Greenery at Christmas: an overview

The history of bringing greenery indoors pre-dates Romans.  In early times, evergreen plants represented new life in mid winter, and gave hope for the spring.  The Romans had a Saturn Festival at a similar time to Christimas, and decorated with greenery.  This was a wild event where roles were reversed and orgies were the norm.  It was the association with this which meant the Christian church was initially reluctant to have these plants indoors at Christmas.  However, in time, the use of greenery as Christmas decoration was accommidated into church tradition.

Holly

Traditionally, holly brings good luck.  The red berries are meant to detect and deter withches, goblins and spirits.  the plant is supposed to ward off thunder storms, too.

In Christian tradition, holly leaves are associated with the crown of thorns worn by Jesus at his crucifiction.  The cross itself is fabled to be made from holly wood.  Christians also had it that all holly berries were red before Christ’s cruxifiction.  After that, the berries all turned scarlet, dyed with Jesus’s blood.

The Kissing Bough

Holly was one of two plants used to make a “kissing bough”.  (The other was Bay).  This was four wooden hoops joined together and decorated with foliage.  It would be put at the threshold of the home.  In its centre hung an apple, under a sprig of mistletoe.  Originally, this may have related to fertility.  Later, guests would hug theri hosts below the bough, to show they came in peace.

It may well be the precursor to the more familiar wreath.

Ivy

Ivy tended to be kept outside of the house.  It was associated with femininity, and (in Roman times) with the wine god Bacchus.  This association is probably because ivy wood was used to filter poison from wine

Somewhat insultingly, the associations with women are down to the clinging and feeble nature of the ivy plant.  It’s also associated with human weakness, and with death (probably as it makes itself at home on graves).

This plant was also said to predict the future; if the ivy growing on your home withered, then disaster would come to the house

(For more on painting ivy, check out my earlier blog)

Mistletoe

Mistletoe has always been associated with fertility, and attracted church disapproval for a long time.

Druids believed mistletoe was a “cure all”, especially if it was gathered from an Oak with a golden sickle.  (This is obviously the reference seen in the Asterix The Gaul books!)

The protocol was as follows:

1. Get and slaughter two white oxen

2. Carefully gather your mistletoe with a golden sickle

3. Catch the mistletoe before it touches the ground, in a cloth

That’s it!  Your mistletoe should now ensure the fertility of your cattle and your women-folk.  It wils also cure epilepsy, deter witches, ease tootheache, and cure a snakebite.  So long as you don;t let it touch the ground.

Christmas Tree

The tradition of the Christmas tree was introduced to Britain in Victorian times, by Prince Albert.

However, in Germany the tradition of decorating fir trees dates back to as early as 1550.  It was also associated with the garden of Eden in Mummers plays.

The greenery of the fir as long suggested rebirth and spring.  It also has Christian connotations.  Supposedly, Saint Wilfred felled a tree favoured by pagans.  In it’s place, a fir tree emerged.

Greenery for all!

I love the traditions associated with plants and social history.  Often they seem so strange, and wonderful.  I hope these snippets of information prove of interest as you haul in holly, mistletoe and Christmas trees over the next few weeks!

For more of my Christmas blogs, please look at Botanical Illustrations and Christmas Decorations, Christmas botanical illustrations, and Step by Step illustration of a holly leaf.

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I had look on the wall at the back of the garden, and decide the shape of this Ivy sprig is perfect; fluid but not extreme.  I pick it, and draw it.  I’m using my new Pentel Graphgear 1000 mechanical pencil.  I try to be as clear as possible with my pencil lines, to include enough information, but no tonal differences.  These come with the painting.  I also chose a sprig of ivy with berries to draw up.  These are always carried on a different part of the  ivy plant with bright green and un-lobed leaves.

Painting the vegetative ivy sprig

Ivy plant rough (pencil drawing) Hedera helix

Since I’ve made a film of this process speeded up on Youtube, I’m not going to pop in every stage; you can see it evolve in the video.  However, as an accompanying overview, I thought I’d do a swift blog on my approach to painting this ivy sprig.

I work on Fabriano artistico hot press paper, and favour Windsor and Newton paints and their fabulous Series 7 sable brushes.

When I paint, I start by plotting in areas of dark, and work backwards from these.  This means the whole plant becomes a jigsaw of lights and darks to be plotted in and then included into the rest of the leaf by judicious use of other brighter or paler greens.

I always paint the leaves first, then the stems.  I love painting stems, they’re often flushed crimson or purple and so are great fun.  Darkest shadows come in at the end of the process.

Ivy Hedera helix specimen and botanical illustration alongside

It’s always important to leave the veins pale, but not to let them assume too much visual importance.  Especially with the ivy, when the leaf becomes very dark the veins are almost invisible.

Painting the reproductive Ivy sprig

The fruiting sprig followed, and I nearly lost it for a while as I rather rushed at painting the berries.  With careful use of darker blacks and a touch of white gouache I managed to save the day, but it does show that even a moment’s lack of concentration can cost you dear.

So here’s the finished piece.  I’m actually rather pleased with it.  I often have real difficulties getting leaves just right, so I was very relieved that this time they fell into place so obediently.

And if you want to see the whole process speeded up, here it is:

Form more of my step by step botanical illustrations (and with more detail) please follow the link.

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This weekend saw the family heading off to choose a christmas tree.  Once set up at home, there were plenty of off-cuts.  As in previous years, these get tucked behind the paintings on the walls.

Holly

Holly receives similar treatment.

Study of Holly Ilex aquifolium in flower and in berry

Finding holly in berry is always a challenge as only the female plant bears the seeds.  If we’re going to be sticklers, holly doesn’t produce berries, but drupes.  (For more on fruit and seed terminology see my blog).

And a slightly better botanical illustration of the European holly.

I tend to tuck greenery behind everything on the walls, including the sheep skull.

Ivy and Fir

Ivy and douglas fir (off-cuts from the tree) also get used like this.  Collecting ivy is simple, we have a wall full in the garden, and there’s much less prickling involved than when I wander around woodland, questing for holly, with secateurs and an empty feed sack…

Ivy Hedera helix studies.  Click on the link for more sketchbook studies

Sketchbook study of Douglas fir Pseudotsuga menziesii.

Did you know you can flavour vodka with the new tips of firs? I leanrt this from the author of The Garden Forager (to be published in March 2015, illustrated by yours truly), Adele Nozedar.

Mistletoe

No Christmasy home is complete without mistletoe, which proved slightly problematic this year.  I know it grows in abundance in orchards, and often up high in ash trees.  However, orchards are mostly privately owned…  It took some time to find an unguarded orchard, and my children acted as look outs as I scurried across the mud to a conveniently fallen apple tree, and cut my mistletoe.  Base behaviour, I know, but at least I have my mistletoe!

Watercolour botanical illustration of mistletoe Viscum album

Pencil study of mistletoe, done for Wildfowl & Wetlands trust many years ago.

Happy Christmas everyone!

I had some trouble stringing the heavy mistletoe from the hall light, and then decided it needed a little something extra, namely a spangly bird.  My son added a christmas ball, and lo, the house was fully decorated.  Now I just need to go and start making mince pies!

Happy holidays to all of you, and may 2015 be a wonderful year.

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I had a wonderful time with the ivy, getting the depth of the glossy dark greens was really tough, but it was wonderful when I felt I’d come close.  The structure of both the flowers and berries is exacting and fascinating, it was a treat to have to get out the dissecting microscope to have a proper look.  It’s finished, and my studio is no longer full of the sticky scent of ivy flowers.  It was a lovely job to work on. It’s also extraordinary to see the hoards of insects using ivy flowers as a nectar source; it’s the only copious nectar producer out there right now and it’s a buzzing mosaic of hoverflies, bees, butterflies, flies, and the odd wasp.  A joy to behold, and well worth listening to as well!

I’ve got feedback on my private commission, so have begun drawing up the final rough.  I love this stage, everything seems possible and the space within the sheet of paper seems to stretch and contract with every new item you add.  Here’s a snippet of the rough as it is now, by the end of the week it’ll be completed.

Tomorrow is a treat, I’m off on a Fungal Foray with Radnorshire Wildlife Trust , in practice for the nature walk I’ll be leading on Monday October 15^th as part of  h.Energy week, here in Herefordshire.  Come along, I’d love to see you there!

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