Mistletoe Market Miscellany

Definitely an action-packed mistletoe day today. (See pics posted below) Off to the Tenbury Wells Market, penultimate one of the season - and possibly ever. Interviews with BBC R4, news about the market's future, general chat with buyers, meeting with Masaya (see yesterday) who's driven over from Kew, and an unexpected meeting with Nick Wheeldon, mistletoe-propagator. Plus news about the new Tenbury Wells English Mistletoe and Holly Festival - launched by the Town Council. And news of a BBC TV News interest in the market etc.

Far too much for a quick blogging session. But here goes anyway (in summary - could write loads today):

Yes this was the penultimate mistletoe and holly auction - but the site has not been bought by a supermarket after all - it will be owned by William Chase, of Tyrrells Crisps - and that's an entirely different situation. More on this in later blogs - but there could, just could, be some continuation on the site.

Nick Champion, the auctioneer, is determined that whilst this could be the end for the site - the auction will survive - even if it has to be in a field next year, he says. So there.

BBC R4 are there by arrangement - more details on what for and broadcast schedule later - but an interesting variety of interviews with Nick the auctioneer, several buyers, Nick the propagator, me, etc. Including an interlude in a mistletoe-rich orchard a few miles away on the Teme (selected by me earlier).

It's Masaya's first visit - and the sheer quantity of mistletoe must be a huge contrast to his seedlings at Kew - we discuss these, and the mysterious other mistletoe he has discovered there (see yesterday's blog) - more on that soon...

Nick Wheeldon, the mistletoe grower of Lincolnshire, and author of Grow Your Own Mistletoe (available from www.mistle.co.uk) is here to buy some berried stock for his berry business. It's the first time we've met (though we've emailed) and it's good to meet at last - two mistletoe enthusiasts together - a rare event (three if you count Masaya - but I've lost him in the crowd and we don't ever meet as a threesome).

Am surprised, and delighted, to be approached by a group (including one wearing mayoral chains) sporting mistletoe buttonholes and handing out a card announcing the launch of the Tenbury Wells English Mistletoe and Holly Festival. This is a local council initiative - the market is under threat, and the town is responding. This is part of their heritage - and they are THE centre for mistletoe. The Festival is a new idea, aiming to keep the market here in Tenbury, and to emphasise the town's importance for mistletoe. I compare them to Goldthwaite, Texas - which claims to be the Mistletoe Capital of the USA and suggest they should claim similar for the UK. At present they are limited to crowning a 'Mistletoe Queen' - and seeking publicity for their cause, but I reckon they're just in time, and will need to do a lot more for next season. More to follow on this....

Meanwhile, a BBC TV News story is simmering - more on this next week. But media today should be enough to be going on with - as well as Radio 4 there are photographers from the Telegraph and the Times - so watch out for their coverage soon - probably the weekend issues. And a reminder that BBC Gardeners World are due to cover the market this year - but using footage filmed last year - when the drama over the market was unknown. So when you watch the Gardener's World piece over Christmas, reflect on how quickly news can get out of date...

Will post some photos from today below - scroll down to view... and click to enlarge.

Mistletoe Auction - all gone in a blur of white - successful buyers loading their wins... 

Mistletoe Auction - representatives of the new English Mistletoe and Holly Festival Steering Committee... 

Mistletoe Auction - a classic mistletoe wrap 

Mistletoe Auction underway - Nick auctioning the holly wreaths 

Mistletoe Auction - more cattle penned mistletoe 

Mistletoe Auction - last chance to see in cattle pens? 

Mystery at Kew?

Checked Mail on Sunday for the mistletoe article (see yesterday's blog) but not there so either in Saturday's paper or delayed until next week. That would be more appropriate - as it is December by then, and mistletoe articles in November always seem a bit premature.

But i decide to check yesterday's paper anyway - and check the daily mail website. Looks like the only way to access yesterday's paper is to buy a week's access to the e-edition - which gives full access to the whole paper (for a week), as published - and all the back issues... So I pay my £4.99 and soon realise I've been conned (I think). The mistletoe piece would be in the Weekend supplement - but despite easily getting access to the main Saturday paper, there's no obvious (or actual?) access the supplement - shome mistake shurely? I should complain but won't until this time next week - give 'em the benefit of the doubt for a few days.... and see how readable these e-editions are, have been tempted to try the Guardian version for ages...

Meanwhile I get an email from Masaya Tatebayashi, a Japanese student at Kew who's been introducing mistletoe to the garden as part of the London Mistletoe Action Plan (http://www.lbp.org.uk/03action_pages/ac22_mistletoe.html). His introductions are germinating nicely, though with high mortality. This isn't unusual - only last Friday I spent a disappointing hour or so up a tree in a (secret) London location looking at low survival rates in some of the other mistletoe plantings. More on London plantings later...

But Masaya also has other news - he's found an established mistletoe plant at Kew - but it looks very odd. I think I know what it is... but will reserve judgement until we find out more - watch this space...

Mistletoe Media

Travelled up to Ironbridge today, for the same Council meeting of the Association of Industrial Archaeaology reported at start of last year's mistletoe blog. As then, lots of mistletoe en route, and just as expected - but this time I had a mission in mind as I looked at it. I need some locations for a Radio 4 mistletoe interview next week - and will be starting out from the Shropshire/Worcestershire boundary area.

Unfortunately I was in too much of a rush to get to the meeting to suss out any new sites, and it was already dark when coming back. So I'll need to use favoured locations from the past - which is ok, but it's good to have some genuine sense of discovery when doing broadcast media and so a new site would have been better... Will need to make some calls to some orchard owners to set up possible visits.

And, I was so busy I forgot to buy the Daily Mail - where I think Monty Don was doing a piece on mistletoe growing, including using one of my picture. But maybe I got it wrong and it's in Sunday's edition.

Media interest so far this year has varied - mostly requests for pictures - from specialist magazines as wide-ranging as 'Garden News' and 'Everything French'! And the Daily Mail - as above. Plus the radio enquiries - some local stations and the Radio 4 request for next week.

Today I've even had a picture request from Oz - from a writer covering a new mistletoe species from the Loranthaceae, and asking whether I have a good pic of the Australian Mistletoe bird. I don't but do have a Gould League Badge with the Mistletoe Bird on it (will post a picture below) which is the closet I've got to Australian mistletoes. Must get out there next year. Some of the audience at my talk on Wednesday were going out soon, and we got talking about the various Australian mistletoe species - which include the infamous (amongt mistletoe anoraks only) West Australian Christmas Tree - Nuytsia floribunda - which (don't get confused by the name) is a ground rooting species - except it isn't - it's simply parasitic on the host tree roots instead of branches. All rather confusing really.

More mistletoe talk

Yesterday evening gave a msitletoe presentation to Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust - a good, satisfying evening - and a bit of a contrast to my last presentataion to a GWT audience - just 2 weeks ago.

That was on canal restoration - a debate meeting jointly with the Gloucestershire Naturalists Society on the wildlife pros and cons of the local canal restoration (www.britishwaterways.co.uk/cotswolds). Reception there started with mistrust, and ended with a bit of it too. The issues are complex - though fairly easy in the early stages of the project where there are relatively straightforward ecological issues, solutions and enhancements. But it's the later stages (some years off still) where problems arise - how to restore a long dry canal passing through an ancient woodland SSSI, full of ptotected dormice, without affecting SSSI status, woodland or the dormice? Or how to restore an inaccessible 2.5 mile tunnel, 200 years old, with significant roof falls and an interesting and protected bat population? All could be solved with research, over several years - and though we have the several years, we haven't yet quite got the funding or commitment to do the research...

But I digress, as usual. What about the mistletoe do? Well, it seemed to go down well, lots of enthusiasm and questions. But I try to fit a lot in - biology, mistletoe worldwide, customs, myths, medicine, harvesting, growing your own, trade, contrasts with harvest and trade in the States, art nouveau, tacky Christmas art, conservation in UK, distribution in UK, national survey results etc. A bit demanding for me and the audience in 45 mins or so.

Oddly enough the Gloucestershire Naturalists Society have never asked me to do the mistletoe talk - only canals. When I suggested mistletoe to their meetings chap a few years back he said he couldn't see how just one species could fill the time - I didn't push the point, there wasn't time....

A bit more market news

Today was the first of this year's mistletoe auctions at Tenbury Wells. I didn't go today, but have got a bit more info on the 'closure' of the market. More after my visit there next week - but it definitely looks like this year's markets will be the last of their type.

Any colour you like, as long as it's white

Not much mistletoe activity this weekend - but I did go out hunting for mutli-coloured berries. I'd been told there were some unusual colours on some plants just up the road.

But don't get too excited - we're only talking differing shades of white here, not all colours of the rainbow. There is a red-berried mistletoe in Europe but that's another species (Viscum cruiciatum) and only grows in Spain and Portugal. And there does seem to be some confusion in some places - especially in the USA - over red berried mistletoe. Many popular US mistletoe depictions (cards, t-shirts, badges etc sold at Christmas) are red-berried - but these are holly - - and there's really no excuse - its easy to tell the difference, holly has got, er, spines.

Back to our Viscum album and its white berries: - there there have been various studies of colour variation in Va - particularly by Dr Grazi in Switzerland. He's documented several colour forms - ranging from white, through cream to almost yellow. And I think the V a subspecies coloratum , a variant that grows in Asia, has yellow berries (hence its name). But ours are just shades of white.

So what did I find? Lots of white berries, with some a little more creamy. Just what i expected really but an interesting exercise - will post a pic or 2 here soon.

Mistletoe harvest should be well underway 1

The mistletoe harvest - both in Europe and North America should be well underway now. Already had some circulars from growers in Texas announcing their new season is underway. (Texas is, of course, a centre for mistletoe growing in the States - but you knew that already) .

Methods have changed over the years - the pic below is a Thomas Nast drawing from about 1880 - "Cutting mistletoe in the South". Nast was an illustrator of popular magazines and is credited by some with popularisation of the English mistletoe custom in the States. This pic shows a young black boy up a tree - cutting the American Phoradendron mistletoe.

More below on old pics of European harvests...

Cutting Mistletoe in the South - Thomas Nast c 1880

Mistletoe harvest should be well underway 2

The traditional European harvest has always been centred on northern France - where most of Britain's mistletoe comes from. The pic below is a press photograph of about 1930 - showing harvest by costumed Normandy lads and lasses. There was an added incentive to harvest mistltoe in france - as its growth had been declared illegal in orchards - but in this pic they seem to have let it grow fairly large before harvesting - which suggests a rather lax law!

Compare this pic with the one below...

French harvesting for export to England c 1930 (click to enlarge)

Mistletoe harvest should be well underway 3

The pic below is uncannily like the one above - same traditional costume, ladders and boxes - but motorised transport this time. This is taken from Le Pelerin, a French periodical, and is dated December 1932.

Some fault with the jpeg here - reposted below....

French harvesting for Mistletoe - near Caen 1932 - click to enlarge

Lots of apple juice, but no mistletoe... 1

An apple adventure today - Caroline and I went to help press cider apples at Paul Hurd's small-holding - right on the edge of the Forest of Dean. No mistletoe in Paul's orchard - which was slightly disappointing, and also a challenge - we must get some established there from next year. Plenty just down the hill on the edge of the estuary - so maybe it's partly an altitude thing.

Anyway - apples already picked - and 5 bodies to help - and all the right equipement:

Pic below shows the cutting operation (undertaken by Paul's wife (Sue) and Mum) .

apples and apple-chopping

Lots of apple juice, but no mistletoe... 2

This pic is the scratting (must check that spelling) operation - chopped apples become macerated apples - ably demonstrated by Caroline...

apple scratting

Lots of apple juice, but no mistletoe... 3

And this pic shows the pressing operation - macerated apples get squashed - ably demonstrated by Paul...

apple pressing

Lots of apple juice, but no mistletoe... 4

Lastly, waste for the birds, and juice for the cider... Should be ready about the time we need to return for the mistletoe berry plantings in the orchard...

waste and juice... soon to be cider!

Mistletoe imports - anyone out there remember the Southampton trade?

Radio interview with BBC Radio Solent this morning. Usual mistletoe stuff - though I was a wee bit flustered as I was on late, with an echoey ISDN line, 'cos Radio Gloucestershire's normal ISDN studio had been double-booked (one day I'll get the hang of these unsupervised ISDN links - but have had several dodgy experiences with poor sound before - so am always a tad nervous - this time I had loadsa slider controls to play with - but at least they told me which were the best ones to use - which just reminded me of Slartibartfast's note to Arthur Dent - 'This is probably the best button to press' when fleeing from the mice) (anyone who doesn't understand this comment should refer to BBC Radio 4, Douglas Adams, c. 1980).

Anyway, the point to record here is this - mistletoe was, and still is, imported in large quantities to the UK at Christmas from France and Belgium. The trade has been going on for well over 100 years to feed our kissing obsessions (the French, of course, don't need artificial excuses for kissing...). So I took the opp to ask the good listener(s) of R. Solent if they had any reminiscences of the historic imports at Southampton Docks (see pic below - click to enlarge it). This trade, once a feature of cargo ships, is now transported in the backs of lorries, vans and trailers on cross-channel ferries - so stats and info are hard to find. But there must be someone out there with recollections of the old-style imports? Do tell...

Mistletoe from France being unloaded at Southampton Docks in 1932 - the ladies don't look like stevedores - I assume they're only there for the photo...

Mistletoe Market 2004 - news and dates

This year's Tenbury Wells mistletoe markets may be the last in the old tradition. The cattle market site has been sold for redevelopment - but I understand it will operate as usual for one last season. See www.mistletoe.org.uk for background info - including last year's weblog with market pictures.

Traditionally the auctions are due on three Tuesdays in November/December. This year they should be on 30th Nov, and 7th and 14th Dec. More info from Brightwells (01584) 810666 - but I'll be there for at least one of them - and will report here.

Seedling Reports - 1 Apple

Out into the garden to check the seedlings from 2003. These were planted in February/March on various young trees around the garden ( no older trees available as the garden is only 5 years old). Hope to be doing similar checks on some of the London mistletoe plantings next week - there's a meeting of the London Mistletoe Action Plan next Tuesday. The plantings there will be more difficult to review - as most are on more mature - and much taller - trees. More on those soon.

But for now, just the saplings - and first stop is the apple. Apple is mistletoe's favourite UK host and so these should be doing well - and so they are - even though there're only about 10 mm long. Mistletoe does develop annoyingly slowly in its first 2 years - just a small growth from the seed to the host in year 1 and then a slightly larger growth out from the host in year 2.

The pics below show two separate plants - one with its first true leaves.

2 year-old mistletoe seedlings on apple - the one on the left has formed its first true leaves

Seedling Reports - 2 Willow

Next stop, the willow - not doing so well here - most have been grazed off by something - probably snails as there are several in the tree this afternoon. But one plant is still thriving - though without any true leaves yet...

2 year-old mistletoe seedling (at bottom of picture) on willow - not doing very well so far....

Seedling Reports - 3 Robinia

Last, but certainly not least, the Robinia (False Acacia). There are several seedlings on this - it seems to be a peculiarly susceptible species. But none have developed true leaves - most seem to have been grazed like those on the willow. Several are fighting back - with new shoot primordia apparent from the edges - maybe this is a good thing - there'll be more shoots per seedling and so a bushier mistletoe plant...

2 yr-old mistletoe seedlings on Robinia - the ones on the right have been grazed and are re-sprouting

First mistletoe talk of the season...

Frampton Village Hall - and the WI AGM... setting for my first mistletoe presentation of the season. No great excitement - all went according to plan, talk seemed to go down well, and covered usual miscellany of mistletoe trivia.

But it was knackering to put together - finding (and blowing the dust off) all the right slides, and checking all the usual exhibits, and adding some new ones acquired (via ebay, natch) over the year. And I've been sorting through the files too - to make sure all those mistletoe data and nuggets of info are still accessible - 3 filing cabinets in use for this now...

As said above - not v exciting - but all helps mark the start of the season...

29th October Part 1 - not much mistletoe, but some fairies...

29th October 2004
Back in Dorset, revisiting some of the mistletoe sites from last year (see 2003 blog at www.mistletoe.org.uk). This time we’re in the Wimborne Minster area again, where there are several large parks that are known to, or thought to, have historic mistletoe populations. This is outside main UK mistletoe territory and these colonies were probably introduced by wealthy landowners in the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly on lime in lime avenues – a favourite host and habitat.

We pass Charborough Park – where I’m still unsure of mistletoe’s status – there were some records in the national survey of the 1990s but the park is entirely private and inaccessible – home of the interestingly-named Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax family. Mistletoe is definitely within the area – there are sites at Sturminster Marshall and, adjoining Charborough Park, at Henbury House – see last year’s blog for these. We pass the Henbury colonies after Charborough, en route to today’s destination – Kingston Lacy House, former home of the Bankes family...

We know that mistletoe was present within the estate at Kingston Lacy in the late 19th century – as there are accounts (eg by Violet Bankes) of the gardeners harvesting mistletoe at Christmas – but is it still there??? Today’s mission is to investigate accessible parts of the grounds – and spot mistletoe. Of course we could just ask – but where’s the fun in that? And anyway all the staff seem pre-occupied preparing for their illuminated “Enchanted Garden” event later this evening. (This has been running since the 27th and goes on ‘til 31st – Hallow’een – an annual ritual, complete with fairies – sounds a bit a bit urgh! - though see below! The staff are all anxious about tonight as the last 2 nights have been a bit of a washout… and so they could be heading for a loss – but tonight looks brighter…)

Can’t resist a quick trip round the house, never been before, and rather startling – small, but perfectly formed 19th C remodeling of 17th C house, most remarkable for its many pictures – loadsa Lelys and Van Dykes, Titians galore. All due to William John Bankes, the proprietor in the early 19th C, who was eventually exiled abroad for homosexual behaviour but, as living in Venice, still able to send loadsa valuable artworks home. God knows what WJB would’ve made of fairies in the garden at night (probably best not to delve too much more on this line of thought…)

Anyways, there we are, turfed out of the house at closing time (17.30ish) and still to see the grounds, and maybe the mistletoe. Sun is low, sun is shining, so light is just right for spotting it and for photos. But, alas alack, we’re thwarted by the fairy lighting plans – half the garden and grounds are out of bounds due to the lighting set-up, including the promising sounding Lime Avenue!!. (Actually there are so many leaves left on the limes that unless there are massive mistletoe growths they might be difficult to spot, but it would be good to try..)

So we decide to come back later – illuminations start at 6.30 and then, we assume, the Lime Avenue will be accessible and illuminated – mistletoe-hunting by floodlight – a new experience! 45 minutes to kill, so off to Safeways in Wimborne for supplies. En route we spot a mistletoe growth over the main road, close to the estate but not in the walled area – but arguably within ‘the estate’ – so maybe this is remnant of the colony described by Violet Bankes? Dunno – this probably needs a letter to the head gardener or whatever.

Anyway, go back at 18.45 to find the place absolutely heaving with parents and kiddies – we dutifully join the slow procession up into the illuminated groves. We know what’s coming – as the lights were being warmed up earlier – white, red, green and blue – but the kiddiwinks seem in awe – ‘look mummy, blue lights’… ‘and now green ones’…. ‘yes dear, wait ‘til we get closer’. All v impressive – just could do with a few less people – should have come yesterday in the rain bah humbug… But at least the NT (for it is they – did I mention that earlier?) must be raking it in tonight. And the crowds haven’t reached the late opening shop or restaurant yet…

But we mustn’t forget the fairies – and the kiddies certainly don’t. The slow procession gets slower, magical musak is heard, and we realise we’re in fairyland – sort-of. Costumed girlies, some with flapping wings (controlled by hand movements –so a tad irregular) but all lit with a multitude of coloured diodes are dancing and prancing, the whole mysterious effect heightened by blacked-out faces (politically-incorrect memories of the B&W Minstrel Show pop-up briefly but are rapidly dismissed – we must concentrate on reaching the LIME AVENUE…)

But all is not as expected – yes the Avenue is illuminated but we’re not allowed along it…(B*ll**ks!!!!) We’re only allowed to look from each end – and blimin’ ‘ell there are some more of them fairies prancing about in it. Actually, this really is impressive, much better than that dancing. The illuminated avenue, and a pair each of tall and short fairies hiding and then emerging from the trees, really does seem a bit magical. It certainly fascinates the kids, so much so that I have to wait ages to take a long exposure picture – hand-held so it’s a bit shaky. But worth getting – how often does one come across an illuminated lime avenue with optional fairies?

The illuminated Lime Avenue - the two blurred sparks on the path are fairies - but they moved during the exposure...

29th October Part 2 - not much mistletoe, but some weird trees...

Methinks a pic would be better from the far end, where I know, from our earlier recce, there is an iron gate to rest the camera on. So onto more slow processions along the sides of the avenue, with interesting views of limes by night – with their distinctive basal suckering clearly shown.

Eventually reach our goal at the far end. But the gate is plastered with small kiddies, all imploring the fairies to come down their end for a change. Kiddies don’t move until fairies oblige, but eventually they do, and so kiddies depart and I can try another pic – more stable this time – note fairies – represented in long exposures as the glowing embers (see pic above - on the path at far end of avenue).

Onwards towards the promised hotdogs in the restaurant. Lots more trees and illuminations to see – and the show presents a whole new perspective on trees which a) are not usually lit from below – so can see aspects of trunks and branching in new light (geddit?) and b) not often lit in blues, violets and greens – which give v surreal effects. A lurid green cedar near the main house sums it up.

Lurid cedar and floodlit house

But no mistletoe – need to return when the leaves have fallen properly, and the fairies have retired for another year – might just do that in December… (or ring/write the estate manager – but that would be far too sensible)