Though emphasising different elements of life and death and perhaps holding different levels of cultural importance in Scotland and England. On 31 May 1793 the Jacobin women seized her, stripped her naked, and flogged her on the bare bottom in the public garden of the Tuileries.

Then gently twist, poke and ease the twiggy ends around each other, fixing each branch by weaving it into the next one (or the opposite one when you’re going over the top).Planted birch appears to be susceptible to birch dieback, which is caused by two fungal pathogens – Marssonina betulae and Anisogramma virgultorum.

Silver birch wood is of little commercial value in Britain because the trees don’t grow as large as they do in other parts of Europe. Silver birch provides food and habitat for more than 300 insect species – the leaves attracting aphids which provide food for ladybirds and other species further up the food chain. Wind, bend, ease, tease…until all the tendrils are wrapped around each other, locking it all into place. Defoliation is most severe on small trees, however as this usually occurs late in the season it should not affect the long term health or vigour of the plants.

You should, however, look twice if you catch sight of some large grey-brown birds swaying perilously in the topmost twigs. A huge variety of mosses and grasses thrive in birch woodland, alongside primroses, wood anemones, bluebells, wood sorrel and violets. In spring, the rising sap can be used to make refreshing drinks, wines, ales and liqueurs; while the bark is used for tanning leather.

The leaves are also a food plant for the caterpillars of many moths, including the angle-shades, buff tip, pebble hook-tip, and Kentish glory. I think the south of the UK has some amazing woodlands and individual veteran trees, but I think it’s a case of finding a place where you’re happy, and we certainly suit the wildness of the west coast and its (admittedly weatherbeaten! Please can you tell me how to tell the difference between Hazel catkins and Birch catkins at this time of year? The habitat supports many thousands of insects, which, in turn, provide food for birds such as long-tailed tits, treecreepers, robins and woodpeckers, and the seeds are eaten by siskins, greenfinches and redpolls. Traditionally the Yule bannock and other dishes should be cooked over the heat from the Yule log burning in the hearth throughout the festive time.This proves excellent for wild flowers like Wood anemone, Violets, Bluebell, and Wood sorrel, as well as for mosses. Most sources suggest the main problem here is telling your Downy form your Silver birch, other species don’t get a mention!