According to The Carbon Trust, the carbon footprint of a 6.5ft artificial tree is equivalent to about 40kg of greenhouse gas emissions. That's more than 10 times that of a real tree. Of course, this can be avoided if you re-use the artificial tree for 10–20 years to offset its impact. But for me, nothing says Christmas like the scent of pine needles (and yes, the nightly vacuum of fallen ones!). Green Elf Trees have revolutionised the festive season with their rent and replant initiative. We rented a 5.5ft Comet tree from them this year.

If you don’t live in London, check out Lake District Eco Christmas Trees, Lanjeth Nursery, Rudies Roots Nurseries or have a chat to your local garden centres to see what might be possible.

Fairy lights are the foundation of the tree. Nestle them into the branches so the wires are hidden and spend time detangling them! Always opt for warm lights and LED options so they last for years to come.

Pink and red compliment the green of the fir (pictured here from 2021). Tonal layers of green (think green velvet bows) are elegant. Traditional silver lametta sparkles with nostalgia but as it's made from vinyl, I tend to avoid this. If you love it, invest in high quality that you can re-use for years.

The best decorations have a story. They may not coordinate but they hold memories built up over the years. I will forever love these elephants made from block print fabric we bought in Jaipur. The rest are an eclectic mix received as gifts over the years - I've gathered some favourites here.

For bows, I've used a combination of offcuts from my block printed fabric, grosgrain ribbon and double velvet ribbon. A width of 38mm or 50mm looks decadent and falls beautifully. A wired bow is easier to shape for the top of the tree, but I prefer a bit of whimsy for the other branches.

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