Christmas Trees

IF I bother putting any decorations up they go up late at night on 24 December and come back down by 1am on 26th. I can't be doing with all that rubbish!

I certainly wouldn't buy a cut tree in October! But a house on the other side of our village has already lined their driveway with lit Christmas trees, they're in pots so I don't know whether they're cut or rooted.

When our Christmas tree goes up usually depends on how busy we are, quite often not until Christmas Eve! But this year I'll try to be a bit more organised as (with luck) some of our AC and GC are coming for Christmas. We have a very realistic artificial tree indoors, but in the garden we have a lovely real one. It's the tree we had the first Christmas we moved here and we planted out after Christmas, it's doubled its size now. I might put lights on it this year as the kids are coming, usually I don't as we're a dark skies area and someone complained last time I did it.

Have already seen 2 Christmas trees up and one set of Christmas lights and that was a week ago!

Mine usually goes up week before Christmas. Doubt I will bother this year though.

Nannan2

I had a fibre optic one (lights up) for years, then wanted a change- so i got a taller one with the 'snow' on- a disaster, all the snow glitter was everywhere, & spread all round the house by our cat, who liked to lay under the tree!- so i got rid of it as soon after new year as i could- when january sales came i bought a non snow covered pre-lit one, and put it away for the next december- december rolled round and could we find it? No, never did either?so had to get a real tree mid december (just in case other fake tree turned up sometime!) This year ive bought another fake one in july and put it right at front of the huge cupboard so i know where it is!!?We put tree up when we've some spare time(!) in december but everything's taken down by 5th january in our house as thats memoriam of when my mum died.

Now....this is a mystery worthy of Miss Marple?where on earth can you have stashed a Christmas tree that you can’t find it?Do you live in a rambling manor house? May we all come and help you search for it ( the reward being mince pies and a large sherry.)

I wish I'd thought about the Christmas tree in October when we moved house one year, Marmight. When the time came to get the tree out we couldn't find it anywhere. As we'd moved a couple of months earlier it must have been left on the lorry - and due to the T&Cs we only got two weeks to ask about anything which we'd missed. As you say, who thinks about such things so early? We didn't ask the removals firm as we felt we didn't have a leg to stand on.

It was a good one too with thick branches and seemed expensive at the time. I felt a bit miffed but got a smaller replacement in the following New Year in the sales. I always make sure I climb up on the lorry now to poke about so that nothing is left.

For the past few years ( exc Covid) I have visited a Christmas market in Strasbourg Prague, Vienna etcearly December, bought a little decoration from there, then put the tree up afterwards, full of Christmas "glow"!

I put my decorations up after Christmas one year. Was away over Christmas but had friends coming up for dinner on 29th December.

we always put ours up when we have time to go and fetch one, sometime in December and then we generally take it down before we go back to work/school (rather than the 6th )

Right, I’ve been inspired by this thread and ordered a new tree from an online Christmas Tree company - artificial and pre lit as I hate putting putting the lights on! I cannot walk around shops because of very bad arthritis so rely on buying online so I just hope it looks nice. I chose the one with the most lights, some did not have very many but this one has 350 little ones.

Many of my decorations have special memories as I bought one whenever I went on holiday or for special events. Some are not very Christmassy but look lovely on the tree. I cram on as many as I can, all colours mixed together and very pretty it looks too! Well, it does in my opinion even if others disagree.

I’m not sure when I will put it up, depends on when my sister gets here from the US but it will go down on 1st Jan as I’ll be fed up with it then. I also have a Christmas tree in a pot outside that I bought three years ago and I’ll put lights on that as well as I like to see it when I drive home in the dark. I’m not talented at gardening, most of my plants either die or look pathetic but this tree has flourished and soon I might need to prune it - can I prune a Christmas tree?

I bought a rooted tree last Christmas. It's in a pot, still alive, very green as well. I gave it lots of water each week and Miracle Gro. Its 6ft and will do for this Christmas

We usually put our tree up (artificial) on 23rd December, take it down 2nd January. I get sick of seeing it after a while.

Businesses & restaurants who decorate their premises for the pre Christmas parties need them earlier perhaps than the rest of us. We normally do it mid December but decorating and cooking etc for that perfect few days when all the family are here takes me longer every year so I may start earlier!

I will put mine up 6th December as we have friends up on the 10th for our towns fesival of christmas.
I walked into our garden centre 3 weeks ago it was 23 degrees but christmas was well under way!

kittylester

*pippa*, it comes in a pot with soil and is collected and replanted. It costs the same as a similarly sized cut one. This year it is 5 feet tall and cost £70.

I’ve never heard of this kitty sounds a really great idea!

We’re not bothering this Christmas. Will put coloured lights up on our balcony instead as we’re off to Spain on 2 January - the cost of our usual real tree (£45) has paid for two return flights instead. Plus no faffing snipping the branches off etc for recycling. Himself is delighted!

Just wondering if it's because people are so desperate to feel normal re covid that they are happy to peak early re christmas ... understandable ... horrendous times do whatever makes you feel happy and god bless xxxx

I have never been able to face having a real tree. As a child I read Hans Andersen’s beautiful story, ‘The little Fir Tree’ I think is the title, which tells a lovely, but ultimately heartbreaking story about a tree which is happy growing in the forest and is cut down to be beautifully decorated and praised at Christmas but is ultimately discarded and ends up being burned. Ever since then I have always felt sorry for the trees and never could have one in the house, despite their beauty. Silly and sentimental perhaps! However I absolutely love my beautiful artificial trees, one in every room, two small, four large and one absolutely enormous (someone likened it, unkindly, I thought, to a shrubbery). Suitably decorated they are my joy at Christmas, my children and grandchildren love them and the house is fully decorated by the beginning of December. I live alone and so feel I can indulge myself at my favourite time of the year!

Re the lost trees of Gransnet..I have bought several houses, over the years, which have included a Christmas tree ? tucked in a corner of the loft.

I’ve hated Christmas for so long… the excess; the who goes where… I could’ve happily ditched the tree forever.

Then, last year, on a walk, I saw some birch branches, collected them up and made my own.

This year, we’re going for a hike, then meeting at an Indian restaurant- 10 of us- family and two friends. I can’t wait, and am happy to stick my lovely tree up ASAP!!

Christmas is what you make it. we do it our way. not interested in excess so do not notice it.

I have bought my Christmas tree! It’s growing in a field and will be cut on 14 th December, we do this every year, so tree is fresh and doesn’t drop needles so fast, love the smell of real tree and
Hate decorating too early, my partner would have tree and decorations up on 1st of Dec! Constant battle yearly!

We bought our tree 40 years ago. It cost £40 and came from Woolworths. I was shocked at the price but if has served us well,
I also find it sad when real trees are cut to ? sparkle and shine for a couple of weeks before being dumped. Our tree has served us well for so many years and no real tree has been hurt in the process.
Each to his own, and I do like live trees but our old one is still in Splendid condition. It will see us out for sure.

I also think its sad all these trees cut down. I have an artificial tree but if I wanted a real one I would get a rooted one and replant it somewhere where it could thrive.

My tree comes from a Cjristmas tree farm. It is grown on land that is not otherwise suitable for other crops.

Every time a Christmas tree is kept down for me to buy a new one is planted. After Christmas the Local Authority operate tree recycling sites where trees are chipped or shredded and made into compost, which is sold on to homes and horticultural businesses as compost. and possible spread around other young Christmas trees. The complete use, reuse and recycle product.

So much more recyclable than a plastic Christmas tree, no matter how many years you have it. We have one of both so have our foot in both camps.

Kittylester
You can RENT Christmas trees? Wow, I've never heard of that. Not that I'd want to, but it's tickled me pink now!
I've told him indoors I'd rather not have a tree this year. I get so sick of trying to get them just right, then having to put it all away again. I'm really leaning towards a branch with a few small twigs on it tbh!!
Oh gosh, I'm turning into a bah humbug and I'm just 55!! ?