On a brisk day in Alexandria, Virginia, a few brave individuals made a dash to Greenstreet Gardens for their last-minute Christmas trees and wreaths just three days before the holiday.

The days counting down to Christmas are usually when bustling crowds swarm to grab last-minute holiday essentials. At Greenstreet, however, hundreds of trees lined up like a silent winter oasis — nearly devoid of shoppers.

Elizabeth, a last-minute shopper, searched for a wreath for her front door. She admitted not getting a tree this year due to being busy, but she said she usually gets one.

Elizabeth was not judgmental toward last-minute shoppers.

“If you were busy, you were busy,” she said. “Or if maybe you didn’t know if folks were coming or weren’t feeling the holiday spirit until today, then good for you for getting out there and doing it.”

Ryan and Ethan, retail movers at Greenstreet, noted that many last-minute shoppers are families with college students home on break.

For the retail staff, the pressure is different.

Ethan shared insights into what happens to remaining trees that aren’t sold. “After Christmas, we throw these trees, all these trees in the mulcher,” he explained.

“They’re gonna go either way. So they’re going in someone’s home or they’re going in a mulcher, so get them now,” Ryan added.

The store typically sells 3,000 to 4,000 Christmas trees annually. The trees are sourced from North Carolina, Washington, and Oregon.

Greenstreet Greenery is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily — closing only on Christmas Day.