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• Date: 19 December 2020
• Published date: 19 December 2020
• Author: Fionnuala Fallon

Hindsight, of course, is a wonderful thing. Who ever could have guessed that there was a global pandemic on its way or that when we look back on this very odd, challenging and in many strange ways transformative year, it won't be the colour blue that best embodies it (except perhaps as an indicator of the nation's mood) but instead the colour green.

The freshly hatched, miraculous baby green of a tray of newborn seedlings back in lockdown #1, for example, when it felt the world as we knew it might be about to end.

Or the soft, apple-green of Irish gardens bursting into new leaf in what turned out to be the loveliest, if eeriest, of springs. The box-fresh green of early summer's freshly mown lawns when together we took a collective deep breath and tentatively emerged from our homes.

Or the late-summer, burnished golden-green of the wild grasses that flourished in cracks in city pavements and along our roads and motorways, their growth for once unhindered.

Green, of course, represents life and hope, regeneration and rebirth. It's why so many of us have been strongly drawn to our gardens and the outdoors throughout this pandemic and why we also traditionally decorate our homes with fresh greenery at this time of year when days are at their shortest and nature's pulse is at its slowest.

Mortality, fidelity and tenacity

Examples of traditional Christmas evergreens include Ireland's own native ivy (

Hedera hibernica), which has long been symbolic of immortality, fidelity and tenacity (if you've ever tried removing it from an old wall or building, then you'll know too well how stubbornly it clings). Likewise holly, another native evergreen, was traditionally believed to have protective powers and to ward away evil, the reason why it was often planted close to people's homes or farm buildings.

Other examples include the non-native semi-parasitic plant known as mistletoe ( Viscum album or drualas, to give it its Irish name), which has long been seen as a symbol of fertility, immortality and healing. Similarly the pine tree traditionally used for Christmas trees as well as for Christmas or Yule logs was believed to ward away evil and ill health while the native yew is considered a symbol of eternity and good luck.

These traditional Christmas evergreens aside, there's a wealth of other evergreen plants often found growing in Irish gardens that can be used to decorate the home at this festive time of year. Examples include eucalyptus, pittosporum, ozothamnus, Scots...