Holly

The holly bears a berry as red as any blood, 

and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ for to do us sinners good

The traditional English folk carol, The Holly and The Ivy, is often sung around Christmas, and holly, with its cheery red berries, has been gathered for centuries to bring colour into our winter homes. At Christmas time, my grandmother always placed sprigs of holly above the oval mirror that hung above her mantelpiece. That same mirror now hangs in my bathroom. Somehow, I never think of putting holly in there!

If I wanted to, however, there is no shortage of the stuff locally. Sir Titus Salt loved it and planted it all over his estates. His salesmen and buyers brought back specimens from all over the world and there are believed to be at least 26 different cultivars growing in Roberts Park alone. I found this bush along the canalside near the lock. The leaves of this one are much less spiky than some holly leaves.