A look at what interests me and keeps me sane in rural Powys.
Friday, 11 December 2015
Christmas List: Mistletoe - Tick
We went to Hay-on-Wye today and found this absolutely splendiferous branch of Mistletoe for just £5!!! I think we shall be tempting any passing Druids at this rate . . .
Wow what a bargain for three tiny stems you pay around £2 round here. Its always nice to have the greenery in it really does celebrate the season. My Nan always used to have both through the cottage. I am hoping to gather some together in my days off prior to Christmas. Hope you are keeping well and hope you get all the kisses you deserve. Take care. Pattypan
argh ! ! ! ! ! This looks nice but is it still not a parasite ? I must post a photo of our mistletoe, hateful awful killer parasite. In Arizona mistletoe looks like craggy black witches hair grasping and killing all the trees were I live. I have gardeners who walk my property twice a year to cut it out and hopefully save the tree.
Many of the blog I read from across the pond write about the wonderful mistletoe but I guess if ours looked that nice but does it not kill your trees also ? But I never understood why kissing under a parasite was good luck.
parsnip - you are forgetting our Druidical roots - everyone in Britain loves Mistletoe at Christmas and the tradition of kissing under a sprig. Our "sprig" is admittedly a somewhat large one, but hey ho! In Herefordshire - we were on its Welsh border yesterday - it grows all over the county, in old established Apple orchards and on other trees too. It is not obviously killing any of the trees though it probably affects the vitality of the tree if it is there in vast amounts. Mostly it is a few small clumps per tree. I love to see it growing. I will try and find a photo of the old orchard at Glasbury (where mine might have come from).
It is regularly cut down before Christmas as they have Mistletoe Auctions at Tenbury Wells (N.W. Worcestershire).
Tricia - she had a box of sprigs which said £2.75 but I think that was for the boxful rather than individual bits. I thought my bit was incredibly good value : )
Maria - kisses are good! I love the nod to our Pagan past although I doubt this grew on an oak tree, and neither was it cut down with a golden sickle!!
If our Mistletoe was as pretty as yours and as slow growing I would like it ! I will post some photos of Arizona Mistletoe. You would not want to kiss under it at all ! LOL
Now THATS what I call a bunch of mistletoe, how lovely to live near where it grows so well. Very little seen in Suffolk except high in trees well beyond human reach.
Great bunch of mistletoe and a good buy. Here its a few pounds for just a couple of tiny sprigs! Husband has tried to get it to grow in the garden in the past by shoving berries into hawthorn etc. but so far no luck not even with the ready prepared kit I bought him!
R. Robin - Mistletoe loves apple trees, and perhaps fruit trees full stop, will grow in oak, and we see lots of it high up in the poplar trees in Herefordshire. Birds spread it by rubbing their beaks on the branches . . . Hope you can get it to grow.
Marlene - I love the idea of silk mistletoe, holly and ivy. We have ivy growing all over the place here, so I can always cut bits to decorate the house. Holly up the valley too. Nothing wrong with being pagan - I think I have more than a little lean that way myself.
Someone's hoping for lots of kisses!!!!! Why not after all it is the season to be merry...beautiful..enjoy.xx see kisses already being sent..Maria
ReplyDeleteWow what a bargain for three tiny stems you pay around £2 round here. Its always nice to have the greenery in it really does celebrate the season. My Nan always used to have both through the cottage. I am hoping to gather some together in my days off prior to Christmas. Hope you are keeping well and hope you get all the kisses you deserve. Take care. Pattypan
ReplyDeletex
argh ! ! ! ! !
ReplyDeleteThis looks nice but is it still not a parasite ?
I must post a photo of our mistletoe, hateful awful killer parasite.
In Arizona mistletoe looks like craggy black witches hair grasping and killing all the trees were I live.
I have gardeners who walk my property twice a year to cut it out and hopefully save the tree.
Many of the blog I read from across the pond write about the wonderful mistletoe but I guess if ours looked that nice but does it not kill your trees also ?
But I never understood why kissing under a parasite was good luck.
cheers, parsnip
parsnip - you are forgetting our Druidical roots - everyone in Britain loves Mistletoe at Christmas and the tradition of kissing under a sprig. Our "sprig" is admittedly a somewhat large one, but hey ho! In Herefordshire - we were on its Welsh border yesterday - it grows all over the county, in old established Apple orchards and on other trees too. It is not obviously killing any of the trees though it probably affects the vitality of the tree if it is there in vast amounts. Mostly it is a few small clumps per tree. I love to see it growing. I will try and find a photo of the old orchard at Glasbury (where mine might have come from).
ReplyDeleteIt is regularly cut down before Christmas as they have Mistletoe Auctions at Tenbury Wells (N.W. Worcestershire).
Tricia - she had a box of sprigs which said £2.75 but I think that was for the boxful rather than individual bits. I thought my bit was incredibly good value : )
Maria - kisses are good! I love the nod to our Pagan past although I doubt this grew on an oak tree, and neither was it cut down with a golden sickle!!
If our Mistletoe was as pretty as yours and as slow growing I would like it !
DeleteI will post some photos of Arizona Mistletoe. You would not want to kiss under it at all !
LOL
That's a full on SNOG FEST bunch of mistletoe!! Be careful under it!! Oooeeeerr
ReplyDeleteJust as well I'm past the age of consent eh?!
ReplyDeleteNow THATS what I call a bunch of mistletoe, how lovely to live near where it grows so well. Very little seen in Suffolk except high in trees well beyond human reach.
ReplyDeleteThat's a mini tree! I have silk mistletoe, holly and ivy here comes out every year, I am pagen
ReplyDeleteGreat bunch of mistletoe and a good buy. Here its a few pounds for just a couple of tiny sprigs! Husband has tried to get it to grow in the garden in the past by shoving berries into hawthorn etc. but so far no luck not even with the ready prepared kit I bought him!
ReplyDeleteR. Robin - Mistletoe loves apple trees, and perhaps fruit trees full stop, will grow in oak, and we see lots of it high up in the poplar trees in Herefordshire. Birds spread it by rubbing their beaks on the branches . . . Hope you can get it to grow.
ReplyDeleteMarlene - I love the idea of silk mistletoe, holly and ivy. We have ivy growing all over the place here, so I can always cut bits to decorate the house. Holly up the valley too. Nothing wrong with being pagan - I think I have more than a little lean that way myself.
At a kiss for each berry rate I hope you have lip salve handy.
ReplyDeleteThat's what someone else said Pam!
ReplyDelete