Mistletoe and vine
11/12/2008
It has been a good year for mistletoe, which admittedly is a parasite spread around by our feathered friends who scoff the berries and deposit the seeds on branches and tree trunks. Germination of the plant is no easy feat, so it is a minor miracle that there is so much of it around. There is plenty of it on sale at the moment but it is possible, if not easy, to grow your own for Christmas and save a bit of money in the future.
The European mistletoe - Viscum album - is most often found growing on apple trees and oaks. In spring, select healthy plump berries and remove the protective outer coating exposing the seeds inside. Pick your host tree, preferably the same variety as the tree that you collected the berry from, cut into the bark - the higher up the better for more sunlight - and carefully deposit the seeds. Wrap some hessian around the incision protecting the seeds from birds and secure with twine. Use several seeds as propagation rates are very low. Be patient - this is not a quick process - and if, by luck, your seeds were female, you might get some berries growing on your own mistletoe in four or five years’ time.
Many myths surround mistletoe. It was revered by ancient Druids who plucked it from oak trees believing this to be the most sacred form of the plant as a protection against evil. Similarly, the Victorians hung mistletoe in doorways during the festive season to ward off evil spirits. They permitted the odd social kiss at the door - establishing the custom of kissing beneath the mistletoe. Tradition dictates that with each kiss a berry is plucked and once all the berries are gone the kissing stops. But where’s the fun in that?
Our Druid friends believed that the plant was an antidote to all poisons and, if drunk, could impart fertility to otherwise barren animals. Don’t try this at home! Mistletoe is poisonous and is certainly not to be imbibed. Yet, as is the case with many toxic plants, the medical profession now believes that mistletoe may indeed hold healing properties.
Ivy, another popular Christmas decoration, was seen by Christians to be a symbol of everlasting life. Often a much maligned garden plant, it is commonly overlooked when selecting plants for cultivation. But it will quickly cover garden eyesores and, as it is in its many different combinations of gold, silver, white and green, it can be a very beautiful feature.
Both ivy and mistletoe are useful indoor decorations at Christmas. Readily available from hedgerows, it is an economic way to make your own door wreath.
Soak a florist’s foam ring in water an hour or so before wrapping light craft wire several times around the ring. Use another loop of wire threaded through this to hang the wreath. Insert sprigs of ivy with the leaves facing in the same direction, turning the ring as you go. Keep adding ivy, holly, laurel, eucalyptus, and mistletoe until you have covered the ring and are happy with the result. Overhang the edges of the ring for an informal, rustic wreath. Add Rosemary and Thyme to the arrangement for a scented wreath.
If you don’t mind pushing the boat out for stunning effect buy a few roses or lilies to add to your wreath. A few beautiful blooms will stand out amongst all the greenery and give your front door a totally ‘one off’ decoration for not much more outlay, if not less, than buying a ready-made wreath from the garden centre.