Decking the Garden
Now that it’s time to deck the halls, why not do so with home-grown holly? With their bright red berries and greenery, holly shrubs and trees add a festive air indoors and to the garden during the winter months.
Though they are often thought of as cold-climate plants because of their association with the holidays, many hollies can grow well in Southern California, says Tom McCloud, owner of Appalachian Gardens in Waynesboro, Pa., a mail-order company that carries a variety of bare-root hollies.
Hollies range from foot-high dwarfs to 50-foot trees; varieties that do well here tend to be shrubs or small trees. Most have shiny, green, toothed leaves. But beware: It’s poisonous to animals.
Berries are usually red but occasionally yellow, orange or black. Some hollies require a pollinator, but the following are self-fruiting:
One holly available in local nurseries is Ilex cornuta ‘Dazzler,’ a compact, upright shrub with a pyramid-shaped form. It grows 8 to 10 feet high and wide, with rich, glossy green foliage and large, showy clusters of bright red berries.
Another popular holly is I. cornuta ‘Willowleaf,’ which grows to 15 feet or higher. It has dense lateral branches and shiny dark green leaves that are long and narrow and have a slight twist to them. Its abundant berries are blood-red.
Hollies available by mail-order include ‘Miniature,’ which is good for containers. This compact plant grows to 8 feet and spreads just 2 feet. It has glossy, dark green foliage and red berries.
‘Coronet’ fruits readily, even when young. It eventually grows 10 to 12 feet high and 6 feet wide in a compact columnar form. It has bright red berries and black-green foliage.
For the best luck with a holly tree or shrub in the landscape, keep the following tips in mind:
* If you live inland, choose a location that has afternoon shade in the summer. An eastern or northern exposure is often a good choice. Along the coast, full sun is fine. Container plants can be moved around throughout the year as needed.
* For optimum growth, hollies need soil on the acidic side. When planting in the ground, do a soil pH test first. It should register in the 5.5- to 6.5-range. If necessary, amend with an azalea-and-camellia mix, which will acidify the soil.
* Hollies prefer good drainage. In heavy clay, plant on a foot-high mound.
* When planting in a container, use an azalea-and-camellia mix. Bare-root plants generally need to be put in a 3- to 5-gallon pot, depending on the size of the root ball. Move to the next size when the plant becomes root-bound.
* Keep hollies moist but not soggy.
* Fertilize regularly with an organic fertilizer such as a 10-6-4, or an acid-based liquid fertilizer designed for camellias and azaleas.
* Hollies generally flower in springtime, then fruit, but the fruit doesn’t ripen until late fall. Leaves and berries can be cut for holiday decorating, although young plants shouldn’t be stripped, as this could negatively affect future growth.
* Hollies tend to become open and loose in form if not trimmed. Prune and shape in the spring, before the weather gets hot.
For a free catalog, call Appalachian Gardens, (717) 762-4312, or e-mail apgardensinnernet.net.
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Planting from a Container
1. Make sure that sides of hole angle outward from the surface and that soil is rough in texture so plant roots can penetrate surroundings more easily. Leave area where plant will be resting undug to minimize settling.
2. Roots of container plants often are coiled and matted. Lightly tap sides of pot to help remove plant. Spray soil loose from root ball with water and gently uncoil roots.
3. Spread roots out in hole and add soil. Root ball should be 2 inches above surrounding soil.
4. Raise level of soil around plant to form watering moat. Keep trunk base dry when watering.
Source: Flowerdale, Sunset Books, Inc.
