Not just for Christmas: Hollies are versatile garden plants
HOLLIES are among the most accommodating and versatile of garden plants.
They're easy to grow, robust enough to survive bleak conditions and delightfully low maintenance.
They come into their own during the festive season as a plant at the heart of our traditional celebrations but hollies aren't just for Christmas.
While they make an impressive contribution in winter with their glossy foliage and bundles of fruit, these evergreens give a garden valuable architectural structure across every season.
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Holly is the ultimate wildlife-friendly plant
The varied species of Ilex (holly) and their cultivars offer gardeners wonderful planting and design opportunities.
As stand-alone specimen trees, impenetrable prickly hedges or containerised shaped topiary, there's a holly for every garden.
To guarantee berries on plants, buy female varieties.
The majority of hollies are dioecious, meaning they are either male or female.
Named cultivars may give a clue to their sex but there are odd exceptions.
Quite why plant breeders gave the names 'Martin' and 'Golden King' to female hollies and 'Silver Queen' and 'Golden Queen' to male varieties, remains a mystery, so always check before buying.
A female holly will need a male plant within bee range for pollination.
In a suburban setting the chance of one being in a neighbouring garden is quite high.
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A few hollies are self-fertile and can berry on their own but even these are much improved with the presence of a male plant.
Holly is the ultimate wildlife-friendly plant.
Both male and female plants have small insignificant white flowers in spring that draw in a wide range of pollinating insects, including the little Holly Blue butterfly, which is more commonly found in the southern half of the British Isles.
Mature holly specimens provide a safe haven for small wild birds to nest in, away from predatory birds.
Leaf colour varies among hollies, from variegated sports in yellows, golds and creams to a myriad of single hues of green.
Plants in the Ilex x meserveae group have a bluish tinge to their leaves and are often referred to as 'blue hollies'.
They were bred by a Mrs Kathleen Meserve of Long Island, New York in the 1940's and characteristically grow no taller than six feet, making them ideal material for training into topiarised shapes.
With friends and family knocking at the door over the festive period, a pair of lollipop hollies decorated with ornamental berries would make any entrance very welcoming.
For extra impact, tie a large red bow around the container or drape some outdoor sparkly lights around the orb and trunk.
INFORMATION: Buy standard hollies from YouGarden.com/0844 6569 569
