Berries

This afternoon was dry, so I was up the ladder collecting holly branches with berries to make our Advent wreath for the front door. I usually make it for the first weekend in Advent, but the rain had put me off. There are loads of berries on the bush, but the birds have been feasting on them already.

I also did a bit of tidying up in the garden, and couldn't resist blipping these lovely seeds of the Iris Foetidissima. This is one of our two native Iris species, and goes by many interesting names - Stinking Iris, Roast beef Plant, Adder's Meat and Gladden or Gladwin. It has rather boring purple-grey flowers in Spring.
In times gone by, the Stinking Iris was valued as a medicinal herb, especially for making poultices for drawing out splinters.
It's a hardy plant and can grow just about anywhere, which is why it survives in our garden...