The dried-flower garland displayed in the Great Hall at Cotehele during Christmas 2023 festivities
Festive flowers
Each year, gardeners at Cotehele, the exquisite Tudor manor perched above the Tamar valley in Cornwall, create this impressive 60-foot long Christmas dried flower garland in a tradition that dates back to 1956. After 12 months of growing, picking and drying – led by head gardener Dave Bouch – the final display of around 30,000 dried flowers is carefully hung in the Great Hall, attracting thousands of visitors to the National Trust property. You can watch the garland being assembled from 11 November and see it in its full glory from 23 November. Visit nationaltrust.org.uk.