For many the traditional Norway spruce tree is the very scent of Christmas.
Whether propping it up with bricks in an old bucket, or screwing it down securely in a state of the art stand, getting the Christmas tree up straight is a celebration of the start of the festive season.
For Steve Reynolds the tradition has become a way of life. Sixteen years ago on his 400-acre sheep farm near Beguildy, near Knighton in Powys, he decided diversification was the way ahead and so started planting.
"We had to start from scratch," he says. "We planted a few acres and had to wait as with Christmas trees it's a quite a long cycle. We sell trees that are around seven to eight years old."
Christmas tree farmer Steve Reynolds
Steve began with the traditional Norway spruce but now grows - and sells - a lot more Nordman fir and Fraser fir trees.
"These are best described as low needle drop trees," he explains. "They've grown in popularity over the years.
"Whereas we used to sell around 80% spruce when we started it's probably now around 80% fir and 20% spruce."
The farm offers trees that vary in size from 3ft to 10ft. Around 5,000-6,000 are sold by Steve's son in the farm's retail outlet in Staffordshire. Another 40,000 to 50,000 are sold wholesale to outlets across Wales.
"We now have around 300,000 trees growing at any one time and we plant 50,000 each year during two or three weeks in the spring," he says.
In the run-up to this year's festive season Christmas trees have been making the news for the wrong reasons.
A disease called current season needle necrosis, which causes needles to change colour and fall off, has been causing serious problems for some growers, with reports of some losing up to a third of their stock.
This has not been a problem at Beguildy. "Because the farm is so high - some of the trees will be growing at 15,000ft above sea level - we do not suffer from that," says Steve. "Up here is where trees want to be.
"I was worried this year that we would be affected by the adverse publicity, the recession and the rising price of trees but as long as trees are reasonably priced it's fine. Quality is more of an issue with people."
With that in mind Steve and plantation manager Phil work on their trees all year round.
Christmas tree plantation manager Phil
"We are always shaping them, bud-nipping so they grow into the classic Christmas tree shape. At various times all the family is press-ganged into action."
An evergreen criticism levelled at those who sell or buy real Christmas trees is that this is not environmentally friendly. But, as you would imagine, Steve puts up a good fight on the topic.
"Artificial trees might be more of an issue as they are made using oil," he says. "Ours are sustainable. We're planting two or three trees for every one we cut."
The season begins in earnest for Steve and Phil in the last week of November when they cut down 10,000 trees.
"We make sure that they are cut at the last possible minute, so that if they are then stored correctly they will last," he says.
The farm is busy with the trees until around the middle of December and then it is back to the sheep and tending the growing trees.
Christmas on the farm is as busy as at any other farm, says Steve, and with regard to the trees the festive break is something of a busman's holiday.
"Every year we put up a couple of trees in the house for Christmas, but this is just as much about me doing market research on them as them being decorative," he says.
"It helps give me feedback on how they do in various conditions, and how long they keep their needles."
And so to the big question itself - how does the professional keep the needles on his Christmas tree from showering on to the carpet every time the dog wags his tail?
"If they are not placed next to a radiator and are stood in water they should be OK," he says.
"The best thing to do is to cut an inch off the bottom when you get it - because the trees usually seal themselves - and then stand them in water like a cut flower.
"It's surprising how much they drink."
