Homemade Christmas

Rainy-Days

I think I spotted the re-run (repeat probably) of Kirstie's homemade Christmas show on Channel 4 the other night if any of you are interested!

calicocat

I live now in a modern house, and my light fittings are the same. I have just done a HM xmas dec with it.....thanks to Kirsty, where you hang balls from it to make it xmassy. To be fair, it looks better than normal...........:rotfl:


Have done the boot tops from left over sheepskin, made some spiced nuts for friends at work (to eat from now onwards if i'm honest and not just for xmas).


I have a new baby......I decided 1.99 fake tree would look stupid outside and be blown into the sea here even if set in concrete. SO.....mi decided I want a more permanent option. I have just spent hours today trawling garden centres /farms/etc for a baby tree that I can put into front garden and keep forever (or until I / weather kills it).

I have now got a very small blue spruce (in cold conservatory), and a major responsibility for the next two decades.......:D:D.

I have no idea what kind, so it could grow to 4ft......or 65......:eek: If it's the 65ft option i'll be dead before it kills the house.

Anyone planted one before and know the best time of year to plant it out?...all the google searches obviously say about getting it used to outdoors after being used indoors. However this one won't be used as a tree indoors.....so, do I keep it outside (being very cold and windy) , or keep in conservatory and put outside during the day?...or shove in a dark cold shed.?

It's a conundrum folks......any advice welcome.

Wreath is still inside for now, as expecting strong gales for a few days apparently.

meritaten

was it outside when you bought it? if so, then probably its already well used to outdoor temps and you can plant it now! even if it was from a supermarket lobby tbh - most Xmas trees are grown outdoors - and its coming in to our lovely warm centrally heated homes that kill them!
I would plant it now - as my very experienced (gardening) dad used to say 'its got two chances - it will either live or die'! and unless you are in the very north its rather mild for the time of year!

calicocat

meritaten wrote: »

was it outside when you bought it? if so, then probably its already well used to outdoor temps and you can plant it now! even if it was from a supermarket lobby tbh - most Xmas trees are grown outdoors - and its coming in to our lovely warm centrally heated homes that kill them!
I would plant it now - as my very experienced (gardening) dad used to say 'its got two chances - it will either live or die'! and unless you are in the very north its rather mild for the time of year!

It was in the half and half bit of a garden centre, if that makes sense?. Outside, but roof covering and with lots of other stuff/plants around so not sat out completely in the elements/wind....however this could have only been for a few days of course and just dug up.

I have had another look at the ticket and it doesn't say how long it has been dug out, however, it does say don't have inside for more than 10 days as it has been previously kept in a climate bag (whatever that is).

the conservatory isn't heated, so pretty cold to be honest( nothing like outside though) .... but I think I will take your advice and put it outside. Apparently it can wait to be put into the garden (which may pay due to very very windy here at the moment) .

Thanks for the reply.

meritaten

it will be ok in its pot for some time! just as long as it doesn't dry out. and with this weather there is no chance of that! Good luck with it calicocat - Blue Spruce is really beautiful.
you are right to hold off until the winds die down. Dad always went around 'heeling in' new plantings if it had been very windy - and sometimes even more established plants can loosen. and this WILL kill them.

nellsnest

I used to have a real Christmas tree in the back garden. Ive been here 21 years and we had to get rid of it as it went too big for our garden. It grew to about 8 or 9 foot , with a spread wide of 6 to 7 foot wide.
This was in a north east garden. They also attract wasps like anything. So I think would be better kept in a large pot.

nellsnest

Also trees in this street have been falling down in this street tonight. This is ones that's been planted for about 50 years.

tboo

Well went to a local event at a nature reserve with my 6 yr old daughter and made a wreath each (well I made her ring - she decorated it). The willows are cut down each year and various groups come to make things out of them for free or for a small fee.
It's my first atttempt at anything like this and I'm not at all arty - I was hopeless at school.
I do have severe rheumatoid arthritis so to get the twists was a challange but I got there in the end and I think they're ok - probably won't last the season though.
Mine
http://postimg.org/image/yon59g8bl/
Daughters
http://postimg.org/image/bd2f4omk5/

I do hope to try and make more things next year with her

meritaten

Those are lovely tboo! I do love the twisted willow ones - hmmmm wonder if I would get the same effect with clippings from my mini weeping willow? I also have a massive amount of ivy over the bottom garden wall - some of them are over 6 feet long - my sis used to use them to adorn her chair covers (not at home - these would be at wedding venues!).

clickerty-click

I have put up a mince pie recipe on my blog today, judging by the rate my work colleagues were eating them this is a pretty good recipe and worth a try

http://snadralovesblogging.blogspot.co.uk/