THE gardening team at the National Trust’s Cotehele estate has already started picking and drying the flowers for its annual Christmas garland.

This year will be an extra special one as the team celebrates 60 years of the festive flower garland.

Every year the garden team plan, plant, dry and assemble all the flowers needed for the garland on site at Cotehele. This year is no exception, as visitors will be able to see the flowers that will be used in the garland being planted, grown then picked.

Dave Bouch, head gardener said: ‘We’re very proud of the garland and we appreciate everyone whose been coming to see it over the years. This year is its 60th anniversary so we have a surprise planned and let’s just say we’re going to give it a new look.’

When the residents of Cotehele first hung a modest, floral Christmas display in the hall of the house six decades ago, little did they know how their simple decoration would turn into the magnificent and famous tradition it is today.

Every November Cotehele gardeners build a 60 foot long swag, made up of tens of thousands of flowers, all grown and dried on the estate. It then hangs for six festive weeks in the hall of the house.

‘Each year we get between 20,000 and 35,000 flowers, depending on the growing season’, said Dave.  ‘A couple of years ago we had 44,000 — how many is completely down to the summer. This year to celebrate its anniversary we’re trying a bit of an experiment; so who knows how it will turn out. You’ll have to cross your fingers for us that our experiment works and then come along in autumn to see how it will look.’

Flowers growing for the garland can be seen every day in the cut flower garden at Cotehele and during the first week of November visitors will be able to watch the gardeners build this year’s 60th anniversary masterpiece.