A VERY Petersham HOLIDAY

This festive period, Lane Crawford brings renowned lifestyle destination and plant nursery, Petersham Nurseries, from the meadows of London to the metropolis of Hong Kong.

To mark the occasion, managing director of Petersham Nurseries and the Petersham family’s own Lara Boglione sat down with Lane Crawford to talk tradition, the importance of family, and how she approaches the holidays mindfully and sustainably.

Tell us about the festive season at Petersham Nurseries.

Lara: “Everything we do embraces a slow food philosophy, we eat mostly vegetarian dishes and we always know where the food has been grown and how. When we do have meat served in the house, it’s from my brother’s farm so we know that it’s ethical and organic. We eat seasonally and as locally as possible which really helps; it’s important to have an understanding of where food comes from and the impact that producing it has had on the environment since it is the food chain that contributes to so many of today’s global issues. We all need to eat, so if we all do our part, even at Christmas, we can have a hugely positive impact.”

How do you traditionally spend the holiday season?

Lara: “We usually spend Christmas in Italy, in the mountains above Torino, and we are lucky enough for it to be a classic white Christmas surrounded by snow. Being in Italy makes it more Italian, however we are quite English in our approach to food and cooking a big roast for Christmas—a broader version of our usual Sunday lunch. We also love to listen to old classic Christmas carols such as those by Nat King Cole and Elvis.”

How do you make your Christmas sustainable?

Lara: “We are plastic-free and everything is reused or added to year after year. Decorating for Christmas is like having a collection of beautiful things; it’s not about fashion or trends. It’s about things that last and things that you love, memories collected over the years and with your family. We only source sustainably farmed trees, both cut and potted. Foliage for Christmas should also be responsibly sourced and seasonal, depending on what is growing or available at the time.”

How do you make mindful choices when it comes to Christmas feasting?

Lara: “Everything we do embraces a slow food philosophy, we eat mostly vegetarian dishes and we always know where the food has been grown and how. When we do have meat served in the house, it’s from my brother’s farm so we know that it’s ethical and organic. We eat seasonally and as locally as possible which really helps; it’s important to have an understanding of where food comes from and the impact that producing it has had on the environment since it is the food chain that contributes to so many of today’s global issues. We all need to eat, so if we all do our part, even at Christmas, we can have a hugely positive impact.”

What are some of the ways you have embraced slow living at Christmas?

Lara: “In our household, we give presents that will last and that the person receiving will use for years to come, or was looking for anyway, like a great book or an item of clothing. We all cook together on Christmas Day which is a lovely, slow and engaging activity, then we eat together and go for a long walk afterwards. Presents are given in the morning over a glass of prosecco—it couldn’t really get much slower than that.”

Embrace your own Petersham Christmas with Lane Crawford’s festive Petersham Nurseries edit below.