Giant Christmas tree set to turn on lights in Ardingly

Wakehurst Place in Ardingly features giant redwoods which were planted in the 1890s. It will light up on December 4.

Twenty-two years ago Wakehurst’s logistics manager, Dave Marchant, was standing by one of these trees with his daughter, who said what a lovely Christmas tree it would make. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew have been lighting up the tree ever since, and celebrate the festive season with 1,800 lamps.

This year the tree is just part of a whole winter festival of light, lanterns and incense.

The estate will be open after dark for the Glow Wild lantern trail December 4-7, entry by advance ticket.

Find out more and book tickets at www.kew.org/lanterns or buy from the Wakehurst Visitor Centre.

The historic gardens will be brought to life with thousands of lights and handmade lanterns.

The event includes shimmering lights on the mansion pond, star lanterns hanging high above the water gardens and aromatic fire lanterns in the walled garden providing a scent of frankincense and myrrh. Children will be entertained with lantern-decorating, while there will be mulled wine, home-made hot chocolate, roasted chestnuts, and the choir under Wakehurst’s massive Christmas tree.

Schools have been helping to make the hundreds of lanterns needed for the festival.

In the lead-up to Christmas, Wakehurst stages day-long courses.

The first is Festive Stroll and Soup on December 9 from 10.30am.