To be a tad disappointed with my balsam hill tree

[Timinfuckingruislip]

As a big treat got a Balsam Hill tree - I’ve bemoaned my other trees for years and don’t like the smell or mess of real trees.

Now it’s great, and Pre-lit etc.. but for the price, I don’t know, I expected it to look amazing- it’s nice enough - but not quite as “wow” as I was expecting.

Anyone else?

How massive are all your houses!

I think they all look lovely even the Ops. Although it’s slightly skinner than the others.

Lots are pre lit. Do you notice when a few of the bulbs go?

Dong misses the point there...not everyone can afford a real tree every year you dimwit.

70'sWitch (sorry don't know how to tag people or quote)

Have you managed to get your tree looking anything like the picture? I bought the same one from Christmas Tree World and I'm disappointed with it for the price.
It's ok, but not as bushy as I expected (even after hours of "fluffing")

I think I’ll stick with my £15 Asda tree. It’s only about 3ft tall but will do until DS is a bit older and can be trusted!

@theclockticksslowly errr sorry that’s we have, I’m a tad underwhelmed I’m afraid. We didn’t fluff at all tho.

Well I’m a bit happier with our John Lewis tree this year. Took ages to sort all the branches, can’t say its easier / quicker than putting up a real tree.

Still prefer real though.

I bought an Asda one about four years ago. It was about £150 full price. Three parts which you assemble. It is a beast to get in and out of the loft. It does take a lot of fluffing out you need to be patient I spend around half an hour bending things and fluffing. My friend who has Balsam Hill trees was lost in admiration and surprised that I had bought it from Asda.

Even the best artificial trees rarely look real, so you need to embrace the department store look. Fluff like mad and go to town with the decs and lights, it’ll look fabulous!

This year I bought the new European fir one from BH. It has a really natural shape and foliage and I’m chuffed with it. The clincher was a flash sale that gave me an additional 20% discount on top of their usual “sale” prices. I anticipate many years of service so it’ll pay for itself in the end.

I put a few drops of Christmas Tree scented oil in a tea light holder. The light fragrance it gives off is very convincing!

Just to say I really enjoyed this thread, it's one of the few threads with all the posts being pleasant to each other!
I have a BH one and we bought it last year for about £150.
It took ages to put up but this year it was up and dressed in no time, and my daughter even commented that it was the quickest ever tree dressing!
Merry Christmas everyone and enjoy your trees and baubles.

I got my BH tree and I'm quite liking it. Decorated by my DGSs so not like any department store but it is certainly a tree 😁

This is the Mountain Pine from Christmas Tree World, 6ft. It does have lights but would not photograph well with them on.

70sWitch, you are right about the huge price rise at Christmas Tree World. Their beautiful 8ft Woodland Pine, which we bought for around £200 two years ago, and which was the same price just a few weeks ago, is now £329.99, a vast increase.

I'd rather have no tree than a fake.

We bought a wreath from there before we bought a tree. £80 and it’s rubbish. Not full at all despite much ‘fluffing.’ You can see the glue and the bright green plastic on parts. Unfortunately we didn’t get round to sending it back in time and I’m so annoyed at us for that. It’s rubbish and so glad we didn’t buy a tree from them. We ended up buying one from our local garden centre. 8.5 feet, pre lit and looks amazing. Very pleased with it and so glad we only wasted £80 and not £300+

We have a BH Silverado slim tree from their sale before last Christmas. It looks loads better this year (2nd time up) and we continued to fluff while it was up last year. Having been a bit less squashed over the last 12 months (in the bag rather than in a box), it's not needed so much to get it looking good. It also benefits from the quite realistic branch tips. It also looks loads better with all the decorations and lights.

I'm going to do the branch winding for next year.

i didn't think they looked very nice on the website tbh. and the prices are ridiculous! i am on the lookout for a fake one myself but I'm very fussy and also don't like xmas enough to want to spend much. i want it just purely to make my life less christmassy in fact so i'll see what everyone else suggests.

I'd rather have no tree than a fake

Thats nice dear.

I'd rather have no tree than a fake

My parents had to put up with the ignominy of a fake tree when they came to ours from abroad at very short notice. I bought one and installed it in their granny annexe ready for their arrival and they were thrilled. It came out every year for the next ten years that they spent Christmas with us, and the further four when they lived with us. It now graces the lounge of my DM's care home. It holds a lot of happy memories that a real tree couldn't.

Speaking as someone who has done my time with the real thing I'm quite at peace with having finally seen the light.

I got mine from christmastreesandlights.co.uk

Its a 6ft pe norway pine and was about £90. Best Christmas tree we've had. Not the best photo, but it's nice and full, and has some longer branches.

I'd rather have no tree than a fake.

I have one of each, a large formal fake tree that is safe and easy to manage.

A four foot real tree with colored lights that is more casual.

@thelikelylass sorry to say that your comment jinxed the thread!

@speakout your username certainly matches your posting style. Perhaps this is not the thread for you?

Here is my BH. The cheapest, not pre-lit, which I regret. I admit I was not as wowed as I hoped for but quite fond of it now.

Excuse the mess!

I got a BH tree and I was the same completely underwhelmed with it. So much so I went and got another tree and the BH one has been left in the garage this year. Might chuck it on eBay.

However my £40 from Wilko’s last year is absolutely amazing for a fake tree, it’s not Pre lit like the BH one but looks so much better. Fluffs our well and just so much nicer looking.