Maid To Garden

In The Garden Of Good Living - December 2010 - Deck The Halls With Boughs Of Delmarva Holly
by Pat Hendrickson

During the holiday season of busy-ness the garden is a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle, the glitz and gaudy to enjoy nature's simple and serene elegance. And if you are lucky enough to have a holly bush in your yard, no lights or decorations are necessary.

There are a variety of plants with red berries that do very well here on the shore. Some are native but most are introduced. The Yaupon or American Holly is a hardy native species which is often used by developers because it grows quickly and doesn't have thorny leaves. Native Americans used the leaves and shoots to make a tea for medicinal or ceremonial purposes.

If you become enamored of yaupons and other hollies heed a word of caution about where you plant them. Their heavy trunks and prolific root systems make them a poor choice for foundation plants. They can do a lot of damage and are hard to control or get rid of once established.

However, they are great for creating a natural thicket fence because of their fullness. Birds love their berries and the cover they provide. Yaupon berries come in lovely shades of peach and coral which are perhaps not as dramatic as other hollies but make for lovely wreathes and holiday cut arrangements.

And speaking of cuttings, in this column we have recommended exchanging flower bulbs and other plants when you thin them in the spring and fall. During December why not cut more than what you need from your own shrubs and offer them in exchange to friends and neighbors who may have different varieties of evergreens? This costs nothing but provides a great gift. Whenever you look at your arrangements of mixed greens you will think of the blessing of the people in your community.