A favorite carol is the old traditional "Holly and the Ivy”, and the holly tree in its many forms has been the subject of my notes on a number of occasions, but not so the ivy. Botanically known as Hedera, the many kinds. I have a list of at least 36. Our common ivy, Hedera Helix, is so well known; it grows in hedge bottoms, up old trees and is a persistent plant, yet it does make good ground cover and has a use where little else seems to grow. It is the varieties that most of us like, especially those with coloured leaves; the popular "Goldheart" is probably the most widely grown. Its leaves do tend to turn slightly purple in the winter and it is often confused with a more striking form with the same name, Gold heart." All very difficult to understand why there are two forms with the same name! A kind known as "Paddy's Pride" has large variegated leaves, which can be very vigorous and is ideal for covering a shed or wall. Ivy was always frowned upon when I was a young gardener but these days the nurseries and garden centres carry a good range of varieties, all of which have the ability to self cling to walls etc. and are ideal for towns where light may not be too good in built-up areas. Propagation is easy, from stems that soon send out roots from the joints. Pot-grown plants will establish very quickly and cover unsightly places. The wrens often choose ivy to nest in: a good reason to plant this easy subject.

Few of us will be gardening outdoors on the land this month; even in our unheated glasshouses there is little plant work. Where we have living plants, it's gently a matter of keeping them ticking over and removing any dead foliage, a different matter if the glass is heated. Tomato growers usually sow the seeds this month but only if a night temperature can be maintained of about 50º F, not easy with a small glasshouse especially when the outside temperature is low. Outdoors, Asparagus rows can be manured. The old beds in the estate gardens received heavy dressings of well-rotted farmyard manure as a top dressing, but never dug in the soil, and a dressing of salt was often given at the same time. Seaweed is the best manure for Asparagus; this has enough salt and is ideal, with the Asparagus being a seaside plant. I don’t suppose many grow sea kale these days, the stems are covered to exclude light to blanch them; the old gardeners used special clay pots to cover the roots, very similar to the rhubarb pots still seen in some gardens. I hear a form of this veg is now being grown on some farms. Crombe is the botanical name; we may hear more of this plant in the future. One crop that can be sown now in a cold glasshouse or frame is the summer cauliflower. The F1 varieties are a big improvement over the older ones; Mayflower and Snowcrown are widely grown. It’s best to grow the young seedlings singly in small plant pots to plant out in March or April. Cauliflowers must never have a check to growth, and they need a warm, rich soil once planted outside. I consider the cauliflower one of the most difficult vegetables to grow to perfection, the winter varieties are rather easier than the summer kinds, and they are not likely to be attacked by caterpillars, although last autumn mine did suffer from a few of the large cabbage white larvae. We cannot win!

Dick Robinson