PLANT PORN: HOPS

Bright green sprawling vines of foliage with little feathery cones of beery goodness. A true favourite for some of us, hops have been the mainstay of a good pint for centuries and grow like crazy all over the UK. Originally made popular as a means of getting around a pesky booze tax, today they give that citrusy, floral flavour to your favourite IPA. You can also gather yourself a few armfuls of the stuff and deck the halls with them - they dry beautifully and have a lovely toasty scent.

NAMECHECK

A bit of an unknown but quite an interesting one. It seems to appear as a new word in the 1400s, shortly after the Dutch bought their 'hoppe' to the UK. In fact, the very first uses of “hop” and “hops” in written English are references to the flowers, not jumping around on one leg. 

RATING

Easy as. In fact, probably a little too easy. This hardy perennial will grow like crazy, climbing beautifully where ever you plant it, so just be sure you definitely want to grow it!