The demand for ‘real' Christmas trees is growing, but there might not be enough to go round this year, and the worst shortage will be of trees higher than 6ft, says the British Christmas Tree Growers Association (BCTGA). Growers are reporting that unusually severe late-spring frosts in Europe killed 25% of the harvest-in Sweden alone, 50,000 trees were lost.
Another problem is over-cutting by growers who are cutting early to meet demand, which leads to fewer taller trees. A third issue is a disease called current season needle necrosis (CSNN), which causes needles on fir trees to turn brown and fall off.
The Tree Barn, which supplies No 10, Downing Street, has told Horticulture Week that it expects to lose 10% of its crop each year due to the disease.
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'The city has always held an important creative space within our design studio': A luxury townhouse in Tokyo, courtesy of Aston MartinA new four-storey property in the Omotesandō district is the first single home private residence by the British ultra-luxury performance brand.
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Tuning in with the past: Monk music will ring out for the first time since the Dissolution after medieval manuscript is rediscoveredBuckland Abbey once thronged with monks who sang for hours every day. Now, some of their newly rediscovered medieval music will ring out once more.
