How to Grow Your Own Holly and Ivy for Christmas

When the Christmas decorations have gone up one of the finishing touches in many homes is the addition of holly, which hopefully is covered in masses of red berries, and to complement it dark – green, glossy-leaved ivy. This seasonal popularity should not blind us to the virtues of these plants throughout the rest of the year. Plant both in the garden and enjoy them all the year round with the added bonus of being able to pick your very own, fresh as can be, seasonal living plant decorations in future.

How to Grow Hollies

Hollies are at home in woodland gardens, some make good hedges or windbreaks whilst others are excellent when used as specimens. They are quite undemanding when it comes to soil type, but are happiest in moist, well-drained, fairly fertile ground. Variegated types colour best in full sun, whereas green ones are happy in sun or partial shade.

Some of the Best Hollies to Grow

With over 400 species, most of which are evergreen, the genus Ilex (holly) comes with a great variety of leaf shapes and colours. Berries are usually red, but some varieties bear yellow, bronze-yellow and orange berries.

With most hollies male and female flowers are borne on separate plants so both sexes are needed to obtain fruits. However, the naming of hollies doesn’t always follow expected convention.

• Ilex altaclarensis ‘Golden King’ is a compact female shrub with spineless green leaves which have bright yellow margins. Its small, white flowers are followed by bright red fruits.
• Ilex aquifolium ‘Golden Queen’ with dark green, spiny, yellow-margined leaves, is male.
• Ilex aquifolium ‘Golden Milkboy’ is, as you would normally expect, male!

So if you want berries it pays to identify the sex of your hollies and make sure you get at least one of each, unless you opt for:-

• Ilex aquifolium ‘J.C. van Tol’ a broadly-shaped female tree with dark green-purple stems and almost spineless leaves. Being self-fertile it bears abundant bright red berries even when no male is present.

How to Grow Ivies

There are about 10 species of Hedera (Ivy). These woody-stemmed, trailing or self-clinging climbers are often undervalued by gardeners. Ivies tolerate a range of conditions, but do best in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. They prefer an alkaline soil, but will do fine so long as it’s not too acidic.

Hederas are multi-purpose plants. They make excellent ground covers, growing where grass refuses to. Walls and pergolas can be clothed with their eye-catching glossy or variegated leaves in many shapes and sizes. Black, red, orange or cream fruits which follow the insignificant flowers are an excellent high fat winter feed for birds.

Some of the Best Ivies to Grow

• Hedera hibernica (Irish ivy) is useful as a fast growing cover plant which tolerates full shade.
• Hedera colchica ‘Dentata Variegata’ (Persian ivy) is another good carpeting plant. Its bold, glossy, heart-shaped, creamy margined leaves are perfect for covering an ugly wall.
• Hedera colchica ‘Sulphur Heart’ is similar to ‘Dentata Variegata’, but it grows faster and its leaves are thinner and gold splashed.
• Hedera helix ‘Goldheart’ is much smaller leaved with a gold central splash to the foliage.

No More Last Minute Panicking at Decorating Time

Get out and buy some holly and ivy plants once this year’s decorations have come down. Then in future years you will be able to step outside and cut your very own living Christmas cheer.