Decorating the House for Christmas
As Christmas is drawing nearer, we start decorating the house for the festive season. The garden and park provide ample material to be used in decking out mantlepieces and tables: Conifer branches, ivy, crab apples, holly and rosehips are brought into the house and arranged in various ways.
Examples of decorative arrangements
The final garden project of the year is to bring in the Christmas tree. We use Nordmann firs which we select at Leigh Sinton Christmas trees, stomping through their fields for hours and testing the patience of their staff as we search for the ideal tree. The tree is cut just before being delivered and kept standing in water for reasons revealed below…
It is very important that the tree is tall enough, which means that there is a lot of excitement and suspense when it is put in its stand (with water, of course) and brought inside.
Once the tree has been positioned and the garden team retreated to their well-deserved Christmas holidays, the tree is decorated by the family according to a 19th century German tradition: We use red apples, wood and tin ornaments, hand-made straw stars and a chain of gilded hazelnuts, as well as REAL BEESWAX CANDLES! Of course, a fire extinguisher is discretely hidden nearby…
From all at Morton Hall, a Merry Christmas to you and a great start to the New Year.