People around the country are getting their trees up and homes decorated before the big day. And when it comes to decorating, everyone has their own opinions on when and how they want to do things.
Tag: Christmas trees
Conifox Adventure Park gives back this Christmas
Family run for family fun, Conifox Adventure Park has spent the run up to Christmas giving back, in an attempt to show that ‘all is not lost’ when it comes to connecting with your community in 2020.
Donating a number of Christmas trees to different locations and running a competition to team up with a local care home, the park is showing its so much more than just a magical day out.
The home of the most festive firs and spectacular spruces, Conifox Adventure Park wanted to share in the mirthful merriment of Christmas by donating a number of its sought-after trees to some deserving homes.
Firstly, to the local community that has supported it through a difficult year, director James Gammell provided a magnificent tree to Kirkliston, where many families have been regular visitors and the park itself is based.
Secondly, a competition for locals, chosen by locals.
Launched on the first day of the Conifox Adventure Park Christmas Tree Market, Facebook followers were asked to submit an Edinburgh care home that meant something to them, and although it was a close-call until the competition closed on Saturday, Murrayfield House Care Home was voted the winner with the most nominations. They have now received an 8ft tree for the hard-working staff and residents to enjoy (pictured).
Park director, James Gammell, explains why he wants to give the gift of caring this Christmas: “This has been a tough year for everyone, and I know Christmas isn’t going to change that, but even when apart, there is always a little magic felt this time of year.
“ The locations we have donated trees to and the charities we have partnered with are close to our hearts, as they are for the hearts of our local community. We haven’t been able to celebrate with you the way we would all have wanted, but this is just a little way we are showing that, although different, Christmas this year is definitely not cancelled. At the end of the day, it’s about community, friendship and coming together, however we can.”
The donations follow the annual light switch-on of the 60ft tree on Edinburgh Mound, which is also sourced by Conifox Adventure Park. Locals can pick up their own 4-14ft Nordmann Firs, Norway Spruces and Fraser Firs from the park, with them ready to be netted and taken away, or delivered in Edinburgh, South Queensferry, West Lothian and more.
For those elves who already have their tree and have been to the park to donate what they can, but haven’t quite finished the Christmas shopping, gift vouchers are available, and can be used in the main park, the Stables Bistro and the new activity centre upon its opening.
Coming soon: an exciting new activity centre with an indoor soft play, baby room, 3 party rooms, cafe, 200-seater function suite and much more!
To find out more visit the Conifox Adventure Park Facebook page @conifoxadventurepark or www.conifox.co.uk.
Dobbies Edinburgh moves ‘Bring your Christmas Tree Home Day’ as Scots seek early festive joy
Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre retailer, has brought forward its official ‘Bring your Christmas Tree Home Day’ to Saturday 5 December as the British public get into the Christmas spirit earlier than normal.
Usually the second Saturday in December, ‘Bring your Christmas Tree Home Day’ marks the most popular time for people buying their real Christmas trees. But according to new research commissioned by Censuswide on behalf of Dobbies, almost a quarter (24%) of Brits plan on putting their Christmas tree up early.
Forty percent of those planning to put their tree up early are aiming to do this 2 to 3 weeks earlier than usual, and a quarter are planning to put theirs up a week earlier.
Notably, young adults are the keenest to up the Christmas spirit levels with over two in five (46%) of those aged 16 to 24 planning on putting their tree up early.
Dobbies has streamlined its Christmas tree varieties this year focusing on the Nordmann Fir which is grown in sustainable Scottish woodlands. The Nordmann Fir holds its needles well and has a natural, open look making it easy to decorate.
Pot grown trees, which can be planted in the garden post-Christmas, are already proving popular this year as consumers look for environmentally-friendly options.
The garden centre is also expecting high demand of its value range including the 4ft Nordmann Fir tree which is £19.99. This taps into the trend of having Christmas trees in a variety of rooms in the house, especially kids’ bedrooms.
Marcus Eyles, Horticultural Director for Dobbies, said: “Buying a Christmas tree is a festive tradition and we work year-round to make sure we’ve got the best selection.
“We know Edinburgh customers are keen to get Christmas started early this year and because of that we’ve brought forward our official ‘Bring your Christmas Tree Home Day’ by a week to make sure everyone can get the tree they want and make the most of the festive season.
“Our premium-quality, sustainably sourced trees are displayed to aid safe shopping. We have social distancing measures in place to reassure our customers and allow them to choose their Christmas tree in a safe and enjoyable way
“Customers can also pre-order their Christmas tree for home delivery by visiting dobbies.com where they will find a great range of Christmas trees to choose from.”
Marcus features on the latest edition of the Dobbies gardening podcast, giving advice on selecting a real Christmas tree, how to transport it and the optimum position in the home. The Dobbies podcast is available to listen to and download now via iTunes and Spotify https://www.dobbies.com/content/podcast.html
Survey of 2,007 nationally representative UK respondents (aged 16+) undertaken in October 2020 by Censuswide.
For more information: www.dobbies.com
Aldi’s Scottish-grown Nordman Fir Christmas trees are back
Aldi’s hand selected Nordman Fir Christmas trees, renowned for their big, bushy branches and fresh pine aroma, will return to stores across the UK tomorrow, with prices starting at only £14.99 for a medium tree (5-6ft) and £24.99 for a large tree (6-7ft).
Grown and nurtured in the heart of Aberdeenshire for up to 10 years, each Aldi Christmas tree is hand selected to ensure the finest quality, and for every tree that is cut down, four more are planted in its place.
The Nordman Fir is one of the most popular Christmas trees in the UK, favoured for its symmetrical shape and dark green needles that are soft yet strong enough to hold all your favourite decorations.
This is the sixth year that Aldi has partnered with Lovania Nurseries, who will be supplying approximately 54,000 Nordman Firs in the lead up to the festive period.
Lee Chambers, Head of Sales at Lovania Nurseries, said: “With its lush, dark green needles and perfect pyramid shape, the Nordman Fir is one of the most popular Christmas tree varieties.
“They have a wide base, which is excellent for accommodating lots of presents, and their large, soft needles make them both pet and child friendly.
“My top tip is that when you first take your Nordman Fir home, cut a few inches off the base of the trunk and place it in a bucket of water over night. Choose a cool spot with plenty of space, preferably away from radiators as this can dry the needles prematurely.
“Make sure your tree’s stand is kept topped up with fresh water and it will stay looking fresh and healthy throughout the festive season.”
Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland, said: “Thanks to our long-standing relationship with Lovania Nurseries, Aldi customers will soon be able to pick up a real Nordman Fir Christmas tree at everyday low prices.
“Each tree is hand picked by the experts at Lovania before being carefully wrapped and delivered to store, so that our customers can be sure they are buying a tree of the highest quality, with that nostalgic fresh pine scent that is so firmly associated with the festive season.”
Aldi’s medium and large Nordman Fir Christmas trees go on sale in stores across the UK tomorrow (Thursday 26th November). You can find your nearest store here.
Gift A Tree initiative launched at Ocean Terminal
Ocean Terminal has partnered with The Leith Collective to launch an inspiring new community initiative to make sure that no one misses out on having a Christmas tree this year.
Gift a Tree invites anyone who has an artificial Christmas tree that is no longer in use to donate it to the waterfront shopping centre’s ‘tree bank’ so that it can be given to a new home and a new family.
As part of the initiative, tree decorations and baubles are also being sought so that the trees can start their new life with a bit of guaranteed sparkle.
Donations are being collected at The Leith Collective store on the 1st floor of the centre (opening hours – 10am-6pm Monday to Saturday and 11am-5pm Sunday) until 6 December. Anyone who can re-home a tree is welcome to visit the store from 1 December to select a tree and a box of decorations (availability dependent) to take away.
Michelle McLeod, Ocean Terminal Centre Manager, said: “We want to make Christmas happy for as many people as possible and a Christmas tree is very much a part of a happy Christmas.
“It is a great way of recycling artificial trees that would otherwise gather dust in an attic somewhere or end up being thrown out to make way for a new one, when they could so easily be appreciated and decorated by a new family.
“We are part of a very generous and caring community in Leith and exchange initiatives like this in the past have always been extremely well supported. It’s a great way to get into the Christmas spirit.”
Sara Thomson of The Leith Collective, added: “Giving a helping hand to another family and helping to recycle surplus trees and unneeded decorations is a great way to support the local community.
“I would like to thank everyone who makes a donation – and I’m looking forward to seeing what wonderful Christmas treats arrives at our ‘tree bank’.”
For anyone wishing to donate:
- Any artificial tree is most welcome – big, small, dusted with pretend snow… we can’t accept fibre optic trees however and please ensure it has its stand!
- All decorations in good condition welcome except for tree lights.
- Please donate to The Leith Collective store, 1st floor next to Zizzi (opening hours are 10-6 Mon to Sat 11-5 Sun)
- Trees will be accepted until 6th December. Collections can be made from 1 December.
20% of us already have our Christmas trees up this year
Christmas is coming early for hundreds of British families this year as almost 1 in 5 already have their Christmas tree up, a new survey has revealed.
Data commissioned by NetVoucherCodes.co.uk shows that out of 4,566 respondents, nearly 20% already have their tree up and a further 33% will have their festive decorations up before the end of November.
After an unpredictable and chaotic year, hundreds of British households are choosing to embrace the festive spirit early.
Almost 20% already have their tree up, 12% are planning on having it up before the middle of the November, and another 21% will put it up towards the end of the month.
That means that over half of the respondents will have decorated their homes before the festive month of December even begins.
Another 39% of respondents are waiting until the first weekend of December to get in the festive spirit, and the remaining 8% will put the tree up in the final weeks running up to Christmas Day.
NetVoucherCodes ran the same poll in 2016, and 21% of respondents put their tree up in November that year.
This means that the number of people getting their trees up in November this year has more than doubled in comparison.
A spokesperson for NetVoucherCodes.co.uk: “After the year we’ve had, people need something to lift their spirits and to look forward to, so it’s no surprise that there’s been a massive increase in people getting their trees up in November.
“Even celebs like Michelle Keegan are getting in on the early action! (Who is Michelle Keegan? – Ed.)
“It’s also a clear sign that people are well and truly done with 2020 and are keen to round off the year and put it behind them.
“Who knows what Christmas is going to look like this year, but if getting the decs up early helps families stay positive and brings some light to an otherwise dark and dreary year, then we’re all for it!”
Christmas tree traditions around the world
Trees adorned with cobwebs, red apples and shell ornaments are just some of the ways Christmas trees are decorated around the world.
GardenBuildingsDirect.co.uk have looked into the many festive tree traditions adopted by different countries. Continue reading Christmas tree traditions around the world
Ten tips for choosing the best Christmas tree
Ten top tips for choosing the best Christmas tree
Still to get your Christmas tree? Here are ten top tips for when it comes to choosing your tree to help ensure it lasts over the festive period.
Plant experts from GardenBuildingsDirect.co.
Make 2015 a tree-mendously green New Year
Don’t let your Christmas tree go to waste
With the smell of fresh pine in your home, there’s nothing quite like a real tree at Christmas – and Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead is urging everyone who bought a real tree in 2014 to recycle it, or replant it and use it again this year.
Scottish farms grow around 4.3 million Christmas trees every year with many of these home-grown trees taking pride of place in households across the country.
Mr Lochhead said: “Real Christmas trees, many of which have been grown here on Scottish farms, add some authentic festive sparkle to homes but I don’t think many people realise they can do their bit for the environment after they’ve used their trees by recycling them.
“All local authorities have recycling centres to take advantage of and I would encourage everyone who has bought a real tree this year to make sure they do.
“Alternatively, the gardeners among us might want to replant their tree to use again year on year – again doing your bit for the environment and also saving yourself some money next year.
“Christmas is a great time of year – it’s all about celebrating, having fun, relaxing and enjoying quality time with family and friends – but it’s also a time to reflect on the past year and what your aims are for 2015. I hope everyone in Scotland will resolve to make 2015 their Greenest year yet.”
Tree-mendous! Heartfelt Tree rekindles Christmas spirit
Two local social enterprises – Run Native and Gorgie City Farm – are working together in the run up to Christmas in a bid to spread the message that ethical shopping and community enterprise make sense.
Run Native is a collective online marketplace that helps customers find ethical buys and ethical producers find customers, while Gorgie City Farm is a long established farm and family attraction in the heart of the Edinburgh.
Each year Christmas trees are sold at Gorgie City Farm to raise funds for the farm. This year they have teamed up with Run Native to dress a one-off festive tree with hand-crafted hearts sourced from Run Native’s supplier One World Shop, making it the first “heartfelt” tree in Edinburgh.
Run Native Marketing Executive Deborah Rees said: “We are delighted to be working with Gorgie City Farm to highlight our social enterprises this Christmas. The aim is to highlight the difference between us and the high street – all the profits are reinvested back into the community. So, in a nutshell, it’s business with a big heart.”
Deborah added: “Our Run Native online store attracts shoppers from across the UK and beyond with a wide range of luxury goods as well as smaller items to suit all budgets. We make it easy to find cool and covetable products that may be difficult for the average shopper to find on the high street from snowboarding beanies, hand-made macaroons, bespoke furniture with the added benefit that they are supporting and strengthening communities when they shop with us.”
Roz Angus, Manager, Gorgie City Farm, said: “We recognise the benefits of working with other social enterprise businesses like Run Native and getting the ethical message out there that social enterprise is creative and fun. We have been at the heart of the community here for 30 years and like to bring some festive fun to the farm, so the “heartfelt” tree definitely contributed to that.”