Crois Bhríde

Many readers will recognise this urban palm tree. They are quite commonly used to put a Mediterranean finish to new housing estates: you can pretend you're still on your annual Spanish holiday all the year round.

Until, that is, the night of the big wind. Every autumn, once there is the least breath of wind, you will find your driveway littered with the fronds from this tree. And that goes on for months.

It would not surprise me if people had lost their minds trying to cope with onslaught of the fronds. Never mind Hitchcock's Birds, these things can really drive you mental. Shades of Sisyphus.

I normally collect them into little bundles and tie them with one of their own before consigning them to the brown (organic) wheelie bin.

Then one day, feeling in need of a little occupational therapy, I wondered if they might not make good raw material for Brigid's crosses. They are already dried out when they fall from the tree, so no problem with shrinkage. No need to leave them for a few weeks to dry out. And, they can be split into narrow bands which give a very polished Brigid's cross (see below).