arrived on the designated day.

Having shipped by air in two days, the wreath was so fresh we could smell the balsam through the cardboard packaging. A red velvet bow and three pine cones came with it, but the craftsmanship wasn’t as intricate as the other two wreaths.

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Christine Frey covers personal technology. She can be reached at christine.frey @latimes.com.