Why not revive the pre-Christian holly tree and put it

HOLLY comes into its own at Christmas and it’s easy to forget that it’s a great garden asset for the rest of the year. But, in the darkest days of winter, people have always taken its green foliage as a sign of hope: the sun would return.

So why not revive this ancient, pre-Christian tree and place it centre stage? Many of us have already decorated our Victorian Christmas trees and stuffed presents underneath to tantalise the children and entertain the family cat.

We could also learn from our ancestors and place a pair of holly bushes on the doorstep to protect against any evil witches or warlocks.

Although decent-sized holly trees in pots are available on line, this idea may be too late for this year unless a garden centre has one. Though you could probably pick up a mini-tree for table decoration this year and gradually pot it on for the future.

Red is the traditional colour for holly berries, but there’s no shortage of other equally attractive ones.

One holly, Ilex aquifolium “Amber”, has just received an

RHS Award of Garden Merit, which is scarcely surprising. Its large clusters of yellow berries gradually turning bright orange are something else.

It’s also worth looking out for Ilex aquifolium “Bacciflava” with yellow berries.

Berries are the focal point for the festive season but, when choosing a new holly, be sure it’s a female so is able to provide them. Since most hollies must cross-pollinate, you’ll need male and female trees.

You can imagine my disappointment when I discovered, after planting several junipers on a bank, that they were all male.

And a cultivar’s name isn’t always reliable: “Silver Queen” is male and “Golden King” female.

But relax: some, like “JC van Toll”, are self-fertile, so you only need one.

With the new Covid vaccine, hope is in the air and planting a new holly tree sets a marker that next Christmas will be more festive.

And there are hundreds of cultivars available.

One of these is Japanese holly, Ilex crenata. This species looks rather like box, making a compact, tidy shrub with small shiny oval leaves.

The little white flowers are followed by black berries in autumn.

If yellow leaves appeal, you could be tempted by low-growing

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