At least 12 years ago, my mother got one of those tiny trees in a bowl, the ones that are usually covered in horrid flocking or fake snow, with 3 mismatched baubles and a plastic star stuck to it, sold as table decorations.

She repotted it into a more suitable container and kept it well watered. For the last 10 years it's been in my garden, in a large pot, and is a sturdy, if sparsely thatched 3 1/2ft tall.

We've used it indoors a few times; being pot grown it doesn't shed needles if watered frequently, and thus isn't a fire hazard (we tend not to put lights on it either) as it doesn't dry out.

I know it's at least 12 years old because my father was alive when it was bought, but I'm not sure if Limpit had been born.

Here's a tip for buying 'rooted' Christmas trees. Look at the pot. Do the roots stick out over the top of it? Can you see any roots sticking out of the bottom of the pot? Do needles come out into your hand when you grasp a branch firmly but gently between finger and thumb and pull towards the end? If the answers are yes, no and yes in that order, you've got a tree that has been dug up, the rootball trimmed and rammed into a pot that's probably too small for it. It will last a little longer than a properly pot grown tree, but not much. The rootball isn't large enough to support it. The pine needles in your hand indicate it's already dead and drying out.

Look for 'pot grown' trees - trees that don't start coming out of the pot when you lift it by the trunk. They'll last longer and stand a better chance of survival if kept in a cool room and planted out after Christmas.

LTS