This Christmas, we've embraced the beauty of its sub-tropical garden. Staff and volunteers have been working tirelessly over the past few weeks to create a stunning display of decorations in the Visitor Centre, crafted largely from plants and leaves gathered from our 26 acre valley.
Throughout autumn the gardeners have collected a huge variety of plants that would otherwise have been deadheaded and composted at this time of year.
With tinsel crafted from chestnut and Acer leaves and cuttings from their iconic 70-year-old Hydrangeas which cloak the garden in blue every summer, other delights from around the world include Banksia, Callistemon, Agapanthus, Pterocarya, Eryngium and bamboo.
Instead of an angel atop the tree, visitors will find palm fronds - a fitting nod to Trebah’s sub-tropical microclimate and its champion Chusan palm, Trachycarpus fortunei, which is the tallest in the UK, whilst surrounding the trees are snowmen and reindeer fashioned from felled trees in the garden.
Trebah gardener Gemma Boothroyd says “‘The gardeners were given a brief this year to create a natural Christmas. We wanted to combine the magic of Christmas with the magic of Trebah by bringing the outside in for everyone to enjoy and to show that there are treasures to be found in the garden in places you would never usually consider; seed heads, leaves, flowers - it doesn’t have to cost a lot to have a beautiful Christmas which is also great for the planet’”
Nestled amongst it all, a visitor favourite also returns - the Elford Express, a model locomotive laden with presents destined for the North Pole.
The garden has long been known for its stunning Christmas displays and is remembered fondly by countless children who have enjoyed meeting Santa there over the years.
Trebah is delighted to be welcoming the jolly man back for the first time in 5 years to enjoy Stories With Santa, which will be held on 7 & 8, 14 & 15 and 21 & 22 December with limited availability still remaining.
Nestled in the garden, Santa needs help tracking down his mischievous team of elves. There will be a chance to write a letter to Santa and post it straight to the North Pole, before stepping into the magical log cabin for a storytelling experience, photo opportunity and there will be a small present for each child.
More information can be found at trebahgarden.co.uk/events/christmas/stories-with-santa
