Poinsettias are on sale everywhere this month. They originate from Mexico and like warm, dry, draught-free conditions. They are better bought from somewhere indoors like a garden centre, as standing on a cold market stall outside will do them no good at all. They are very difficult to bring through to next Christmas and need strange conditions such as being kept in the dark for a time and brought into the light for another spell. I believe life is too short, so I would say enjoy them now and send them to the big compost heap in the sky in the new year!

Hang home-made wreaths in prominent places
It is all too easy to forget the garden at this busy time of year, but it can be dressed up for the festive season by putting outdoor fairy lights in trees, which can be seen from the house, and hanging home-made wreaths in prominent places. Don’t forget the birds either by tying up a tasty fat ball or seed feeder.

Add height to flowering displays
Dress the house with stems from the garden – use the bare twisted branches of corkscrew hazel or willow for a vase. Use the red or yellow stems of Cornus (dogwood) or Salix (willow), which can be used inside or alternatively pushed into pots outside, to add height to flowering displays. The RHS do this in their gardens and it looks very effective. The long rope like stems of clematis can be used to fashion a front door wreath, and you can use florists wire to add any sprigs of holly or other things like dried Hydrangea heads, cones, etc. Add a tartan bow and there you have it!

Now, Christmas trees. I have to say that nothing can take the place of a real tree in my opinion. Some of the more expensive ‘drop resistant’ trees, such as the Korean fir, don’t have the real Christmassy smell! The Fraser fir tree (Abies Fraser) has the right smell and doesn’t shed its needles, but you do have to pay a premium compared to the old traditional Norway spruce. Whatever tree you buy, if it has a cut end it will need watering every day. Saw off the bottom few inches when you get it home as you would with cut flowers and put the base in a container of water.

Happy Christmas and good gardening to you all!