Tree time
It’s Christmas. And whether it’s a seven foot tree in your living room or a tasteful wreath on the door, firs are everywhere and the choices are endless. Will you be carrying a bundle of branches back from Portobello Road or commissioning a delivery and bespoke decoration service? As usual, The Hill area covers all the options. Here are a few suggestions.
The Christmas Forest is London’s largest independent ‘treetailer’ with seven sites across the capital, including one at the junction of Harrow Road and Ladbroke Grove, and another at the corner of Goldhawk Road and Hammersmith Grove. Their philosophy is sustainability and they pledge to plant a tree in Burkina Faso for every one sold here, as well as to replace each tree cut in the UK. With minimal tree miles and a wide array of fresh trees in six different varieties, the Christmas Forest makes choosing a tree easy as well as ethical. And this year they’re hosting a competition to win a free tree next year: simply take a photograph of your decorated tree and email it to cfcompetition@gmail.com before 6 January and the five best entries will be posted on the Christmas Forest website, each receiving a voucher for a free tree in 2009. Good luck!
www.christmasforest.co.uk
At Clifton Nurseries there’s a brand new type of tree for 2008, the beautiful Clifton Cork Bark Fir, which has a beautiful silvery colouring and retains the traditional pine scent while being resistant to needle drop. Clifton Nurseries will deliver trees anywhere inside the M25, decorate them and collect them again in January for recycling. There’s also a wide range of wreaths, available to exactly your specifications.
Clifton Nurseries,
5a Clifton Villas W9
020 7432 1866
Altogether less rustic is the Wild at Heart Christmas experience. Visit the impressive new Pimlico Road store for lessons in table arrangements and wreath making – and commission a tree to be delivered and decorated in situ in tasteful Wild at Heart style. They’ll supply any size you like and use your own decorations or supply those too, according to whether you prefer contemporary, classic or rustic looks. Classes take place on 25 and 27 November, and 2 and 6 December but book early.
Wild at Heart,
54 Pimlico Road SW1
020 7229 1174