Jolly Holly
Pricky hedgehogs have now given way to prickly holly as the focus of my garden. As the leaves fall from the trees, my patch can look a little bare - except for the glossy green of the holly bushes that have appeared as if by magic over the years.
Except of course their appearance isn't the work of garden fairies - they have been put there by the birds. I have at least 4 bushes that have taken root in the past 15 years that I have lived here, and all will have developed from seed carried in the droppings of the blackbirds and thrushes who visit us daily. Holly berries, which begin to appear in October, can each contain up to 6 seeds. The berries are a valuable food for birds, but they are unable to digest the seeds so they travel straight through their digestive system.
There is a lot of folklore surrounding holly - and one old legend has it that it is very unlucky to cut down a holly bush, and that it should be left to act as an obstruction to travelling witches! However, it is good practice to cut them back a little - especially to bring some into the home over winter, as we have been doing down the centuries. Again, the prickles are considered to be valuable in keeping mischievous spirits at bay and offering protection from witches as well as promoting fertility.
So, holly bushes that spring up in your garden are best left if possible - and not just for superstitious reasons or as a ready made Christmas decoration. The holly adds winter colour, food for birds, a hibernation point and they as act as a good windbreak if you live on an exposed site. Also, home security experts tell us that there is nothing like a prickly plant to put off intruders.
Unfortunately, my holly bushes have never produced berries. There are male and female bushes and only the females produce berries (if there is a male plant nearby to cross pollinate). I must therefore have all male bushes. If you are lucky enough to have a female holly bush, do take care of the berries as they are toxic to humans.
Don't worry about your holly bush getting too big. They are one of the most slow growing of shrubs and it can take centuries before they become a full sized 60 foot holly tree. If you already have a substantially sized holly tree nearby then it will be very old indeed. They are very hardy plants too and will grow in most conditions and tolerate a lot of pollution - which is apparently why they thrived in Victorian times despite industrialisation.
Despite holly's deep roots in pagan folklore, it has become a Christian symbol which comes into prominence at Christmas. It represents the crown of thorns with drops of blood. The carol "The Holly and the Ivy" derives from the concept of holly representing Jesus and the ivy representing the Virgin.
But all faiths agree that the holly, with its deep green glossy leaves, is a powerful symbol of hope - a reassurance in the darkest of days that spring will return and the world will become green and fertile once again. And we all need a bit of that at the moment, don't we? Invite a sprig of holly into your home this winter.
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