PLANT OF THE WEEK Blue Spruce (Picea Pungens Cultivars)

LIVING Christmas trees are a big improvement on pre-cut spruces that quickly shed needles all over the living room floor.

And since you can keep the same plant to reuse for many years, they are very cost effective. But instead of the usual plain green tree, a lot of enthusiasts prefer blue spruce. They cost a tad more, but look so beautiful they hardly need decorating.

Get them at garden centres, growing in pots. Back home, snip off dead, brown or sticking-out bits to perfect the shape and clean up the pot.

Keep the tree outdoors until just before you want to decorate it, then bring it into a conservatory or coolish room and stand it well away from radiators in plenty of natural light, watering regularly.

After Christmas, stand it outside in the garden, then re-pot it in late March to use again next year.

Spruced up: This lovely tree looks good all year and can be brought in for Christmas