Oh Christmas Tree

Ho ho ho and happy Christmas (nearly). We bought a Christmas tree last year and decieded that we would keep it in the garden and bring it in each year. This was meant to be both eco friendly and nice. The idea was that the tree would grow to a fabulous and beautiful size and be our special tree.

One of the children that came round last year said 'Your tree is really small. Our tree is really big' and I said smugly 'Yes but our tree will keep growing and growing and next year it will be huge'. If the child comes round again this year he will be laughing at my tree again. It didn't seem to have grown. When I went to look at it in December it was tiny still and slightly brown in places, like a tree for poor elves.

Lack of growth could be due to the fact that it was pot bound and stuck in the shade at the side of the house. Undeterred I chopped off the brown bits and replanted it in a giant pot. This was very cunning because as the pot is a third of the height of the tree it has made it a more respectable size. Now the tree now goes up to my nose and we have brought it inside. It weights a ton however and may have to stay in our living room forever.

A few pets have emerged from the tree. We have had one ladybird, one woodlouse and there is a little spider living in the star at the top. We've let him stay, well it is Christmas.

I did actually go to the allotment, hurrah! It was cold, and unsurprisingly I was alone. I just mooched about. I cut some holly, bay, rosemary and ivy to drape around the house. We always used have holly at Christmas when I was a nipper so it is nice to have my own holly bush on the allotment so that I can recreate the bad bug filled decorations of the past.

I picked a few leeks and I've managed to grow some parsnips which is very exciting for me because I have never grown a parsnip before, as you can see in the picture there is a bountiful crop of giant parsnips, (you might need to look very closely but they are there). I am easily pleased.