Seasonal stunners
Hollies offer a range of interesting variegated options and growing them in pots on the patio also provides the opportunity for feathered friends to pay you a visit in winter to feast on berries. Just remember to grow a male and a female holly to get berries. For a female variegated variety, try Ilex aquifolium ‘Argentea Marginata’, which is perhaps the classic ‘Christmas card’ holly, with thin spines on slender leaves, beautifully edged with golden yellow and decorated with red berries. A good male partner is ‘Silver Queen’ (yes, it’s a male despite the name!) which has mid-green leaves with slim silver margins. In theory hollies can make very large plants but they’re slow growers and for growing in pots it’s best to choose the biggest plant possible. Grow them in John Innes compost.