Happy Holly Days

 

December 2021

 

Pickaway to Garden

 

By Paul J. Hang

Happy Holly Days

 

Holidays, Holy Days, Holly days, hay, I’m a plant guy. How else should I spell them? Holly is a plant for the season. It is mentioned in many Christmas songs, used for decorations and, with its bright red berries and green leaves, it is the colors of Christmas. Greenery is a theme because there is little of it after having disappeared with the frosts and freezes. Holly maintains its colors throughout the holiday season.

 

The holly most of us recognize is Ilex aquifolium, the European variety. There are hundreds of others, some in the form of trees, shrubs and climbers. The name is derived from a Latin word meaning “sharp leaved.” American holly (Ilex opaca) can be used as a substitute. The difference is in the shape of the leaves. Most hollies are dioecious meaning you need both a male and female plant to produce fruit. Both can grow into trees. They grow in full or part sun and can be pruned.

 

In Christian symbolism the sharp leaves are reminiscent of the crown of thorns and the berries drops of blood. For the ancient Druids, holly protected against evil spirits and they wore it in their hair. Generally holly symbolizes truth.

 

Holly berries are not true berries; they are drupes, a fleshy fruit with a central stone containing the seed. Cherries and olives are examples of drupes. The berries and leaves are poisonous and if eaten cause vomiting and diarrhea. The berries are hard until softened up by freezes; they are then eaten by birds and animals, other than us, and presumably without the same effect.

 

Holly is an apt decoration choice for Christmas or other “Holly Days” that occur around the winter solstice. For Jews it is Hanukkah, African Americans celebrate Kwanzaa. People in Muslim countries celebrate Yada Night which goes back 8,000 years with Zoroastrianism. The ancient celebration for the Celts was Yule. All celebrate with some form of family gatherings, food, gifts, lights and greenery of some kind. They celebrate the return of the light and with it greenery, which is the promise of returning life. Holly also rhymes with Jolly. Its presence brings a smile when you see it, rivaled only by mistletoe. They are unmistakable signs that the holiday season is here.

 

Whether we have a white Christmas or not, the weather outside can be frightful.

Be ready for the snow and icy conditions. Take the sage advice of the Colorado recluse billy barr, “Learn to fall on your butt not on your face.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking for gift ideas for gardeners? Consider a spade, a “scuffle” hoe, a soil knife, other tools, gloves, boots, books. Happy shopping!

 

Things to do in the garden:

 

Thankfully, there are not too many things to do IN the garden as much as there are things to do ABOUT the garden. If you haven’t already done so, clean up crop debris. Get the vegetable garden ready for spring. As mentioned before, leave stems in the perennial beds 18 inches high for overwintering beneficial insects’ eggs and pupae.

 

On nice days wander about your place and notice how some plants continue to develop. If the local temperature reaches 50 degrees they grow, only to cease when the temperature falls. Those bitter cress weeds are small now. I find them in between the bricks of my walk. They and ground ivy in the beds and in the lawn are trying to gain a foothold now while they have little competition. The biennial mullein with its fuzzy lamb's ear-like leaves is growing flat against the earth. Rosettes of poison hemlock and teasel continue to grow. Dig them up while you have the chance or spray with an herbicide according to the directions on the label. Get them before the weather turns warm and they turn tougher.

 

If the ground remains open it’s still not too late to plant lilies, tulips and daffodils. You may find some bargains. Avoid the soft and shriveled ones. Check houseplants for insects. Move clay pots inside to prevent breaking. Plant native seeds directly over snow or frozen ground. Go to www.backyardhabitat.info.

 

Wrap young tree trunks with hardware cloth or the plastic wrap made for that purpose. Protect them from ground level to about 18 inches.  This also goes for newly planted shrubs. Place fencing around them. This prevents mice, voles and rabbits from using the bark as lunch. If they girdle the plants, they will die. A little light pruning of trees and shrubs while they are dormant won’t hurt. Damaged, rubbing or simply inconvenient small branches can be removed. Never top trees in any season. When harvesting or buying firewood use only local sources less than 50 miles. This helps prevent the spread of bugs and diseases harmful to trees.

 

In the vegetable garden, write down and/or map where you planted what this year. This will aid in crop rotation. Use ice melt, not rock salt, on your walks, it is harmful to plants including grass.