FESTIVE EVERGREENS
In deepest winter, when the clamour of spring and summer has passed, autumn has slipped away and the world is at its most elemental, three plants have their finest hour: holly, ivy and mistletoe.
Contemporary Christmas celebrations are very often characterised by a surfeit of decorations, from strings of spakling tinsel and glittering votives to the shiniest of red baubles. Whilst these have their place, for centuries wintertime celebrations made use of the evergreen foliage that was to be found in the natural environment and contrary to common perceptions, there is a surprising amount that can be brought in from the garden and put to good decorative use. Laurel and rosemary maintain their vitality throughout winter and have the advantage of wonderful frangrances, while many species of cypress and spruce are useful in arrangements, too. 