Managing our fields naturally
Digging ponds and planting eucalyptus and willow to help with drainage, and creating an area of native woodland in our boggy area is all adding to the richness of the natural environment at Frenchay Christmas Tree Farm.
Flora & Fauna
Amazing Biodiversity At Christmas Tree Farms
Christmas Tree Farms provide varied and unique habitats for an amazing array of wildlife – in field margins, hedgerows, wild-meadow areas, ponds and ditches, and the Christmas trees themselves!
Planting baby Christmas Trees
In the spring and autumn, we are busy planting 1,000s of sapling Christmas trees, to replace trees that have been cut for Christmas. It’s always a race to get the fragile plants safely into the ground in their new home – Frenchay Christmas Tree Farm!
Blue Spruce in Iceland!
We like finding Christmas trees on our travels, and this summer we found Blue Spruce growing in Iceland! Our own Blue Spruce are only just reaching heights of 8-9ft. So it was good to meet some of their taller relations growing in the sub-arctic.
Beautiful Big Christmas Trees!
Our beautiful big Christmas Trees need pruning to make sure they are a perfect shape. In the Spring and early Summer, Simon gets the tall ladder out and sets off around the fields.
No-Mow May
Our no-mow May was a big success. In fact, we didn’t mow our fields until early July, which meant orchids and other wildflowers had a chance to flourish and the insects and birds all benefitted, too.
Wildflower field margins
Along the grass verges that surround our farm, we have been busy cultivating wildflowers amongst the grasses. Last September, we planted yellow rattle and are thrilled to se them coming into flower this spring!
Norwegian Spruce in…Norway!
We were lucky enough to visit forests of Norwegian Spruce in their native habitat on a winter visit to the Norwegian coastal town of Bergen. It was inspiring to walk underneath these majestic, spectacular trees in their natural environment.
Scorching summer to a snowy december
With very a hot summer and a warm, wet autumn, we then had a winter wonderland of snow in December! Our natural field-management system is helping our Christmas trees cope well with more extreme seasonal weather.
Fungi at the farm
There is much to look at on our farm, besides our gorgeous collection of Christmas Trees. Here are a few families of mushroom this December.