ILex Altaclarensis Golden King
Ilex Crenata Convexed Gold
When we first moved into our present home, over twenty years ago, I started to keep a little garden notebook. Every time I bought a plant I kept a note of the date of purchase, the price and any instructions that came with the plant such as "water well in spring" etc. It has been very interesting to keep track of the progress of some of these purchases. Some sadly did not make it through their first winter, others thrived and have made themselves at home and have become part of the fabric of our home, albeit outdoor fabric!
As I have often been asked to paint Christmas foliage, it seemed like a good idea to have a plentiful supply of evergreen plants in the garden, some of these, in particular the hollies, have become firm favourites. I have been looking back at the notes I have made about some of these plants and was surprised to see that a small tree, purchased from a nearby nursery for a mere £7.99 is now the main focal point in my front garden. It is a beautiful, two coloured green and gold holly called Ilex Altaclarensis Golden King.
I also bought a tiny holly called Ilex Crenata Convexed Gold. This has a spreading habit and makes good ground cover and unlike the common, hedgerow holly, has no prickles at all. I think all in all, the holly makes a great addition to any garden, its shiny, evergreen leaves are reward in themselves, with or without their red berries.
