In 1927, Lillian McEwan began a campaign to promote planting hollies in Seattle city parks. She was rather far to successful and we are paying the consequences.
We have two holly trees behind my brother's Seattle house which I've always loved for the winter beauty and the birds they attract - they have been kept in check by heavy harvesting in the winter holidays for gifts to neighbors. Interesting to know they are in the same class as blackberries, which I love for pies but admit are a constant menace.
Perhaps you will find this an interesting tale on 'holly and me'. I remember the great freeze in the winter of 1949 and how it destroyed much of the holly industry. Little did I know I would end up with significant further connections. In the early 90s we had an out of control holly tree on the property in our Chehalis city house, which we were trying to sell. We paid for a crew to come and take it away. That same day my wife called and said she found a property in the country and it had everything we wanted. Acreage, view, big pond, and a mobile home to live in while we built our retirement house.
Little did we grasp that those some 200 holly trees were part of our responsibility. In the early 90s, holly was still a viable business. I was twice contacted by companies needing holly. Our trees were out of control, and not properly pruned to maximize harvest. Twice I made offers for them to take over, and both parties said my offer was entirely acceptable. Both bowed out, because sometime during the 90s the market for holly products just about disappeared. We ended up treating them as ground cover over 2-3 acres. Oddly we never found them doing much naturalizing. Himalayan and Evergreen blackberries. Now that is another story.
Excellent article of local interest and w a nature angle. Well done.
We have two holly trees behind my brother's Seattle house which I've always loved for the winter beauty and the birds they attract - they have been kept in check by heavy harvesting in the winter holidays for gifts to neighbors. Interesting to know they are in the same class as blackberries, which I love for pies but admit are a constant menace.
My brother pointed out that I failed to mention another famous holly in the news, Buddy Holly, named best in show at the Westminster Dog Show!
Perhaps you will find this an interesting tale on 'holly and me'. I remember the great freeze in the winter of 1949 and how it destroyed much of the holly industry. Little did I know I would end up with significant further connections. In the early 90s we had an out of control holly tree on the property in our Chehalis city house, which we were trying to sell. We paid for a crew to come and take it away. That same day my wife called and said she found a property in the country and it had everything we wanted. Acreage, view, big pond, and a mobile home to live in while we built our retirement house.
Little did we grasp that those some 200 holly trees were part of our responsibility. In the early 90s, holly was still a viable business. I was twice contacted by companies needing holly. Our trees were out of control, and not properly pruned to maximize harvest. Twice I made offers for them to take over, and both parties said my offer was entirely acceptable. Both bowed out, because sometime during the 90s the market for holly products just about disappeared. We ended up treating them as ground cover over 2-3 acres. Oddly we never found them doing much naturalizing. Himalayan and Evergreen blackberries. Now that is another story.
Fun story. Thanks for sharing.