In early winter I love to see Ivy (Hedera helix) flowering so late in the year, giving our invertibrates a final feed before deep winter sets in.

Then come late winter, early spring, this plant, which keeps on giving, produces seeds for our birds which, according to the RSPB contain as many calories, weight for weight, as a Mars Bar. Something you would very much want if you were a bird at this time of year when food is pretty scarce.