Christmas trees are beginning to appear in people’s windows, and outside ones are being decorated… it’s hard to believe that two weeks today will be Boxing Day! We have a living tree called Tim, who stays outside for the rest of the year and only comes in over the festive season. The Tim we have in the garden now, in his pot, is not the original Tim; since my husband and I have been together we have had a number of Tims, as they grew too big to go in the house they were planted in the garden. A couple may still be flourishing in the garden of our old house in Manchester, and we have a couple living with us here.
Traditionally, at home, we did not have the tree until Christmas Eve, although sometimes it was bought a couple of days before and kept outside. My dad always used to buy it from the cattle market where there was a sort of ongoing auction; no doubt the nearer you bought it to Christmas the cheaper it got as the dealer was anxious not to have any left-overs. When we moved to Somerset he bought the tree from a nearby farm, until one Christmas Eve he was too late and there were none… so we decorated our house plant, a mighty rubber plant, with all the baubles and tinsel! I wish I had a photo!
So, it won’t be long until Tim comes inside… first into a cooler room to acclimatise, then into the main room to be decorated and appreciated. The presents will be put round him and before we know it, it will be Christmas Day! How fortunate we are!
Lois Elsden 