Thu 17 May 2012 
The problem we have determining the sexes of our hollies goes way beyond the genus Ilex. (cf Holly Aird; Holly Johnson.)
I can legitimately use sex as an introduction to the holly. If you think it’s just a headline-grabber, read on and I will justify.
So many people come to me with the question, “Why does my holly never produce berries?” And the answer is sex. There are male hollies and female hollies. Male hollies produce flowers with pollen, with the potential
Mother Earth is a great insulator against frost. That’s why we have herbaceous perennials which die down at the end of the season, then burst forth again in spring.
Though the topgrowth cannot withstand winter temperatures, the roots are well below ground and out of harm’s way.
Not so with plants in containers, and the most common reason for failure of permanent containerised plants is freezing of the roots.
For a shrub or climber, planted in a pot, which is intended
This is when the cracks start to appear.
Well, perhaps not with the very first frosts, but as winter progresses, and the frosts become harder and more prolonged, your outdoor pots and containers will begin to feel the strain.
In this piece, I want to deal with two aspects of the effects of winter on outdoor, containerised plants.
First, let’s consider the containers themselves, and their suitability for the winter elements. And secondly, the effects of harsh winter weather on containerised plants.
Already I’m
Maid in West Ham
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