| I have a bed in the front of my house which is approximately 10 feet wide by 5 feet deep. I would like to put two hollies in this spot and eventually shape them spherically (does not need to be two distinct spheres, but could blend together with maturity. I would like a berry set and don't mind buying a male plant to pollinate the other two. I should add that, in this bed, there is a large pre-existing shrub (which I want to keep) which takes up about 2 1/2 feet on the left side of the bed. There is also a junipher on the right side which takes up about 2 feet. What holly would you recommend? How far can the male be planted for effective maturation? |
| Most hollies mature to sizes that are more tree-like than would be suited for a foundation planting. Given the size of the area available, I think you would be happier with one of the socalled blue hollies such as Blue Maid or Blue Princess and the corresponding male. These hollies grow slowly and adapt well to pruning and are very winter hardy; they also fruit well. In the space available, two females would go into the planting bed and then a male could be planted elsewhere yet nearby. |
