Real or fake?

MandM90

Real all the way. Last year ours was bushy and glorious and filled the entire bay window. It only dropped needles as we shoved it in through the door and removed it and didn't seem to bother the cats at all

crystal_fire

pigpen wrote: »

artificial ... decorated so you cannot see any green!

I have cats so they would get needles in their toe beans and no doubt pee on it and I'd get the one with chipmunks in it knowing my look.. and spiders... and probably a flock of robins!!

That reminds me of the artificial 7 footer we had, our old cat scaled to the top and pee'd all the way down it! Fortunately the tree was due to come down, unfortunately nobody told me until I had been dismantling it bare handed wondering how the tree had gotten wet

themull1

I had a real tree for 15 years, but last year i bought my first artificial tree, i wanted a snowy tree, and i have to say it looks lush, and once you've sprayed your christmas tree air freshner, jobs a good 'un!!

ripplyuk

I've always had an artificial tree. When I was growing up, we had the same tree for many years, pretty much my whole childhood, and it was part of the christmas rituals to get the tree down from the attic. It makes me really nostalgic now and I still love getting the same familiar tree out each year.

I've never liked the thought of a real tree because I don't like the thought of watching it die. Just feels wrong at christmas. I know some people who have a potted tree that they plant out each year but I wouldn't want to be looking at the Christmas tree all year round in the garden.

I like to get the tree up early, and a real tree would never last. I've never seen one that looks as good as the artificial ones. Many are quite bare with big gaps in the branches. Also, the 'scent' isn't pleasant to me.

sparrer

Artificial. My little gold tree is flat in the box so takes up hardly any space to store but lifts to sit on a central pole when extended. It's so pretty it doesn't need any decoration. When the children were at home we always had a real tree but like others I don't like to see them cut down only to be thrown away a few weeks later. The ones in a pot are nice but I don't have room in my garden otherwise I might consider it.

amycool

Both this year! I grew up with artificial trees and my OH always had real. In our last house there was just enough space for a small thin plastic tree but now we've moved we're having my Mum's 7ft fake tree in the living room (dec 1st) and then nearer the day we'll buy a smaller real one for the dining room.

No real clue how much the real tree will cost or how long it will last so it might be the first and last year.

Of course two trees means I have a lot of decorations to make!

Vampgirl

I prefer real trees, but good ones are expensive so we tend to alternate between a real tree if we are hosting the family for Christmas and a fake one if we are going to the parents that year.

ripplyuk wrote: »

I like to get the tree up early, and a real tree would never last. I've never seen one that looks as good as the artificial ones.

We always put the tree up on or around 1st December and so long as you buy a fresh, good quality needle-retaining variety (my favourite is a Noble Fir) and have a tree stand which allows you to keep the tree in water then there is no reason a real one shouldn't last until well into the new year. I've always been amazed when we take the tree down in January just how fresh it still looks and how few needles have dropped.

ben_m_g

Fake every time, john lewis and next have some very nice (and expensive) trees, with snow / pinecones / rubber needles.

I nearly splashed out at next, early this year (they had a load reduced) but they were still too expensive.

nicegirl

Real. We get the shorter ones that they sell in Asda for about £15.

We usually buy them the first weekend in December and have never had a problem with them lasting/shedding. They've always gone well into the new year.

vikki_louise

If cost isn't an issue then I would say artificial but look for very bushy ones which are a nice shape and check the base to see if it looks like it will last.