Festive foliage

Want to have a Christmas tree in Dubai? Jyoti Kalsi tells you how

The air around the plant nurseries in Garhoud and Satwa is suffused with the sweet and tangy aroma of coniferous forests. Yes it is that time of year, when the flowering plants are moved to the back of the shops to make room for Christmas trees.

Christmas trees come to Dubai mainly from the Scandinavian countries and Netherlands. There are three varieties available in Dubai.

The most popular is Blue Spruce. It is bushy, has a nice smell and a symmetrical shape. It is expensive but can last for six weeks. Green Spruce and Nordman are cheaper varieties that look less sprightly and shapely and last only three or four weeks.

The cut Christmas trees that are available here do not require much care. It is important to put the tree in a large pot with red sand. This keeps the base moist and provides firm support, especially for big trees.

The tree should be sprayed with water every four or five days. Spraying it once a week with hair spray keeps the tree moist, shiny and looking fresh for a much longer time, without causing any damage to the decorations.

The trees vary in size from one-and-a-half metres to three-and-a-half metres and the price ranges from Dh150 to Dh750. Potted junipers in smaller sizes cost about Dh70 and are suitable for small apartments. Most nurseries will deliver the tree home and pot it for you.

The tradition of decorating Christmas trees is thought to have originated in the 16th century in Germany. In those days people would decorate fir trees in their gardens with roses and apples to remind themselves that spring would come again after the cold winter.

It is believed that Martin Luther, the German reformer was the first to light a Christmas tree with candles. He was so struck by the effect of stars shining through the branches of a fir tree in his garden, that he tried to recreate the same effect on the tree inside the house.