Christmas Trees Vialii Style

Real Christmas trees are available form a range of suppliers now.  At Vialii Towers we much prefer them to artificial ones. Some people may argue that an artificial tree is better for the environment as you can use it for many years, but there is still a huge impact on the environment by making it in the first place, shipping from across the world and then disposing of it eventually. Plus a real tree smells wonderful and can be bought from local producers and even charities. We tell you which varieties of Christmas trees to consider, what to look for when you are buying and how to best look after them.

The vast majority of real Christmas trees sold have their roots cut off. To lessen the environmental impact we’d therefore recommend buying from a supplier who plants more trees to replace those they cut. Trees with roots are sometimes available but they can only be housed inside for a short period of time before they come out of the dormant phase. That means they’d need a slow and gradual return back to the cold if subsequently planting outside.

Noodle with our real Christmas tree

Which Christmas trees should you buy?

If you are buying a real tree, what variety should you go for?  The answer depends upon the space you have, how worried you are about needle loss and how important a scent is. Here are a few of the most common Christmas trees you will find for sale and some of their key features:

Nordmann Fir 

It has lovely deep green foliage with slightly blue tinge underneath. It normally has nice symmetry and shape and is less likely to drop its needles. No wonder it is by far the nation’s most popular.

Norway Spruce 

Lovely scent but can be very prone to losing needles.  Best to hold off on buying until nearer Christmas if this is your choice.

Fraser Fir 

An ideal choice for smaller spaces due to a more compact pyramid shape.  Needles tend to be less prickly and so more family friendly. Has a gentle citrus scent.

Noble Fir

Has low needle loss, good branch firmness, lovely scent and soft needles. Down side is that it can be hard to find.

Scots Pine

A sturdy option and the only native tree you’ll find on sale. Good needle retention and highly scented.

Lodgepole Pine

Slender straight tree with yellow-green tinged needles.  Needle retention is generally ok.

Top buying tips

• Before leaving home, measure your space where the tree will be going (including the height) so that you buy the right size of tree (allow for a stand and decorations!)
• Ask the retailer where the Christmas trees were grown and when they were cut. You don’t want one that has been sitting around for weeks.
• Give the Christmas trees a good shake. If the needles are already falling off you should choose another.
• Lift the tree up. A freshly cut tree should feel heavy as it will have a high water content.
• Don’t buy Christmas trees that’s pre-wrapped unless you can get it opened and re-wrapped. You need to see it out so you can see the shape, make sure it has good symmetry, and how it will fit in your space.

Tree care

A good quality, freshly cut tree can last up to 6 weeks if well looked after:

• Saw a centimetre off the trunk before bringing it in to the house. This will help it draw up water.
• Don’t place it beside a radiator, a cooler corner is better.
• Water it everyday to minimise needle loss.
• Remember to recycle your real Christmas trees once Christmas is over. Most councils will collect your tree and will then chip them and re-use the material as a mulch.

Other decorations

Christmas trees are not the only plants that can bring a bit of festive cheer to your home. Here are some suggestions for unusual and elegant plant based decorations to make or buy:

As lovely as traditional holly wreaths are, you can give them a more contemporary twist by including scented plants such as lavender or thyme. Or be eco friendly and use trimmings from the garden like we do.

Our home made wreath

A stunning but simple table decoration can be made by placing holly leaves and berries in clean jars, adding water and topping with a floating candle.  Just remember to keep away from children and pets and never leave unattended.

Terrariums are bang on trend this year and we’ll be hanging a seasonal bauble shaped one on our tree.  These can come with airplants or with scented spices and dried fruit such as orange, apple and cinnamon sticks.

Or add some lovely lights to the outside of your home to bring some Christmas cheer.

Our house lit up with some festive lights

Hopefully that has given you some inspiration to start thinking about Christmas trees and decorations for this year.

Merry Christmas from all at Vialii

Christmas Gifts for Gardeners 2013

It’s that time of year again when our thoughts turn to Christmas and what to buy our loved ones. Is it just us or does it get harder every year to think up innovative and interesting gifts to buy? Well, to make life a little easier for you we have pulled together a list of interesting Christmas gifts for gardeners 2013 so that you can give the gardener in your life something they will truly love…

Merry Christmas from all at Vialii

Gardening Voucher

At Vialii we can offer gardening vouchers to suit your budget. They are available for both our Maintenance and Design and Landscaping businesses and to whatever value you wish. So if you want to surprise your parents by getting them a voucher to have their garden tidied or their grass cut for the year or give a loved-one a voucher for a garden design please get in touch to discuss your requirements.

The perfect gift for the person who has everything. Gardening vouchers from any value

Bird feeder

Do you know someone who loves wildlife but their garden and style isn’t suited to a traditional bird table? Well how about treating them to this wonderful bird feeder by Eva Solo.

Bird feeder. From around £40

Teeny Tiny Gardening

The aptly named Teeny Tiny Gardening book is filled with lots of wonderful, inventive ideas how to garden in teeny tiny spaces. We are going to find some teeny tiny spaces just to try out some of these projects. A brilliant book for a quirky friend with a love for gardening, no matter where they live.

The teeny tiny book filled with big ideas. From around £10

Wheely good design

The clever people at Water & Oil have come up with brilliant design for a wheelbarrow. It is heavy duty with non corrosive stainless steel fixings along with handy rugged grips. There are also no bolt/rivet stress points securing the barrow like in other wheelbarrows. It comes in six colours so there will be one to suit your loved one.

We choose the pink colourway! From around £70

Water good idea

Another design-led product, this time by Alessi for All Modern. Available in three colours, this “diva” watering can is aptly named with it’s dramatic pose.

The “Diva” watering can. From around £28

Having a ball

Garden furniture can be so much more than a wooden table and chairs and these Boom Ball Chairs by Finn Stone add a splash of colour and fun to the garden without the need to worry about the weather. They are made from recycled plastic and are durable in all weathers (even Scottish weather!) and are available in 18 colours, even a spotty version! They are also available in a smaller size for children. Yes please!

The Boom Ball Chairs. From around £135

No butts, this is lovely

Even something as utilitarian as a water butt is getting the design treatment these days. There’s no need to hide your water butt round the back of your garden shed if you have one of these beauties from the Pure collection by Elho. Although it isn’t big it would be a good choice for someone with a small, contemporary garden.

The Pure Raindrop waterbutt. From around £200.

So, there you go, some wonderful, design-led Christmas gifts for gardeners 2013. Hope we have helped with your lists. We have certainly added a few things to our own Wish Lists! If you see other gardening products that you think are worthy of a mention, send us the link and we will have a look.

Merry Christmas from all at Vialii

(All prices and suppliers correct at the time of the blog being posted. Apologies if any of these change but it’s outwith our control.)

Fir Trade!

I am soooo excited. You may have noticed Santa is busy getting ready for Christmas and is making lots of appearances at garden centres, shopping centres and even on trains! There is only five weeks to go so you better get your letters written and brush up on your good behaviour. One of my favourite things about Christmas is the tree, especially trying to climb it! There are lots of questions about whether a real or artificial tree is better for the environment, which variety of real Christmas tree to get, how to stop the needles falling off etc. So as usual, I’m at hand to answer all your questions as well as give you a little Christmas Tree decoration project to do…

Daddy and I with a real Christmas tree

Real or Artificial?

Now whilst some may claim that an artificial tree is better for the environment as you re-use it every year, there is still a huge impact on the environment by making it in the first place. Most are made from PVC which, from an environmental perspective, is a pretty horrible material. When you are fed up with your artificial tree and you throw it out, it will likely linger in land-fill for CENTURIES – not a great legacy to leave behind! Also, there is the carbon footprint to consider as most of the trees are made in the Far East and have to be shipped over here.

At Vialii, we believe that a real Christmas tree is much more environmentally friendly as long as you buy it local to where it was grown and that there is a re-planting commitment for all trees that are felled. Plus they smell lovely! A good quality, freshly cut tree can last up to 6 weeks if well looked after so don’t worry that you can’t put your tree up as early as the fakers! If I’m not convincing enough, consider this…A study in 2009 (Ellipsos) concluded that a 7-foot cut tree’s impact on climate is 60 percent less than a 7-foot artificial tree used for six years.

Living Christmas Tree

You can buy a live tree (with roots) but you can only have it indoors for a very short time and you will need to keep it in a cool place as it will come out of its dormant phase (in other words wake up!) and may not survive when you plant it back outdoors in the cold. If you are putting a live tree back outside you will need to acclimatise it back into the cold. If you find a supplier of cut trees who will plant lots more trees for every one they sell we think that’s the best compromise.

What’s the best type of Christmas tree for you?

What is the best type of real Christmas tree to buy?

OK, now that we have convinced you to get real, which variety should you opt for? Here are a few of the most common Christmas trees you will find for sale and some of their key features:

Nordmann Fir – the King of the Christmas Tree accounting for a huge 80% of UK sales. It has lovely deep green foliage on the top and blue underneath. It has lovely symmetry and shape and is less likely to drop its needles.

Norway Spruce – another popular choice and one which has a lovely smell. This one can be more likely to drop its needles so watch out and don’t buy it too early.

If you can find it, the Noble Fir is a great choice for needle loss, branch firmness, scent and the softness of the needles.

Fraser Fir – this one has a pyramid shape and soft needles which can be more family friendly. It has flat green needles and can be narrow making it a good choice to smaller spaces.

Top tips for looking after your real Christmas tree:

• Measure your space where the tree will be going (including the height) so that you buy the right size of tree (allow for a stand and a star on top!)
• Ask the retailer where the tree was grown and when it was cut.
• Give your tree a good shake. If the needles fall off then choose another.
• Lift the tree up. A freshly cut tree should feel heavy as it will have a high water content.
• Don’t buy a pre-packaged tree – you need to see it out so you can see the shape, make sure it has good symmetry, not too bare and will fit in your space. Most places will be happy to open up any that are already packed to let you see them and then re-wrap.
• Cut a centimetre or so off the trunk before bringing it in to the house to help it absorb water better.
• Choose a cooler corner of your room and make sure you water your tree EVERY day to minimise needle loss.
• Many charities sell Christmas trees so consider buying from one of these sources and spread some festive cheer.Remember to recycle your real tree once Christmas is over. Most councils will collect your tree and will then chip them and re-use the material as a mulch.

Now that I have helped you choose your Christmas tree, here is a fun project to make your own Christmas tree decoration…

Hand Print Santa Decoration

To make:

1. Ask your grown up to help you draw round your hand on some white card then cut it out. This will be the beard.

Draw round your hand on a piece of white card

2. Cut out an oval shaped face from the pink card (or use more of the white card and paint it pink or glue on some pink paper).

Here I am gluing some pink paper to my Santa’s head

3. Cut a hat shape from the red card (or use white card and glue on your red fabric/paper). Glue some cotton wool along the bottom of the hat and a cotton wool pom pom to the top.

Make your santa hat. I added some red tissue paper to mine and cotton wool.

4. Glue your cut-out hand (the beard) to the bottom of the face and glue the hat to the top of the face. Glue the googly eyes onto the face and attach the ribbon so that you can hang it on your tree.

I love a googly eye!

5. Hang your beautiful hand-made decoration on your tree. Lovely for Christmas and a wonderful keep-sake.

Our Santa Hand Christmas tree decoratio

Remember, don’t be naughty…I’d love to see pictures of your Christmas trees and your own hand made decorations so please send them to me.

Lulu

Thank you to Parents.com for the inspiration behind this decoration

Gardening Gifts For Christmas 2011

Shops are selling it, TVs are advertising it and radio stations are playing it. There is no escaping the advancing march of Christmas. Each year the pressure is on to find the perfect present, something a little more thoughtful than a selection box and a pair of socks. Fret not, to help you find something special for the gardener in your life, we at Vialii have pulled together our favourite gardening gifts for Christmas 2011 to suit all tastes and budgets…

Recycled deck chairs

So, the grass is mown and the flower beds weeded – it’s time to relax and enjoy your garden. And what better way to do that than on these recycled deckchairs. Made entirely in the UK from recycled sails, the chairs can be personalised with a name or a date too.

£150 from Not on the High Street

Recycled deck chairs

Wine Glass Holder

Now, this has got to be a favourite of ours – a recycled wine glass holder. Made from recycled plastic it well and truly ticks the green box. Simple to use, just push the spike into the ground and it’s ready to use. So get out the recycled deck chair (see above) and relax with a bottle of wine and now you don’t have to worry about the glass falling over on uneven ground any more. And a bargain at £4.99 for a pack of four from Lakeland.

Wine glass holders

Ladies Floral Gauntlets

Gardening gloves need not be boring and utilitarian. These leather and linen gauntlets cover much of the arm allowing you to get stuck into some good old pruning without ripping your arms to shreds. And with this pretty floral design you can be stylish to boot.

£32.90 from EBay

Ladies floral gauntlets

Personalised Crate

There is little as satisfying as growing your own, and with this personalised crate it is the perfect place to grow your choice of annuals, herbs or shrubs. Alternatively the crate could be used as a log store or somewhere to keep all your hand tools organised. There is plenty of space for personalisation and the crate is made from high quality pine.

From £31.99 from Getting Personal

A personalised crate

Bee Hotel

There has been a lot of publicity in recent times about the reduction in the numbers of the humble bumble. We are always big fans of anything which will encourage wildlife into the garden and this is a great way of helping our friends the bees but ensuring the garden remains stylish at the same time. As well as attracting non aggressive bees such as the Mason bee, other wildlife such as lovely ladybirds will use it as a winter home. Available in a range of colours.

£19.95 from Not on the High Street

Bee hotel

Personalised Rose

Having a rose named after you has to be the ultimate accolade. Normally the domain of the rich and famous, now you can give this gift to someone you love. Included in the present is seed for the recipient to grow and the opportunity for them to name their rose and get a certificate with its details. Certainly a talking point for the garden.

£9.99 from The Gift Experience

Name a rose

Kettle Watering Can

This alternative to the traditional watering can is so much fun and will bring a smile to your face every time you use it. They are recycled and come in a wide array of funky colours. Yes please Santa!

£9.00 from Hen & Hammock

Kettle watering can

Make Your Own Scarecrow

We are big fans of encouraging kids to get involved in gardening and what better way than getting them to help make your very own scarecrow. Whether you have a larger garden with your own veg patch or are lucky enough to have an allotment, this is a fun and practical addition to any plot. The kit includes the basics you need to make your own scarecrow, illustrated instructions and ideas of how you can embellish your scarecrow to make it truly unique.

£28.00 from Hen & Hammock

Make your own scarecrow

Seedboms

Grow your own kits have been doing the rounds for some time now but these “bombs” caught our eye. The quirky holders are filled with local, recycled, organic material and are sold in a pack of 4 .

£10.95 from Kabloom

Kabloom seedbombs

So happy shopping, and from everyone at Vialii, can we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2012.

All at Vialii

All prices and suppliers correct at the time of the blog being posted. Apologies if any of these change but it’s outwith our control.