The evergreen gang are such a relief in the woods at this time of year. I walk early and enjoy the visual pleasure of glossy yellow green ivy, darker yew and cedar and blue green holly.  Other than these and some persistent bramble leaves, it feels like the plant world is holding its breath.

Some of the ivy, particularly where it has climbed stumps, is dotted with yellow and I’m surprised to see the suggestion that there were flowers fairly recently.  No stamens remain but there are tiny yellow fruitlets.  Richard Mabey in one of my favourite books, Flora Britannica, and my wild flower guide both quote the ivy flowering season as September to November.  I like the plant’s disobedience!

I reflect that the distinctive leaves of our only wild evergreen climber and its umbelly-arranged fruits are begging to be used in a design. But I wonder if the plant is just too commonplace to be interesting to designers.

I shake an ivy bush to be surrounded by a swarm of what I think are midges and other tiny flies. So whether in flower or not the ivy is providing something these insects need.