The story of festive mistletoe

Another of my favourite local plants that I use every Christmas time is mistletoe. It is an evergreen, parasitic plant that is smothered in white berries from winter to spring. It loves growing on the apple trees in Lulsley. Huge thanks to both our neighbouring farmer and Ian for collecting it. This beautiful plant will be featuring in my Christmas decoration collection this year at our open weekend, as usual.

Lulsley orchards

Apple tree in Lulsley

Making a decoration

Mistletoe (Viscum album) has many other names including the White Goddess or Allhealis. It gets its common name from the Old English misteltan and is held in great veneration when found on Oak trees.

It is considered sacred by the ancient Greeks and the Druids and very magical, giving good luck and fertility. Lovers kissing under it will have lasting happiness if the man takes a berry each time (no more kissing once berries all gone) and the mistletoe must be burned on twelfth night, or those who kissed would not be married!

Mistletoe harvested by Ian

When hung over doorways it protects the inhabitants from diseases, thunder, fire and lightening. Witches and werewolves are prevented from entering and it stops faeries swapping babies to changelings.

Although today we now that Mistletoe is highly toxic, the Druids believed it able to cure many illnesses. These included epilepsy and  infertility.

Another lovely reason why people kiss under the mistletoe at Christmas time is they believed that the Norse god Balder was killed by an evil spirit with an arrow made of mistletoe. Saddened by her son's death, Frigga wept tears of white berries, which brought Balder back to life. Frigga was so overjoyed that she blessed the plant and promised a kiss to all who passed beneath it.

I hope this is interesting. We love to include mistletoe every year in our festive foliage. I hope you like my mistletoe decorations. 

Have a very Happy Christmas X

Father Christmas - such a lovely story I needed to share it! I hope you like it too.

The very pretty Old Man's Beard is really popular and I love using it to make ceramic work. Ian was a sweetie and picked me loads of the scrambling,rampant climber this autumn. The flowers are just starting to turn into the fluffy seeds.

Old Man's Beard growing in Dingle

Beautiful seeds

I knew a little about this very special climber but I researched it and found out loads of interesting facts, that I thought I  will share with you. The best one is that one of its MANY common names is Father Christmas! Easy to think about his gorgeous fluffy beard. It is also a popular addition to christmas wreaths.

Sink full

Clematis vitalba is the only native clematis in the UK. There are several great names including, Traveller's Ivy,  Love Vine, Shepherd's Delight, Virgin's Bower and Boy's Bacca. Traveller's Joy is easy to understand but as well as it looking lovely, it was added to beer.

Bowl I made last year

Ready for Christmas!

It makes excellent rope, mice hate the taste so it is used to be used to bind sheaves of grain. It can be used for basketry and is very good for fire kindling. The seeds are a great source of food for birds during the winter. The summer flowers provide nectar for insects and the leaves food for moths.

Baccy Plant and  Smokewood are country names because small lengths of woody stems were smoked as cheap cigarettes. Which is also where the name Woodbine crosses over.

Be careful though because even though it can be used medicinally to help treat stress and nerves, it can be poisonous and  irritate skin. It is also supposed to help the Devil by choking other plants and stems can grow really thick (great for swinging on!). It was introduced to New  Zealand is now a real problem and a national pest.

I LOVE this plant and it helps to remind me about log fires and Christmas!

Christmas festivities!

Christmas has come early to Goose Farm. We have a very busy start to the month.

Kate and I are back at Worcester Cathedral (this time in the cloisters). On the 4th we are  decorating one of over 70 Christmas trees.

The Christmas Tree Festival is a free family event running throughout the Christmas break. You can visit the wonderful selection of trees 9am-5pm everyday, from 8th December to 4th January. 

5-7th December (11am-5pm) is our h.Art Christmas weekend. We would love to see you and please tell your friends to pop in too. There will be loads of Christmas culinary goodies to sample and lots of present and decorating ideas. Kate and her friend Alice also have a really beautiful surprise!

The lovely Arter in Stratford are very kindly hosting a shopping evening for me on Wednesday 10th December (from 4-8pm). There will be yummy mince pies and mulled wine too. They hope to raise money for Ataxia UK with a raffle and auction of one of my pieces. Everyone is very welcome to join us. Late night shopping at the Arter is a must for handmade gifts anyway (plus 10% discount!) but if they can help promote such a rare illness that is brilliant too, and very kind of them.

Merry Christmas everyone! X

Merry Christmas everyone!

Have a wonderful holiday,

All the very best

Lit X

MERRY CHRISTMAS!