Ivy

Ivy

Ivy’s cultural symbolism and uses are diverse. A yellow and a brown dye can be obtained from the twigs and a decoction of the leaves has been used to restore black fabrics and as a hair rinse to darken the hair. If the leaves are boiled with soda they are a soap substitute for washing clothes. An excellent ground cover for shady places, succeeding even in the dense shade of trees. A very effective weed suppresser a number of cultivars are used for ornamental purposes. Plants can be grown along fences to form a hedge. Plants have been grown indoors in pots in order to help remove toxins from the atmosphere.

Ash

Ash

Ash thrives best in fertile, deep and well-drained soil in cool atmospheres. It is native to Europe, Asia Minor and Africa and is also found from the Arctic Circle to Turkey. It is the third most common tree in Britain. It is often found as a pioneer species and colonises urban areas readily. The immature seed can be pickled by steeping in salt and vinegar, and then used as a condiment for other foods or added to cheeses, coleslaws, pickles, kimchi or similar. Ash trees are in the olive family (Oleaceae) and produce an edible oil from the seed that is chemically similar to olive oil.