No 10's Christmas tree supplier impacted by drought

A couple whose farm will supply two Christmas trees to Downing Street said they have replanted thousands of saplings after 4,000 died in the summer's drought.

Will and Ella Miles, who own Welford Christmas Tree Farm in Northamptonshire, said they have planted young trees in the autumn to give them longer to establish their roots ahead of hot weather.

The couple said a 6ft (1.8m) Christmas tree takes about nine years to grow.

Two of the farm's 12ft (3.6m) Nordmann fir trees will be displayed in the entrance hall and pillared room in No 10 after the farm was a runner up in a competition by the British Christmas Tree Growers Association (BCTGA).

"Planting [the saplings] in the autumn means they'll be more drought resistant. You've got to look forward and try and adapt," Will said.

Russell Parkin, the chair of the BCTGA, said growers have to adapt to extreme weather all year round.

He added: "It is a changing world, we seem to get wet in the winter and then it doesn't really rain throughout the whole summer.

"Obviously with the heat, the ground dries out and although we've had all this rain it's very surprising how dry it is if you dig down."

Will said: "Watering is quite difficult because [it's] a big area and we're not really set up for irrigation

"The older trees have a larger tap root so they coped better [with the drought]."

The national competition to choose the trees for Downing Street took place in October and had over 100 entries, the BCTGA said.

Ella said the farm has previously won the competition to supply Downing Street's Christmas wreath four times - in 2011, 2013, 2017 and 2020.

"Even though we've been back a few times, it's still a real honour to do the Christmas trees," Will said.

"We had lined up a different [tree] and changed our minds on the morning of the competition.

"The one we chose was really big and bold and had really nice dark foliage. It was really thick as well, which I think [the judges] generally look for," he said.

Will said the farm selected two 12ft Nordmann fir trees to send to London in November because they "won't drop needles in Downing Street".

Ella praised the work of the whole team who she said were paramount to the farm's success in the competition.

"[I'm] very proud of the whole team, there's so much work that goes on behind the scenes to get a winning tree.

"We see ourselves as a small family run farm... and when you hear people [come here] from Norfolk, Cambridge and London just to get the perfect tree, it's a real honour.

"So many people say their Christmas doesn't begin until they've had a visit to the farm."

Ella said her husband's dream would be to win the competition to supply the 20ft tree that stands outside Downing Street.

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