Holly and ivy

Holly and Ivy | Mill House Fine Art – Publishers of Anne Cotterill Flower Art

The Holly & The Ivy

The Holly and the Ivy – what is the festive folklore behind our Christmas greenery? I’ve been burrowing into the fables and folk tales of our much-beloved winter and Christmas greenery – the holly, the ivy, the mistletoe, the yew. I can’t do it all justice in one blog post but I’ve pulled a few threads and woven a short round-up of the stories behind some of our favourite midwinter flora. Read the full blog post here.

One of my most favorite Christmas Carols, The Holy and The Ivy blends the beauty of nature with the story of Christmas. My most favorite version of this carol is my Loreena McKennitt, who is also …

The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden (1958)

Join me as I celebrate the holidays with a festive Christmas brunch inspired by the Christmas carol The Holly and the Ivy and featuring vintage jadeite from my collection

Yuletide is truly Pagan, in the sense that it celebrates warmth, food, and also the ecstatic. Solstice has long been a time of spiritual renewal and religious celebration; but also a time to drink, dance, make music and love; when all acts of love and pleasure are truly Her rituals.

Holly, mistletoe and snowdrops are among the toxic plants to keep away from your dogs this Christmas, the experts have advised.

Holly and ivy have mythologies dating back thousands of years, and we grow them in our own gardens! Clip some for your winter decor.