Downing Street’s Christmas Tree Sourced from Award-Winning Welsh Farm

This year’s prominent Christmas tree at Downing Street originates from an acclaimed farm in Wales. Evergreen Christmas Trees, located in Knighton, Powys, secured the contract to provide the tree, positioned outside the prime minister’s official residence, following its recognition as the champion Christmas tree grower of the year by the British Christmas Tree Growers’ Association. The Nordmann fir measures 18ft (5.5 metres) in height and has been cultivated by the farm for over a decade. Stephen Reynolds, founder of the Christmas tree company, commented, “To keep that momentum, it tests you.” He expressed that the achievement affirmed the decision to launch the business on his family farm was “worth the risk.” Mr. Reynolds commenced cultivating Christmas trees at Black House Farm in 1992. He noted that establishing himself in this industry proved more challenging than his initial projections. “The first crop didn’t go as I intended. They say the first crop is down to experience and to go a second time took quite a lot of courage but we did, and thankfully it’s been quite a big part of the farm now.” He further mentioned that his Christmas trees have become integral to the broader local community, with numerous individuals assisting in the harvesting process. “When I was young, it used to be the hay harvest and people would get together to help get the harvest in but with more mechanisation, that’s stopped now,” he stated. “But with Christmas trees, it’s quite a manual task and a lot of local farmers and contractors have become part of the team and they always come, come rain or shine, to help me out. Everyone here takes great pride in the fact that we have won this competition.” Phil Fourie, the farm manager, directed the team responsible for cultivating the tree destined for Downing Street. “We planted the tree as a very small seedling which was about 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in) big. As it grows, you have to do quite a lot of work with it,” he explained. “You prune it twice a year and fertilise it and then look after the tree until it’s ready to cut.” Mr. Fourie emphasized the critical importance of environmental monitoring on the farm. “The biggest problem is getting a spring frost which can damage the tree… We also have to watch out for insects damaging the trees and any sheep grazing nearby.” Downing Street provided the team with precise specifications for height and width, but the key to an ideal tree, the two noted, lay in an “aesthetic shape.” “People are looking for symmetry. Not too dense, not too wide, just a nice, well balanced tree,” Mr. Reynolds stated. Mr. Fourie further commented: “It’s a nice shape and doesn’t look too heavy. The layers are quite similar all the way up and we can’t really see any big gaps in the tree as well.” The Christmas tree was illuminated at Downing Street on Monday evening, with NHS workers, military personnel, and police members attending the switch-on alongside the prime minister. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.