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Choosing
a Christmas Tree
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It
is a tradition in England to have a Christmas tree in
your home
There are
lots of attractive artificial trees in the shops now, but many
people still prefer to have a real tree. You are not allowed to
just go out into a forest with an axe and chop one down, but
many shops, garden centres and street markets sell them at this
time of the year.
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I decided
to go somewhere a bit grander! This is Hatfield House in Hertfordshire,
one of the great stately homes of Britain.
In the grounds of the estate they allow a
local grower to sell his trees in the few weeks leading up to Christmas. You
enter the grounds by a large gate and go up this impressive long drive.
In the distance you can just see the main house, but the trees are for sale in
a nearby old
stable yard. |
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There are
many trees on display. On entering the yard you can immediately
smell the lovely scent of the pines. It instantly makes me think of
Christmas.
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Once you
have selected your tree you take it to the man in charge and he measures
it against this chart. A six foot ( 1.83 metres) tree costs £13. The tree is then wrapped tightly in a bag so that it can be
carried home more easily. You often see trees on car roof racks or
sticking precariously out of a car windows at this time of the year.
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Some
people only want a small tree. Other people have a large artificial
tree in their lounge and a small real tree elsewhere on a table - just so they
can smell that scent.
The small trees in the top picture still have their
roots and are potted in
soil, so that they can be planted in the garden once Christmas is over.
Some survive to be used again, but many find the heat in the house too
much and slowly fade away.
In January the council has special
collections for dead trees, which they shred and recycle. The larger
trees normally come without roots.
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A few of
the many
varieties of tree on sale. Norway Spruce has been popular for years, but the more unusual trees with pale grey foliage also look attractive.
Everyone worries about the needles dropping at home and causing a mess, and
so varieties
that do not shed their needles are becoming increasingly popular.
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The
velvet article in the top picture is a skirt, but one made especially
for a Christmas tree. It hides the pot or bare stem. If your tree is the
kind without roots you can purchase one of these decorative metal
stands to hold the tree upright.
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You can
also purchase holly wreaths and bunches of mistletoe. People decorate
the wreaths and hang them on front doors to welcome visitors. And there
is a tradition that you
can always ask for a Christmas kiss if you can catch somebody standing
beneath the mistletoe. You have to be careful where you stand at
this time of the year!
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