BAUBLES AND BERRIES
FOR CHRISTMAS

Along with mince pies, mistletoe and mulled wine, Christmas isn't complete without holly. For a really festive feel this season get creative with holly both inside and outside the house.

Small topiary holly trees in pots, elegant balls or conical shapes, either side of the front door are a beautiful welcome for yuletide visitors. In the garden, hollies can provide year round interest and structure. They can make really good hedges and windbreaks or specimen plants. It's the perfect plant for this time of year bringing beauty and atmosphere wherever it is used. There's inspiring variation in the leaf colours to take advantage of: wonderful creamy margins, deep golden centres, sumptuous glossy greens. Many hollies offer the bonus of berries, which can stay on the plant from autumn into winter, and act as a stunning complement to the leaves to bring together those lovely seasonal colours of red and greens and sometimes golds. And its fun to indulge Christmas traditions like going out to collect cuttings of holly for festive decorations inside.

Holly can look fabulous when used around the house at Christmas time. Branches of holly tied together with curled ribbon look superb over picture frames and doorways. Of course there are also the traditional door wreath and table decorations which can include hollies too.

Common holly or English holly (Ilex aquifolium) is a species of dense evergreen trees and shrubs with an upright growth habit offering lots to choose from. One favourite is 'Handsworth New Silver' which has mid-green spiny leaves with creamy margins. It is a female plant and with pollination will produce bright red berries. It grows to approximately 8m in height and 5m in width. This plant is excellent for hedging, as a specimen and for small gardens.

Ilex altaclerensis is another species with lots of varieties and cultivars on offer. 'Wilsonii' is a vigorous female tree with a dense upright growth habit. With pollination it can produce a mass of scarlet berries. It has spiny, bright green, glossy leaves. Growing to a height of approximately 8 metres this plant is great for hedging or as a focal point in the garden.

With most hollies, if you wish to have plants which produce berries you will need a female berry bearing plant. You will also need a male plant in the vicinity which will do the job of pollination. This isn't as complicated as it sounds. Before buying the plants check with your retailer to make sure that come autumn you get to enjoy a wonderful display of colourful berries.

Common holly and Ilex altaclerensis will usually cross-pollinate to produce berries. The species and varieties mentioned are frost hardy. Little maintained is required; prune to keep in shape in late winter or early spring when the plant is dormant.

So while you're planning your decorations for the festive season don't forget the many creative options that holly has to offer. Why not plant a couple of hollies this year to set you up with a supply for decorations inside and out for years to come. (Please note if bringing plant material inside keep out of reach of children, plant such those mentioned can cause discomfort if ingested).

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