The next two weekends are traditionally the bestselling times for Christmas trees as customers really get into the festive spirit.
So it’s a crucial time for garden centres throughout the country, and the signs are looking good, according to Alton Garden Centre in Essex.
“We’ve been selling ‘real’ Christmas trees for over a week now and we’ve nearly reached 200 trees sold so far,” said Alton plant advisor Ian Livermore.
“It’s a good start but this weekend and next are usually the busiest times for Christmas tree sales. Many customers will have just been paid, and because it’s the start of December people get into the Christmas spirit.”
Ian added that his customers were buying bigger this year too. Instead of the standard 5ft-6ft trees more people were opting for 7ft-8ft versions.
“I think people tend to like the shape better on the larger trees,” said Ian. “They seem to have a more conical shape than the smaller trees. The 7ft-8ft trees are more expensive but that hasn’t put people off.
“Also, we seem to be selling an increasing number of Fraser firs, which are manually clipped and lemon scented."
