Here’s a first look at Cotehele’s famous Christmas garland for 2016.

Cotehele’s tradition of building a 60ft Christmas garland made up of thousands of flowers grown on the estate is turning 60 years old, and the team at the National Trust House and garden are celebrating.

In honour of its diamond year, the gardeners have been sowing secret plans all year to give it a new look, which today was revealed.

‘We’ve had a lot of fun growing a different assortment of flowers this year and we’re all waiting with anticipation to see what it will look like,’ says Cotehele Head Gardener Dave Bouch.

The 60ft garland in the Great Hall contains 31,200 flowers plus a 40ft extension around the east doorway with another 7,920 flowers (39,120 in total) all grown and dried on the estate. 

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

The staff and volunteers have been working on the twelve-day process of creating this year’s anniversary garland, the longest Christmas garland at any Trust place in the country.

From Saturday (November 12), the completed garland can be seen daily until December 31 (except December 25 and 26).

There’s a film of the creation of Cotehele’s garland at http://youtu.be/_JDAdjCTaAY?list=UUn7AVPnhUdtScCSEwyQIfDw