Holly and Ivy...

Holly and Ivy  have long been associated with Christmas celebration, although their association with this time of the year predates Christmas, being used in Winter pagan celebrations. Holly symbolises truth, and its thorns have sometimes been associated with the thorny crown of Christ. Ivy symbolises strength and protection - something to cling to.

We have planted holly throughout Badger's wood, and will certainly plant holly bushes and ivy around the chapel along with the roses.

Above and below: Holly bushes / hedges at Kew Gardens, taken on previous trip.

Holly berries contain a xanthine compound similar to caffeine, which in small doses is a mild stimulant, but in larger doses can cause a variety of toxic symptoms. This is one of the reasons it seems to keep it's berries long after other trees have lost them to birds, although after a decent frost this compound is broken down a little and they become less toxic.

Here are two of my favourite arrangements of the traditional carol "The Holly and The Ivy", the first by Walford Davies...

and the second by June Nixon...

Fruit Cages, Berries, and Pies...

As Spring is bursting forth at Willowbrook we are all hands to the beds in the potager and park. This weekend we just finished weeding and mulching our berry beds. We have a berry quarter to the potager, comprising 12 raised beds each with different berries:

• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Blackberries
• Boysenberries
• Gooseberries
• Cranberries
• Worcestershire Berries
• Red Currants
• Black Currants

Above: The Strawberries weeded

Below: Mulched with pea straw to stop the berries coming into contact with the soil.

The thornless blackberries were rather a mess before last weekend

Now we have got the beds in order we need to design some chick cages to go over the top of them, to stop the birds getting to them first. I like the first example best, but here are a few...

Above: Berry Cage at Houghton Hall, by Ell Brown Flickr

Once we do get a decent crop it will be time to bake some pies...

Bramble Pie

Ingredients...

Pastry:

175g Flour

25g Sugar

75g Butter

1 Egg Yolk

Pinch of salt

1 TblSpn of cold Water

Filling:

2 Apples, peeled, cored and sliced

100g Brambles (Blackberries, Raspberries, or combination)

50-100g sugar (depending on fruit sweetness and personal preference)

3 Tsp Cornflour for binding

Pre heat oven to 200 degrees C (390F)

Rub butter into flour and sugar until it becomes crumbly. Add egg yolk and Tbspsn of water and mix until it forms a dough.

Knead on floured surface. Remove a portion (1/4) for decorating top.

Line a 7” pie dish. Prick bottom evenly with fork tynes.

Bake for 6 minutes to firm up pastry (otherwise you’ll end up with a soggy base)

Remove and dust lightly with cornflour, again to prevent soggy base

Add filling and sprinkle on sugar to taste

Decorate top with strips of pastry or other pastry motifs such as leaves.

Bake for 5 mins at 200 degrees, then turn down oven to 160 degrees (320F) for a further 15-20 mins until pastry is golden.

Remove, dust with icing sugar. Serve or allow to cool.