Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2009/January 2010 | Page 73
GARDENING
life
Photo: Bottom right: This
years Christmas trees
being felled.
Right: Once felled
they are wrapped for
transport.
Below: 1,000s of trees
are loaded onto the
lorry and shipped across
the Island and to the
mainland.
We grow various types of trees. There
it’s needles. It has aromatic dark green
on the Island and also exporting them
is the traditional Norway Spruce &
foliage. The Nordman is a slow grower
to our four other Garden Centres on the
although it has a reputation for dropping
taking longer to mature & we also grow
Mainland.
it’s needles this is minimal when the tree
the Fraser Fir, which has a good shape, is
is cut fresh, only brought indoors when
highly scented with a blue underside to
our customers to choose their tree at
needed, stood in a water reservoir & not
the foliage.
Shide Trees, Newport. A very busy time!
near a heat source.
We grow several varieties in pots as
Other staff make fresh wreaths and help
We are able to provide the freshest
We also have the Blue Spruce, which is
living trees. After the Festive season they
possible trees for our customers on the
like the Norway Spruce but has beautiful
can be acclimatized to the outdoors and
Island and on the Mainland.
blue green foliage.
kept for many years.
Cutting of the trees continues weekly
The addition of the Christmas tree
When you buy a tree from Thompson’s
or Shide Trees you can rest assured it has
throughout December to ensure
farm has enabled Thompson’s to provide
been grown to our highest standards,
freshness.
employment for trained staff in the winter
cut fresh to provide you with the best
months normally a quieter time for our
possible tree for Christmas
We also have non-needle drop varieties
like Nordman and Fraser Firs. The
nurseries. Staff are involved with marking
Nordman is the most popular needle
and netting trees, packing them up for
Happy Christmas To All Our Customers
fast tree. It has good shape and retains
delivery to Shide Trees, the Garden Centre
from Thompsons Garden Centre.
73