Landscaping is not an exact science and therefore is interesting. It may be formal or informal so long as it reflects your personality and meets your needs.
In creating a picture with living plants, make a study of the types you will use to enhance the beauty of your property.
Versatile Holly
For this study, I put Holly at the top of the list because of its versatility. Holly can stand alone as a specimen or may be planted as a bold group or with other evergreens—all with equal success.
The many available varieties, shapes, and sizes of Holly are amazing. Most people recognize only the traditional Christmas holly with its spiny green leaf and red berry.
However, there are low hollies, tall hollies, spreading hollies, six-inch ground cover hollies, and specimens to 50′ feet.
Every height in between is also represented. There are hollies with red, black, orange, and yellow berries.
Ultimate Form of Holly
The ultimate form of an individual holly is inherent in the cultivar. Within a species, form variation is great. Compare two Ilex opaca types—Maryland Dwarf and Natale.
The former ground cover is never more than 18″ high and has a spread of many feet; Natale, in contrast, is a stately tree ideal for specimen use.
If you plant a hedge of Holly, use only one variety and be sure it is a reliable variety. Substantial hollies such as aquifolium, opaca, or cornuta are excellent choices.
Remember, a hedge may also be regarded as a fence, boundary line, or sheltering windbreak; choose it carefully for maximum effectiveness.
Placing Hollies at The Entrance
Specimen hollies are well placed at the gateway or entrance of a property. The formality or informality of the entrance will govern the character of the hollies selected.
A low holly hedge along the front of a circular driveway creates a charming frame for the front door.
Use helleri, crenata rotundifolia, or hetzii for this location. These varieties grow compactly and intertwine well. Heller is also good as a ground cover.
Place a holly near the house to give a feeling of welcome. Plant it where the sun’s rays, both morning and evening, will reflect the color of the berries and heighten the brilliant foliage.
Set one where you will enjoy it from inside as so much of your life is spent indoors looking out.
Plant berried hollies where they will be effective in winter—male hollies make striking background plants. A holly on either side of the front door or garden gate is always impressive.
Variegated hollies should always be planted close at hand, for the yellow fades in the distance and lose its value.
Don’t Overplant
Here is a word of caution about foundation planting—don’t over-plant! Almost everyone does and then is reluctant to thin out.
You must know the habit, final height, and width of the holly and allow proper space for its future development.
These are questions to ask the nurseryman; otherwise, you may take home a tiny holly in a pot only to have it surprise you by becoming a large tree in front of your living room window.
Original Foundation Planting
The original foundation planting may look thin at the beginning, but there must be a compromise to allow for growth and final effect.
Regular pruning to preserve the plant forms and keep them in bounds is necessary.
One way to avoid the pitfalls of foundation planting is to mark the plant location with a stake and then circle it with a hose, or a white streak of fertilizer, to denote the final growth line.
To overcome sparseness in a new planting sink, hollies grow in wire baskets into the ground and let them stay until the permanent plants fill out.
They can then be lifted to be used in another location.
Starting Own Arboretum
And now, for the most intriguing idea of all—why not start an arboretum of your own? Plant a half-dozen hollies of different types or more, depending on the space available.
Intersperse traditional green-leafed hollies with variegated and other mutations.
All hollies will be denser, more vigorous, and more attractive if pruned regularly once a year.
The rule is to prune for the shape you like best. Just cutting back branches forces adventitious buds to grow, creating a fuller, bushier tree with more abundant fruits.
Cut it out immediately whenever you see a leggy branch shooting out in an odd direction. Don’t let it continue to get out of hand. Pruning may be done at any time. Many prefer to prune just before Christmas.
These are just a few suggestions and an outline of the possibilities before you. No property is too large and none too small for hollies.
A friend called a few days ago to say, “You know, love of Holly is contagious.”
44659 by Clare R. Stevens