Both songs suggest a struggle for supremacy between roll top chafer the Feminine and Masculine which

I challenge you to find one person on the planet that has never heard of or seen Ivy in all its glorious forms. Ivy (Hedera sp.) is famous, even infamous to the dwellers of the British Isles who either voluntarily grow this wonderful plant, or spend their days cursing and ripping it from walls and trees on their property as if it were no more than a weed or a nuisance! <tut tut>
What can I say without patronising or teaching people to suck eggs??! Everyone knows what Ivy looks like. It creeps, it crawls, and it climbs, winds and binds up and around anything it touches. Ivy can grow much like a tree up against taller, sturdy structures or can be quite dainty and petite. Most, if not all species and forms of Ivy have tripinnate leaves which are usually roll top chafer the darkest green but are commonly planted in our gardens roll top chafer in their more decorative variegated forms. We grow it outdoors and indoors and Ivy is nothing if not hardy and robust, tolerating cool shade as found in British woodland and will tolerate damp as well as drought conditions in fact Ivy has been said to dry areas of damp
Ivy, roll top chafer or more specifically English Ivy (Hedera helix) is evergreen and grows from a central prostrate crown from which several creeping stems run outwards roll top chafer and upwards. As soon as they touch something they can cling on or wrap themselves around and begin to ramble using host plants and structures as supports. Do not listen to rumours that Ivy causes roll top chafer damage however. Contrary to popular misconception, roll top chafer Ivy is not a parasite and is a perfectly self-sustaining organism, Ivy does not weaken trees or damage property and studies have actually shown that an exterior wall with ivy growing up it will actually insulate the house keeping it cool in the summer and warm and dry in winter. The only reason Ivy may cause damage is because it can cause a wind sail effect when growing high and dense in trees, the wind catches the Ivy and instead of passing through the branches roll top chafer of the host tree the wind instead buffets against the Ivy which may indirectly cause damage.
Every garden should have English roll top chafer Ivy in it somewhere in my opinion; especially if you have a bland north facing wall which nothing else will grow up Ivy is perfect. It is one of the best plants for wildlife providing food as berries in early spring, and nectar for pollinating insects from its flowers often after everything else has finished. Being an evergreen Ivy provides roll top chafer shelter and habitat for birds and insects over winter In my opinion, Ivy is one of the most ecologically valuable plants we have in the British Isles but sadly one of the most maligned and overlooked.
There are no culinary uses for Ivy and whilst I m sure it has some uses in herbal medicine, I haven t used or experienced any of these, so would refer anyone interested in Ivy s healing attributes to a qualified professional.
Coming up to the Yule tide season, a piece on Ivy couldn t be more apt, after all most of us will be familiar with the traditional Christmas Carol The Holly and the Ivy which contains much Pagan and Christian roll top chafer symbolism
The holly and the ivy, When they are both full grown Of all the trees that are in the wood The holly bears the crown O the rising of the sun And the running of the deer The playing of the merry organ Sweet singing roll top chafer of the choir
Being evergreen Ivy reminds us of the eternal spirit and life everlasting, just like Pine, Holly and Yew and at this time of year many of us will be decking the halls with swathes of evergreens, even bringing home an entire tree in the hopes of blessing the house with and giving shelter to the ever green spirit. Holly and Ivy are often mentioned side by side in many traditional songs (such as The Contest of the Ivy and the Holly :
Both songs suggest a struggle for supremacy between roll top chafer the Feminine and Masculine which Holly, the masculine, always wins at this time of year as the manner is . In my part of the country, there was an old customary game around Christmas where teams of boys would attempt roll top chafer to obtain the Ivy Girl , and teams of girls would in turn attempt to get a hold of the boys Holly Boy whoever succeeded was the victor. The Holly Boy and Ivy Girl were often made around Shrovetide and at this time of year the teams attempted to capture the others and burn them it s all about dominance!! Similarly an abundance roll top chafer of prickly Holly in a house signified male dominance, where the smoothed leafed roll top chafer Ivy signified female dominance choose your decorations wisely folks!
When I observe Ivy in the wild I can understand why it was always deemed a more feminine natured plant, as mentioned above its leaves remind us of the triplicity of the feminine, the workings of Dame Fate even. However there is something more between about Ivy. Ivy climbs up one thing, and therefore two things become a third. Also Ivy may climb up and around several things, binding them together to make one. This is probably the reas