As the cold season sets in, it pays to get frondly with foliage! Val Bourne chooses some of the best to brighten up the plot

Discover what makes these plants popular around Christmas time

Celebrated in the loveliest of carols, holly warms hearts anew each winter, but there’s more to the spiky gem than merely Christmas cheer, writes Deborah Nicholls-Lee

P leached trees are often described as ‘hedges on stilts’. But that somewhat prosaic description doesn’t do justice to just how versatile, useful and beautiful an artfully pleached tree can be. Specia

Our festive traditions may feel rooted in celebrations of the birth of Christ, but the trees and plants we use for decoration tell a different story

Lynn Farram and the congregation of Christ Church, Norris Green, Liverpool