Putting up and decorating a Christmas tree has become a firm tradition over recent decades and one of the highlights of the festive period. Decorated trees were popular in Germany and other parts of Europe but didn’t become popular in the UK until the reign of Queen Victoria after she married her German cousin Prince Albert. Over time trees become more widespread and not just for the nobility, especially through the 20th century trees became popular in hospitals, schools, public spaces, and many homes across the UK. Decorations have certainly changed, gone are the days of the slightly hazardous candles and paper decoration combination, now replaced with fairy lights and baubles. Over the past few years tinsel and other plastic decorations have started to fall out of fashion, and more natural, simplistic and environmentally friendly decorations such as pine cones, wooden decoration along with dried fruits have become increasingly popular. Although artificial trees become popular towards the end of the 20th centenary, in recent years there has been a revival in real trees due to the more traditional feel and environmental credentials.
When buying a real tree, the first choice should be to buy British. It may surprise you that not all trees are grown in the UK, many can be imported from Europe. With more trees now being grown in the UK it is important to ask the provenance of your tree. Here at Vines Farm Shop we only stock British grown trees from a reputable wholesaler to ensure we know where are trees are from. Our long term aim is to stock only local Dorset grown trees, however this may take a few more years for the trees to grow.
When choosing a tree the first thing to consider is that there are two main types of trees, your conventional spruces and your non drop varieties. The main characteristic of the spruces are they are much more fragrant with the traditional Christmas tree smell, however the needles are prickly making it trickier to decorate and not so suitable for young children.
The non drop varieties include some of the popular varieties such as Fraser Fir, Noble Fir and Nordmann Fir. Not strictly non drop as they will inevitably drop needs, they are just much better at retaining their needles for longer. The fir varieties also have a different shape to the spruces, with space between the layers meaning some find it easier to decorate while others prefer the fuller shape of the traditional spruce. We pride ourselves in providing a range of varieties to include the popular firs, Norway Spruces and the beautiful shades of the Blue Spruces, along with slightly less know and uniquely shaped varieties such as the Lodge Pole.
The next thing to consider it the size of your tree. You don’t want to get a tree that is too tall for your chosen space, so make sure you measure before you buy. There is also a huge variation in widths of trees between varieties, with some being much shorter trees but have a wide spread. It is also important to look at the base of the tree. Even though you can reduce the size of the base to fit your stand, its generally easier to get one that will fit and is straight to show off the tree at its best. Don’t forget that in many locations you only see one side of the tree, so do consider some careful trimming which might allow your tree to fit better in the space meaning you might be able to fit in a bigger tree.
Potted trees are another option and have become increasingly popular over recent years as they can be stored in the garden and used year after year. If you’ve decided to get a potted tree, look for pot grown trees as opposed to potted trees as the potted trees are grown in the grown and dug up and then put in a pot meaning they do not always survive as well as the digging process can be traumatic on the root system.
Once you’ve picked your tree it’s time to get it home. Here at Vines we can wrap your tree to make it easier to get home and into the house, but unfortunately we are yet to find a way to do this plastic free. So if you have a truck or trailer do consider not wrapping your tree, or we can offer local delivery to Henbury, Sturminster Marshall and surrounding villages.
Top tips for looking after your Christmas tree once you get it home;
- Try to not put your tree in too early. I know many love to get their tree up and decorated before its even December, but do remember cut trees are like cut flowers, they only have a certain life span and you want them looking their best on Christmas day.
- Location of your tree is key. Do not place your tree directly next to a heat source such as a fire or radiator, ideally next to a window or a colder spot is best.
- Use a stand where you can water the tree. Providing water for your tree will keep it fresher for longer and help to retain the needles for as long as possible.
Once Christmas is over and it’s time to take down your tree there are a few options to disposing of your tree. Many local charities now offer a tree collection service where they pick up your tree for a fee and recycle the tree accordingly. Some farmers and smallholders also take Christmas trees as they can be fun enrichment for animals such as goats and chickens or habitat for wildlife, or alternatively you can either take them to your local household recycling centre and place them in the garden waste container for composting or cut up and put in your garden waste collection.
Our Christmas trees arrive at Vines Farm Shop the last weekend in November and we look forward to showing you our lovely selection of British grown trees. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hours of fun spent with family and friends around your beautifully decorated Christmas trees.
Here at Vines we can wrap your tree to make it easier to get home and into the house.
Our Christmas trees arrive at Vines Farm Shop the last weekend in November and we look forward to showing you our lovely selection of British grown trees. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hours of fun spent with family and friends around your beautifully decorated Christmas trees.
