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The Christmas underdog vase on Monday

The holly and the ivy
When they are both full grown

A beautiful Christmas carol, celebrating the holly and the ivy in equal measure, and then what happens?  The ivy gets forgotten and the holly goes on to celebrate all aspects of the reason for Christmas, and poor old ivy is left trailing behind.

I love ivy, Hedera.  I love the variety in its leaves, the way it climbs trees (acknowledging that it can strangle them, not good), and most of all I love the way it trails and hangs from trees like tropical vines.  It covers the ground in an impenetrable carpet and its flowers provide nectar for bees when almost every other flower has finished for the season.  The berries are mysterious and handsome, and a good food source for the birds in winter.  So, taking all that into account, I thought I would celebrate ivy in my vase today.  I found some little pink blossoms to compliment the purple-black berries, and santolina to give a bit of contrast.

Happy New Year from the running wave!


Comments

  1. Susie (pbmGarden)30 December 2019 at 10:49

    A lovely assortment. I've tried to grow santolina but it seems to melt under our humidity. Happy New Year Amanda!

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    Replies
    1. the running wave30 December 2019 at 12:01

      Thank you Susie! And Happy New Year to you too. Let's hope 2020 is a little more settled, generally, than this year has been! Hope springs eternal!!! I have been really pleased with the santolina which I planted in what I call the outer garden. It's a ribbon of plants I have on the outside of the garden wall, consisting of lots of plants the pollinators will enjoy, lavenders, fennel etc. The santolina must enjoy very free draining ground because there is no earth to speak of, just endless stones and gravel! A

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  2. Chris30 December 2019 at 13:49

    It's a lovely vase and I also love ivy, even though it has a bad rap around here (choking out native plants, contributes to the crumbling of brick walls, invasive...) But I love how the foliage of some varieties turn a gorgeous red in autumn, while others are semi-evergreen, even after bing buried in snow in our cold winters. Happy New Year!

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    Replies
    1. the running wave30 December 2019 at 21:06

      Thank you Chris! I have a lovely red ivy leaf in my post for Christmas Day! I know it is a plant which does a huge amount of damage when unchecked, but it is still a plant I enjoy! A

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  3. Kris Peterson30 December 2019 at 18:35

    You've done the ivy proud, Amanda. It's a much maligned invasive weed here so I'm afraid it gets little respect even though it's an attractive plant when controlled. You're right about its contribution to wildlife too. Happy new year!

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    Replies
    1. the running wave30 December 2019 at 21:09

      Thank you Kris! I think ivy is much maligned everywhere! There is masses of it through the woods here, and along our driveway, everywhere!! It is decorative though, I do enjoy it! A

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  4. Stasher30 December 2019 at 19:22

    Ivy is a lovely plant and at present both in gardens and in the wild (UK) they are resplendent. Your arrangement is a real tribute.

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    Replies
    1. the running wave30 December 2019 at 21:34

      Thank you Noelle. I am glad we have all enjoyed ivy today! It is a great plant! Happy New Year! A

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  5. Cathy31 December 2019 at 08:32

    I am very fond of ivy too, especially when it gets to the dangly stage with flowers and then berries - saying that, clearing some of it is on my current to-do list! Do you know what your bloosom is? It looks really delicate amidst the dark green of the ivy, doesn't it?

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    Replies
    1. the running wave31 December 2019 at 09:23

      Yes, it is a pretty little blossom. It is on one of the small trees on our drive but it was already there when we came here, so I don't know what it is. It started flowering a couple of weeks ago, just one or two blossoms, but I was happy to see plenty of flowers when I was looking for something to lighten up my Monday vase! Happy New Year. A

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