Ilex

[donybee]

I've had these bushes on the farm for years and usually cut branches for Christmas decorations. I walked back to see how they were this year and was suprised at how loaded they wee with berries. Some of the branches are down from the weight of the snow, but you can get an idea what they look like. I'm going to cut some for my window boxes in the front of the house. Maybe get seeds from them??

[DandyLioness]

They're selling those branches in all sorts of places here. They seem very decorative and quite popular! :wub:

[grindle]

looks like a good year for berries, they're going to look good in your window boxes :D

[Rich]

Getting seeds shouldn't be a problem. I'm forever pulling seedlings up. The nearest tree is on the other side of the road.

I certainly adds a welcome splash of colour at this time of year.

[boo]

Do birds eat the berries? That's a beautiful show of color dony :wub: :wub: Looks great with all the snow.

[MrSeedy]

It seems the only thing I have that's persistent through our winter for color is the tiny hips on my bramble rose bush, and I used to hope they would also provide some food for some birds during the winter months, but it seems not for the most part. Oh well, at leat they're colorful, but considering how deadly the thorns are on that wild thing, and how easily they spead from those hips , I might be contributing to the rapid spread of that most invasive rose. I guess I've become almost the laziest of gardeners the past few years, since I should pull the darn thing out and plant something more ornamental, and the bramble rose does take up a large amount of space on one side of my fence. I notice that the hollies at the back entrance to our local mall were finally removed after several years of terrible winter damage, but a lot of that I think is due the large amount of road salt used all over that mall, and the huge amounts of creeping junipers in many of the road dividers all over that mall have been killed as well over the past few years, with black and brown being the color of the day come springtime. I think they may have a problem finding a really salt tollerant plant for those driveway dividing strips!!! Anyway , I guess my point is that the winter color is much prized, but finding really hardy stuff can be difficult where winters are brutal, and even moreso for areas that are exposed to the high salt levels along sidewalks and roads etc. during our winter snow events.

[Sneezie]

:blink: Very cool Donybee, they should look great in those window boxes. :D

[gardenlady]

the ilex verticillatas are very popular around here for just that reason....the gorgeous berries. they make great decorations and look so pretty against the snow.

[boo]

I might be contributing to the rapid spread of that most invasive rose. :lol: :lol: I have some of those growing in my hedge. We didn't plant them there so I assume the birds did. Pretty things when ther're blooming but I've often wonder if its a mistake to let them grow too. I would hate to see them take over the ravine.

[donybee]

Those wild roses are a real pain to get rid of. You have to be sure and get all the roots. I've been fighting my hillside with those for years.

[Larry the Lamb]

Oh these are a classic bonsai species, wish i could find one round here!

[Paulineb]

[SIZE=7]Rich-----------where did you get the owls from on your page? is there anywhere i can download them? email me to tell me at candeeann@hotmail.com

[boo]

Hi Paulineb

Welcome to BlossomSwap! :D