Holly - beware!

Our first English garden had a holly hedge (Ilex aquifolium). I was so thrilled. How cool is this! Don't have holly in SA. We moved in January. so being winter, I decided to sit it out and wait for the spring. before doing anything with the garden. By the time spring had gone and we were into summer, I realised that this lovely holly hedge needed a tidy up. No problem, we had the appropriate trimmer and all the necessary kit.

Or so I thought. Did I have the right kind of gloves for the job? No way! Do they even make gloves thick enough? This plant is vicious! Definitely have to find a way to pick up the bits without loosing too much blood!

Now, I look at holly in a totally different way. Our current garden has holly bushes as well. One got removed pronto because it was right in the middle of where I didn't want it. Another got pruned back vigorously..... more blood. The third one is a hedge mixed with forsythia, so I have to suffer the pricking whenever the hedge is cut. I am better equipped to deal with the cut bits these days, however, to the unwary and the uninitiated, there is another hazard.

If you are weeding or tidying up under and around the holly bush or hedge, take extra care. Those brown and dried up holly leaves are just as deadly! How many times have I sat or knelt on the ground, only to levitate rather suddenly, generally to return to earth, only to be stuck again. I never learn!

On the bright side, holly attracts birds and the berries are rather lovely and red.

Happy gardening!