12 ways for an affordable and sustainable Christmas

Family-owned British Garden Centres across Lincolnshire have come up with 12 great ways to enjoy a more affordable, greener Christmas this year.

On the 1st day of Christmas: LED Lights

The Christmas tree is often the focal point over the holidays so why not switch your old incandescent lights to some brand-new sparkly LED ones? LED lights consume 80-90% less energy and can potentially last up to 100,000 hours. .

A simple LED “Santa Stop Here” sign can cost as little as 0.03p for 8 hours a day for 30 days, meaning your children can experience the Christmas joy. A minimalistic 100 warm white LEDs on a 10m string display costs as little as 10p a day for 30 days, whilst if you want a burst of colour this Noel, a 16m display of rainbow-coloured lights will cost a meagre 20p a day for 30 days.

On the 2nd day of Christmas: Solar Lights

Solar lighting is also a cost-effective way to take your Christmas party outdoors after the sun goes down. Hang around garden structures or string them up in trees to give height and dimension to your outdoor space.

To save even more energy and pennies, connect to a timer to control how long your lights are on.

On the 3rd day of Christmas: Ethically made toys

As families begin to search for Christmas gifts to treat the children in their lives this festive season, British Garden Centres has sourced only the most sustainable toys for stockings and under-the-tree presents. All of the stuffing used in the soft toys we source is made from 100% recycled polyester made from plastic waste.

On the 4th day of Christmas: FSC puzzles

Puzzles are a firm favourite at Christmas so look for ones that are made from FSC paper and cardboard and use vegetable-based inks on boxes and pieces. Also, look for ones without shrink-wrap plastic and instead have bio-degradable stickers, which will save over half a million metres of plastic per year.

On the 5th day of Christmas: Recycled Christmas Cards

Christmas is about spending time with loved ones and thinking about friends and family you may not have a chance to see. Since the pandemic, research has shown that people want to connect more and there is no better way to do this than through Christmas cards.

British Garden Centres carefully handpick a range that is made using 100% recycled paper and printed with natural inks.

On the 6th day of Christmas: Sustainable wrapping paper

With an estimated 227,000 miles of wrapping paper ending up in the UK’s rubbish bins, British Garden Centres sell a range in-store that is free of foil and glitter, providing shoppers with the best recyclable wrapping paper to buy, in the best festive prints for under the tree.

On the 7th day of Christmas: Forage your decorations from nature

Did you know that you can forage your Christmas decorations from your garden or green space around you? When people think of Christmas, holly and ivy are the obvious festive choices to add to doorways and window frames to give your house the traditional look.

On the 8th day of Christmas: Make your festive door wreath

For a door wreath, why not try plants like pine, cotoneaster, holly, ivy, eucalyptus, crab apples and ferns to make the foliage rich and festive? Use a wire wreath frame and some florist’s wire to wind the plants around your circle before decorating with a bow or spray paint and hanging them on your door.

On the 9th day of Christmas: Natural table centre terrarium

Terrariums are enjoying a huge resurgence, so why not fill one with festive foliage and the simplicity of natural materials for your table centre? Why not gather holly and ivy from your garden and pair them with winter cyclamen, fir and conifer sprays, eucalyptus, and mistletoe and use them as a table focal point for Christmas festivities?

On the 10th day of Christmas: A living gift of the Christmas Rose

The Hellebore or Christmas/Lenten Rose is a popular festive plant, flowering in winter and early spring and would make the perfect living gift for a loved one. Its elegant flowers and attractive leathery leaves will brighten the garden during Christmas and is a long-lasting and kind gesture that will see this present admired far beyond a week or two.

On the 11th day of Christmas: Replace fake fir

Nothing evokes the spirit of Christmas more than the scent of fresh pine, making a real cut or potted trees a fully biodegradable choice for your celebrations. Look for pot-grown trees in your local garden centre. This means that each tree is supplied to your in the pot it was grown in, meaning less root disturbance and a healthier tree.

On the 12th day of Christmas – Reuse and reduce

To reduce the amount of waste going into landfill Christmas after Christmas, invest in items that can be reused or repurposed giving you more value for money each year.

Where to find British Garden Centres:

Brigg Garden Centre

Bigby High Road

Brigg

DN20 9HE

Louth Garden Centre

Legbourne Road,

Louth LN11 8LQ

Horncastle Garden Centre

Lincoln Road,

Horncastle

LN9 5LY

Woodthorpe Garden Centre

Woodthorpe,

near Alford LN13 0DD

Chapel Garden Centre

Skegness Road,

Chapel St Leonards,

Skegness PE24 5UB