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FLOWER POWER - WINTER PLANTS

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19 December 2008

Flower Power  with Jackie Power 

A trained horticulturist and a keen organic gardener, Jackie Power lives in Borough

As December progresses temperatures have edged lower (especially at night) giving the weather a seasonal flavour. Bright cold days with sunshine are ideal for working in the garden. If the ground is too hard to dig, raking leaves and pruning back fruit trees are the main tasks that can be carried out.

The weather is usually milder a week before Christmas with wet and windy conditions arriving for the Festive Season. But given the unpredictable weather patterns, maybe this year will bring something different.

The winter solstice falls on Sunday 21st December, to be more precise it will occur at about 12.05pm. This is the time when the northern hemisphere is farthest away from the sun. It is the shortest day when sunrise will occur at around 8.15am and the sun sets at around 4pm in the afternoon. Very gradually daylight hours will begin to lengthen after this date. Celebrations of this event have taken place throughout history and worldwide interpretation varies from culture to culture. The main themes are recognition of rebirth involving holidays, festivals, gatherings and celebratory rituals.

Mistletoe (Viscum album) is a traditional plant of midwinter with significance at Christmas. It bears curious white berries at the time of the winter solstice and has important meaning in Druid ritual being a symbol of immortality. It is a mysterious plant and grows as an evergreen parasitic shrub. It will grow on almost any deciduous tree but seems to prefer old apple trees. Mistletoe is a shrub that chooses where it wants to grow; it cannot be planted or easily propagated.

The Ivy (Hedera) a hardy, evergreen climber is a traditional festive plant with an interesting folklore history. The ancients used the leaves for the poet's crown and it is a symbol of fidelity. The plant is dedicated to Bacchus (the Greek God of wine). Ivy is a vigorous plant, and left undisturbed will climb up walls, buildings and fences. It provides a home for wild birds that nest in its dense foliage. Ivy can live for hundreds of years and it can reach tree like proportions with tough woody stems resembling branches. The tradition of decorating the house with Ivy dates back to pagan times. 

Holly (Ilex aquifolia) is an important evergreen shrub. It has something of interest all year round - shiny dark green leaves with the distinctive shape, small white flowers appear in May and blood red berries in winter. It grows in almost any kind of soil and will tolerate partial shade. The Holly is slow growing and can be kept pruned as a shrub or allowed to grow into a tree (depending on the space available). Hollies are male or female plants and so to ensure berries one of each is required. The berries are toxic to humans, but they are an important food source for wild birds during the winter months.

The folklore associated with Holly predates Roman times, but it is known that the Romans gave boughs of Holly to family and friends during the Festival of Saturnalia. This was a holiday celebrated at the time of the winter solstice around the third week in December. Holly is traditionally meant to bring protection and good luck. The Druids believe that Holly brings foresight in times of hardship and sacrifice - and is a sign of better times to come. Seasons’ Greetings!

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