British Cut Christmas Trees and Poinsettias Available at Squire’s
The last two weeks in November are a very a special time at Squire’s Garden Centres, with the arrival of ‘real’ Christmas trees and Poinsettias – two of the most iconic products associated with Christmas. The appearance of trees and poinsettias across all Squire’s 16 garden centres from 21st November marks the culmination of many months of careful cultivation and unique partnership with British growers.
Poinsettias – The Christmas Flower
Poinsettias are considered to be the flower of Christmas, renowned for their deep red leaves and lush green foliage that evoke wonderful feelings that the festive season is well on its way – they are also the most popular houseplant sold in the UK every Christmas. Unlike many other retailers, Squire’s works in partnership with longstanding Surrey-based supplier, Woodlark Nurseries, to produce the best quality – and freshest – Poinsettias, as the plants arrive at all its garden centres within just 60 minutes or less from leaving the grower. New varieties for this festive season include ‘Bubble-gum’, ‘Surprise Orange’, ‘Ice Princess’ and ‘Golden Glow’.
Jeremy Hall, Squire’s Poinsettia & Christmas Tree Buyer, comments: “Poinsettias need care and attention to produce the very best plants; they are light sensitive, so controlling the amount of light they receive ensures they change colour at the right time. They are grown at the perfect temperature, and this continues when in our garden centres too. Poinsettias don’t like cold and drafts, so we ensure our plants are wrapped in recycled paper sleeves and recommend plants are taken straight home and tended to in a warm environment.
“What makes our Poinsettia crop the best it can be, is that we work with another family business, Woodlark Nurseries, which is similar to the Squire’s family business. We have a long-established relationship with Woodlark Nurseries, working together to grow the very best Poinsettias.”
Not all Poinsettias are the traditional red colour, though this is the most popular, they come in white, cream as well as red and white spotted varieties and working closely with their supplier, Squire’s is often able offer new varieties and continually looks for ways to innovate in response to customer interest. Squire’s has an extensive range of Poinsettias, available in centres now, priced from just £2.49 and also available online.
Poinsettia Care Top Tips
- Care should be taken transporting Poinsettia home; cold temperature can damage foliage
- Poinsettia require a draft-free position, with a min temperature of 13°C (55°F)
- Plants should be positioned in a bright location, away from direct sunlight.
- When the surface of compost has begun to dry out, use room temperature water.
Real Christmas Trees
Going to choose a real Christmas tree is, for many, an important festive tradition and from late November, customers will be able to enjoy a visit to Squire’s Garden Centres to make their selection from the best quality trees while supporting British growers. Squire’s real cut Christmas trees are all British, making their journey from Scotland, and include Deluxe Nordmann and Premium Nordmann – and this year the Slimline Nordman which is perfect for corners and homes with less space. Squire’s offer a carry-to-car service – as well as home delivery – on Christmas trees, making choosing that special tree as easy as possible.
Jeremy Hall, comments: “Visiting one of our centres to choose a real Christmas tree is an exciting tradition for many and we take great pride in bringing our customers a wide selection of the freshest and best quality varieties of trees. We guarantee our trees will look great for Christmas with our Squire’s Real Christmas Tree Guarantee*.”
“Our fresh, cut trees are all British, and are a sustainable crop as once cut, this gives rise to new planting – for every tree harvested, a new one is planted. Each tree takes up to ten years to grow, producing plenty of oxygen into the atmosphere. Furthermore, each field absorbs 70 tonnes of carbon per hectare each year. Squire’s cut trees are efficiently delivered, carefully packed in just one journey from Scotland, with road miles kept to a minimum.”
Squire’s also has a great range of Pot Grown Trees available now, which are grown in their pots from the beginning, producing great quality smaller trees that can be planted after the festive season and enjoyed year after year. Pot Grown Trees are perfect for smaller spaces – or for a more ornamental looking tree – like Picea Perfecta which comes in 2, 5 and 10 litre sizes. Alternatively there is pot grown Norway Spruce, fondly regarded as the traditional Christmas tree, with its dense branches perfect for decorating and its unique aroma that evokes Christmas and available in three sizes ranging from 80cm-150cm. Other pot grown varieties available at Squire’s include Nordmann Fir and Blue Spruce.
Jeremy continues: ”Choosing a Squire’s Pot Grown Tree means that after Christmas, the tree can be planted outside and enjoyed in future years. Do be sure to keep them well-watered and away from a heat source while the tree is in the home, ensuring they remain at their best, ready for planting in the new year.”
Real Christmas Tree Care Top Tips
- Once the tree is at home, cut trees should be unwrapped and allowed to stand in a bucket of water, to keep them fresh and allow the branches to settle.
- For cut trees, make a fresh cut across the base before bringing it inside.
- For cut trees, use a special stand with a reservoir to hold water; this should be topped up daily.
- Position the tree away from radiators or other heat sources.
- Trees labelled ‘Pot Grown’ can be planted in the garden after Christmas.
