I was lucky enough to be invited to Pines and Needles in Bournemouth to pick a real Christmas Tree – such a lovely experience!
On Sunday 1st December, the first day of Advent, I was invited to Pines and Needles on Old Christchurch Road in Bournemouth to pick one of their real Christmas Trees.
My husband is the biggest Christmas fan EVER and he was so excited when we got there and saw the fantastic selection of Christmas Tress they had on display, ranging from small 2ft trees (from £24), all the way up to 12ft (£93)!
The company has been running since 1995 and hit the headlines in 2016 when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were spotted buying a 6ft tree from their Battersea branch in London. The company has grown and they now have over 20 stores operating in London and across the South, including Bournemouth – lucky us!
The trees are grown in sustainable plantations in Scotland and are hand pruned to create the ideal shape. When we arrived, the staff (very festive in Santa hats), were absolutely lovely and talked us through the different options available. We were looking at 6ft trees, but my husband was rather taken with a beautiful 7ft Nordmann Fir, which really did smell like Christmas! What’s great about the trees is the fact they are non-drop. We have a very inquisitive one-year-old and miniature dachshund, so not having to worry about needles on the floor and potentially in mouths is a real plus!
Now I had never seen a Christmas Tree Netting Machine before and I was most impressed! They simply pass the tree through a funnel made of galvanised steel and voila, you have one neatly wrapped and ready to go Christmas Tree, making it really easy to transport. Luckily our 7ft Nordmann fitted in our Honda, or my husband would have had a very long walk home!
You can also buy stands to go with your tree (prices start from £13 for a medium, up to £33 for extra large) and they also sell lights and wreaths.
We had such a lovely time picking our tree and it really is a lovely thing to do as a family, as it really does get you into the Christmas spirit. However, if you don’t wish to pick your own tree you can order it online at www.pinesandneedles.com.
We’ve put the tree in our dining room and it looks beautiful! We were advised to water the tree daily and keep it away from direct heat or air conditioning. Well cared for the tree will still fresh for up to 4 weeks so fingers crossed ours lasts until Christmas Day!
Before 
And After!
If you haven’t bought your Christmas Tree yet, I would highly recommend Pines and Needles – their staff are super-friendly and they know their stuff!
You’ll find them at 704-708 Christchurch Road, Bournemouth BH7 6BY.