MADISON, Wis. -- It's a sad sign of the post-holiday blues -- a worn-out Christmas tree upended in a snow bank for the garbage truck.

State environmental officials said there's plenty of ways to recycle those tired tannenbaums and save space in landfills.

Elisabeth Olson, a Department of Natural Resources recycling specialist, said used trees make excellent mulch.

Homeowners also can place their trees in the backyard to provide winter shelter for birds and animals. A tree with smaller branches trimmed off makes great cover for garden plants, too. And the trunks can serve as trellis bases, tomato stakes or plain old firewood.

If none of that sounds appealing, people can log on to earth911.org to find nearby tree recyclers.

Madison's Christmas tree pickup is scheduled to start next week. For more information, visit this Web site.