When my husband and I first saw our current home, I fell in love with the property as much or more than the house.
The sloping yard, characteristic of the Piedmont Region, included scores of magnificent blue spruces (Picea pungens) native to the central and southern Rocky Mountains.
What I didn’t appreciate was the half-dozen native American hollies (Ilex opaca) scattered around the yard.
Continue reading Living With American HolliesThe American holly, Ilex opaca, stands out as one of the most versatile and elegant trees in any winter garden.
When most trees have lost their leaves, it offers a beautiful mix of green and vibrant red berries. It also serves as a screen and reduces the lash of winter winds.
When I was young, fall was a time my siblings and I raked up leaves from the massive tulip tree that dominated our backyard. After carefully putting them in an enormous pile, we jumped in, sending them scattering.
Times have changed. My sister, brother and I live in different parts of the county, the tulip tree is gone, and leaves no longer need to be raked.
No longer rake, you protest!
Yes, leaves provide yard and the wildlife with invaluable resources that should be cherished. (They shouldn’t even be shredded since most of the beneficial insects within them–bees, butterflies and others burrowed within—may be destroyed.)
I hear your skepticism.
But think of a forest, I reply. The rich soil in forests comes, in large part, from fallen leaves.
Wherever they fall, leaves enrich soil, reduce erosion and keep the ground moist. Even a thin layer on grass provides benefits.
Continue reading Fallen Leaves Give the Gift of Life