'According to the Soil Association, you need to reuse an artificial tree at least 10 times to negate its carbon footprint'
Cheshire might have the least amount of forest of any county in the UK, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find high-quality, locally grown Christmas trees near you. While firs and spruces grow best on cool mountainsides, Cheshire farmers have spent years conquering the challenges of mild conditions and rich soil to provide the essential centrepiece for your celebrations.
According to the Soil Association, you need to reuse an artificial tree at least 10 times to negate its carbon footprint, so locally grown real trees can be a better choice for a green Christmas and a happy new year. Cut trees do need to be disposed of properly to ensure their eco-credentials, so check for recycling services with your local council or charities including local hospices and scout groups.
Whether you're seeking a certain size, shape, or even smell, Cheshire’s dedicated growers have your Christmas tree needs covered, offering the ease of local delivery, or the chance to get some fresh air and pick your tree in person.
Ivy Cottage Tree Farm, Wilmslow
It takes talent to grow Christmas trees on peat, and the team at Ivy Cottage have really perfected the process since starting out in 1982. With more than 30,000 growing, they offer the popular Norway spruce, Noble, Nordmann and Fraser firs for a variety of shapes and colours, and Lodgepole pines with their long, candelabra-shaped needles.
You can choose your tree and have it chopped on the same day. An on-site florist whips up quality wreaths or garlands and families love the train running around the top of the decoration shop, where firewood is also available.
'We sell potted and pot-grown trees, mistletoe, foliage and tree stands,' says Angela McPake, retail and finance director at the family-owned farm who now proudly count themselves as one of Cheshire’s biggest Christmas tree suppliers.
Open every weekend from October and seven days a week from November 20.
Pre-cut trees available from the end of November
Toilets and a boot room (for muddy visits) on site
Dogs on leads welcome
45 Racecourse Road, Wilmslow SK9 5LG
ivycottagetreefarm.co.uk
Church Farm, Wirral
Swapping fires for firs, Steve Ledsham started his organic farm at Bebington after retiring from the fire service and embraced Christmas trees as a winning winter crop. Thirty years into their growing journey, Steve and the team at Church Farm are proud to provide free trees to local primary schools and an unforgettable festive experience for paying customers.
You can drop in or pre-book to choose and chop a specimen from the Christmas tree forest, with friendly staff offering guidance and doing the actual chopping. They specialise in non-drop trees, including Nordmann spruce, Scots pine and Noble and Fraser fir. 'You can’t get a fresher tree,' says Steve, who once personally delivered his trees across the region to maintain their magic, and now has a team of elves helping out.
Resident Mrs Claus, Brenda Ledsham, creates stunning wreaths available for sale alongside foliage and smaller potted trees.
Weekends in December also host the Santa Experience, where families can enjoy a tractor ride around the farm, meet colourful Christmas characters, interact with the farm’s own herd of reindeer and feel thoroughly festive with music, lights and dancing.
Tickets for the Santa Experience available at churchfarmevents.co.uk/thesantaexperience
Christmas Tree Forest open Wednesday to Sunday from November 18
Café and toilets in the Farm Park
Dogs on leads welcome
Church Farm, Thurstaston, Wirral CH61 0HW
churchfarmevents.co.uk
Greenies Christmas Tree Rental, Nantwich
In recent years innovative Christmas tree rental businesses have been popping up across the country, and Cheshire residents can experience the ultimate eco-conscious option from Greenies in Nantwich.
Norway spruce are the trees of choice for rental customers as they have a shallower root system than others so are better suited to growth in a pot. Hand planted in perfectly PH-balanced soil and irrigated by a natural spring, these trees have received the VIP treatment and make a wonderfully scented and sustainable addition to celebrations before their return to the Greenies team.
According to owner Stephen Bourne, repeat customers enjoy naming their trees, welcoming them into their homes year after year like special guests. He says families in particular enjoy seeing whether the kids or the tree has grown more over a year.
Trees are available for retail customers in sizes from three- to six-feet, with click-and-collect or home delivery options, while the trees that outgrow their biodegradable pots are upgraded to large oak barrels for corporate customers.
Trees available from October 1
greeniestrees.com
The Hollies Farm Shop, Little Budworth and Lower Stretton
Christmas trees have been sold at Cheshire’s renowned Hollies Farm Shop by the Cowap family since 1961, and the staff at both Little Budworth and Lower Stretton sites will be pleased to help you make the perfect purchase. They offer two tried and tested varieties: Nordmann fir, 'excellent at retaining needles once cut,' according to farm shop founder Richard Cowap, and Norway spruce, 'that will fill your home with a lovely scent'. The trees are grown on the family’s land at the edge of Delamere and harvested for sale at the shops to ensure the freshest stock possible.
The shops themselves will be bursting with decorations, wreaths and garlands alongside mistletoe, lovingly cultivated on lime and apple trees around the site at Little Budworth. With local delicacies and artisan gifts available, the Hollies offer a one-stop seasonal shop – and can arrange tree delivery if your car is too full.
Trees available from end of November
Café and toilet facilities at both shops
Dogs allowed in outdoor seating areas
Forest Road, Little Budworth CW6 9ES
Northwich Road, Lower Stretton, Warrington WA4 4PG
theholliesfarmshop.co.uk
Grappenhall Christmas Trees, Warrington
Another family farm that’s dedicated decades to growing Christmas trees is found at Grappenhall. Here, friendly staff will help you choose the perfect tree from four different species: Norway and Serbian spruce or the popular Nordmann and Fraser firs.
Around a third of the trees will be reserved on the farm’s opening weekend in mid-November when customers can tag their tree and arrange for collection or delivery. A selection of pre-cut trees will also be available. The farm also offers a unique ‘SustainabiliTREE’ event the following weekend: an eco-friendly buy-one-get-one-free offer that gives each customer a tree to plant (at home or on the farm) in addition to their purchase.
DIY wreath kits are available to buy and the business prides itself on the large team of friendly staff to ensure a chilled-out Christmas tree-buying experience.
Reservation weekend: November 11-/12
SustainabiliTREE event: November 18-19
Portaloo at the Christmas tree field
Broad Lane, Grappenhall, Warrington WA4 3ET
grappenhallchristmastrees.co.uk
Top tips for real Christmas trees
Shop local to support farmers and keep mileage and costs down
For sites that are working farms, wear wellies and suitable clothing
Treat your tree like a fresh bunch of flowers:
Get it into water as soon as possible: stands with a reservoir are available
Trim the trunk if it was cut more than 24 hours previously
The healthier the tree, the longer it will keep its needles
