Christmas is getting greener. 

The trend towards greener gardening  includes the option to plant a permanment Chrismas tree in a container. Question is what sort of tree to plant? It needs to be self contained in the pot, not too large, tough enough to live in the pot but still look attractive for the Christmas display.

To have longevity in a container, the tree needs to be slow growing and of modest height. That immediately rules out three of our most popular Christmas Tree choices. The Norway spruce (Picea abies ) is a fast-growing tree which will ultimately reach 55 meters. The Nordmann fir (Abies nordmanniana ) although slightly slower growing it will get to a very similar size over time, as will the Douglas fir All container-grown trees will need plenty of watering during dry spells to prevent the roots from drying out.

Fortunately there are a few to choose from.

The Alberta spruce is a contender, although ultimately reaching 3m, picea gluca var. albertiana ‘Conica’ is very slow growing. It is an evergreen, conical in shape, with a slight blue tinge to its foliage. It can be kept in a container and is best  planted in ericaceous compost. You can prune it in the autumn to maintain the conical shape if there are wayward branches.

 Also suitable is the Spanish fir abies pinsapo ‘Aurea’  which has the RHS award of garden merit. It is also an evergreen conifer growing up to around 1.5m with greyish blue colour. It can be container grown in neutral to slightly acidic compost and will tolerate partial shade.

Check out trees on Crocus.co.uk (affiliate link)

You can also make a fully compostable, natural Christmas wreath which looks good and uses whatever you  have to hand in the garden.