Japanese Holly

I can’t resist a bargain – especially bargain plants. I have ‘Sky Pencil’ Japanese holly (Ilex Crenata) on my list to add some winter interest in the narrow strip along the blank garage wall. At the 50% off sale at Lowe’s this week, I bought three at $3.99 each. I couldn’t pass up that deal.

That started a chain of events.

First, I divided and moved the yellow ‘Autumn Sun’ rudbeckia (Rudbeckia nitida 'Herbstsonne'). It had grown too big for the spot and had to be staked every year. I dug it out and planted one section where I think it may be OK. I put the other two pieces in a temporary bed near the compost bin. (Am I doing the same thing I did with the Red Hot Poker and Liatris? I hope it doesn’t take 4 or 5 years to find them a permanent home.)

Second, I cut off and pulled canna tubers. I need to put them in a bin for the winter as soon as they dry and I can clean off most of the soil. I posted my canna overwintering method (and madness) in the November 10, 2007 post.

Then it was time to plant the holly. They look a bit inadequate now but the slender, slow growing shrubs can grow to 8 feet.

A lump of roots fell away from the soil when I took the holly out of the pots. Roots girdled the pot. I scored the roots and planted them as best I could. I watered them in well.

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I hope they grow an adequate root system to survive the winter. I'll use an anti-desiccant spray to keep them from loosing too much moisture through the leaves in the winter winds and keep them watered until the ground freezes.

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Sometimes, it's the chance you take when you buy plants late in the season. But the price is hard to resist.

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(More information on Japanese holly from University of Connecticut . Scroll down for specifics of ‘Sky Pencil’.)

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