The sticky mistletoe uses I mentioned last week – catching birds with mistletoe glue – seem tame compared with some of the other activities associated with Birdlime. Again, whether it really was ever made from mistletoe may be debatable – but there are certainly strong traditions. You can even buy modern versions of it, and though I doubt there’s much mistletoe in them, the name does stick (no pun intended). Here, for example is Nuovo Vischio Marrone, […]
Blogroll , Current Affairs , Gardening , Media , Mistletoe , Science
Posted on:
Mythletoe Growing Myths
Every year. EVERY year. The media, even the gardening media, peddle rubbishy old nonsensical myths about how to grow mistletoe. Yesterday BBC Radio 4 Gardener’s Question Time were telling people to make a hole in the bark, stick the seed in and, wait for it….. seal it in with Sealing Wax!!! An astonishing thing to suggest – not least because who has a stick of Sealing Wax handy these days? Meanwhile Smallholder Magazine’s January issue […]
Blogroll , Current Affairs , Media , Mistletoe , social history
Posted on:
Mistletoe Kissing #1 – the good side
Every year there are media stories on – how shall I put it? – the potential ‘nuisance’ caused by the mistletoe kissing custom. Usually this centres on the dreaded Office Party. But this year is worse than most – the press, inspired by the avalanche of molestation stories, is overflowing with dire warnings about mistletoe. I should report on that, as it is a serious issue and there are ways (mistletoe ‘etiquette’) to at least […]
Blogroll , Current Affairs , Food and Drink , Mistle Thrush , Mistletoe , Science , social history
Posted on:
Birdlime #1 – Sticky Ends
Turdus ipse sibi malum cacat, an old latin proverb, relates directly to mistletoe, and to the capture of birds. It translates as ‘the thrush excretes its own trouble (or death)’ and is all about Birdlime, a sticky substance once used widely to capture small birds. One of the traditional, and perhaps fundamental, ingredients of Birdlime, was mistletoe, especially the sticky juice form the berries. The proverb is about mistle thrushes, eating mistletoe berries and creating […]
Blogroll , Current Affairs , Gardening , Media , Mistle Thrush , Mistletoe , Orchard , Religion , social history
Posted on:
Radio Gloucestershire, despite the snow
I was talking mistletoe, and mistletoe Grow-Kits, with Kate Clark from Radio Gloucestershire this morning. In the studio in Gloucester, despite the snow. Can’t add audio direct to the blog but click the link below to go an extract of the mistletoe bit: http://mistletoe.org.uk/audio/BBCGlos10thDec2017.mp3?_=1 Or, for the whole programme try iplayer here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001y3bx/episodes/player And for Grow-Kits themselves try here: https://englishmistletoeshop.co.uk or here: http://growmistletoe.co.uk
Blogroll , Current Affairs , Media , Mistletoe , social history
Posted on:
Two more mistletoe men gone…
Two more grand old mistletoe men were lost to us in 2017 – Reg Farmer and Alec Wall – both of Tenbury Wells. I first met them both back in 2003, or maybe 2004, I can’t recall exactly. They were hoping to promote Tenbury Wells’ mistletoe heritage at a time when it seemed that the mistletoe auctions were soon to cease. Others involved were Stan Yapp (the ‘Mistletoe King’, who died in 2013 aged 80) […]
Blogroll , Current Affairs , Gardening , Media , Mistletoe , Science , social history
Posted on:
Tenbury Auctions Week #2
Another mistletoe auction this week – and another week with lots of lots. All very well-berried and mostly nice green foliage, so good stuff. Some lots were looking a little yellow here and there. The standard yellow auction labels tend to accentuate any yellow in the foliage – which is a little unfortunate! Prices this week were higher than last week “1st Quality” fetched up to £3 per kg and averaged £1.50, “2nd Quality” fetched […]
Current Affairs , Media , Mistletoe , Religion , social history
Posted on:
December 1st, National Mistletoe Day!
December 1st, National Mistletoe Day! And interest in mistletoe is building rapidly (as usual!). The first of the Tenbury Wells Mistletoe Auctions was held last Tuesday and was, I’m told (sorry I wasn’t there guys, missed the craic, hope to be there next week), much the same as normal. Lots and lots of mistletoe lots, and the ever-present media interest. The Daily Telegraph published a photo (see right) the next day but I’m not sure […]