Gardener's festive forage becomes Christmas tradition in Denmark
|
Version 0 of 1. Candles flicker in the foreground as a man wearing black-rimmed spectacles fiddles with twigs to a soundtrack of Christmas music. Pine cones, laurel and lichen are brought into play. He holds aloft a mound of moss, strokes it lovingly and mutters “fantastic”, before arranging it in what resembles a miniature replica of Middle Earth. Claus Dalby, a celebrity gardener in Denmark, is fast becoming a Christmas institution thanks to his how-to guides for nature-loving Danes who want to make their own seasonal decorations using foraged goods. The public service broadcaster, DR, which was behind TV hits The Killing and Borgen, introduced Christmas with Claus Dalby in 2013 and achieved a startling 23% audience share. The six-part series proved such a hit that the show was re-run in 2014 and again this year. Related: Deck the halls: great Christmas decorations Christmas is big business in Denmark, but Danes typically make a concession to their agricultural roots by mixing shop-bought decorations with scavenged treasures and various woodland detritus – from lichen to toadstools and moss to mushrooms. As with most parts of Danish life, there are rules attached. Danes can gather from forests, but no more than they can fit in one shoulder bag. In private forests, people are only allowed to take what they can reach from the trail. Acorns, cones and beechnuts can only be gathered when found on the ground, but mushrooms and lichen are fair game for all. As a result, kitchen tables, windowsills and porches groan under the weight of enthusiastically crafted nature displays at Christmas, but it is Dalby who many rely on for pointers as to what goes where. And Denmark’s answer to Alan Titchmarsh is having quite the year: he is designing his own range of homeware and gardening accessories, has just published his 25th book, Hvid Jul (White Christmas), and is being courted to take his brand worldwide, with offers from the US, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and the UK. Related: What does Europe eat for Christmas dinner? “Danes love Claus because he represents something traditional,” said Danish interior designer Pernille Folcarelli. “A style that’s uncomplicated and safe in our turbulent world. He uses foraged items in a simple way, so his creations are still in reach of ordinary people.” What he isn’t, however, is Scandi cool. “We’re definitely not talking minimalism here,” said Folcarelli. “But Danes living outside the big cities, who can’t fully identify with the minimalistic Nordic aesthetic, are very comfortable with Claus’s style.” Dalby himself cannot see what all the fuss is about: “I’m just a gardener,” he said. “I’m 53 years old and I’ve always loved Christmas. So when DR asked me if I wanted to make a show about it, I said yes.” He added: “I like Christmas to be natural. You see so much bling at this time of year that I think it’s nice for people to get back to the wild. You just need to see something you like in nature and bring it into your home. It’s simple.” |