Which kind of holly

[Rosalind]

Well, I think the real math lies in What age you are now, How long it takes to grow a tree to maturity, and do you come from a Family that puts the elderly in a home!

Current age: Older than dirt
Time to grow a standard holly to 10': 7 years
When I should be going to the Raisin Ranch: Any day now.

Hey, thanks! Amazing how well that works!

Mostly I want to do something nice and permanent because I have been through so much insanity with this renovation, all of it along the "what the heck was the previous owner thinking?" lines. Some things you just stare and wonder what would possess someone to do anything so foolish. Name any aspect of building at all, and I can name three things that I have found in my house that defy reason, logic, and apparently physics. My entire second floor master bedroom, for example, was apparently held up by the power of prayer alone. Many of my goals in this renovation project have been, "And NOW we're going to do it RIGHT." Houses in my neighborhood sell for quite a nice chunk of change IF they are well kept, up to date, pretty. This was the hideous fixer-upper which only romantic fools would buy. I am a romantic fool.

Do hollies generally do well on south sides of houses in your area?

This is a good and valid question. Ummm...sorta. I have one holly bush, planted by the previous owners, about 20 feet to the right (east) of the pic with the contractor. It is a bit straggly, but OK. I wouldn't say well, but in the winters when we get a frickin' mountain of snow and it gets insulated, as it were, then only a couple of branches here and there get winter kill. The past couple winters have been holly-friendly in this respect.

As for roses, just weld or wire yourself a trellis of rebar (yeah it will rust, but you will not SEE it amongst the roses so who cares) and stand it off a foot or more from the house. Attach the top end with something removeable, and ideally set the bottom into the hole of deck blocks or something, so that when the time comes to repaint or reshingle the house, you can just tip the whole thing outward away from the wall, if that makes any sense?

Yes! This makes perfect sense! I was trying to explain it to DH, who does not get it. But that will work perfectly! Actually, now that I think about it, I do not have rebar laying around and I have used up all my "outdoor" wood building a turkey pen. Would have to buy some. Might be cheaper, easier to buy a cheap trellisy thing and modify it. Brilliant idea, because I just know that despite two primer coats we will be forced to repaint at least 2-3 times before selling this house.

 

[patandchickens]

Actually, now that I think about it, I do not have rebar laying around and I have used up all my "outdoor" wood building a turkey pen. Would have to buy some. Might be cheaper, easier to buy a cheap trellisy thing and modify it. Brilliant idea, because I just know that despite two primer coats we will be forced to repaint at least 2-3 times before selling this house.

What about a cattle/hog panel - you could cut it in half and wire them side-by-side, that'd give you a 6-8' wide by 7' high trellis - or something similar made with a panel of concrete reinforcing mesh? All of that is real cheap -- and you would not have to do any welding or wiring or anything, just file down the sharp ends and support with a stake (or by attaching top end to house) and you're off to the races.

Actually now that I think of it, maybe *I* will do something like that, as I would like to get some of that yellow clematis going on the E side of the house to keep things cooler in summer... hmmm...

Have fun,

Pat

 

[Rosalind]

Well, I had a stroke of good luck for a change! I better buy a lottery ticket while it lasts.

Looked around online, could not find exactly what I wanted. Went to Local Garden Center in despair, not expecting much. Lo and behold, due to the time of year, they are having a massive perennial sale, and everything is going for cheap. Also, they are digging out and discounting some of their odder stuff that doesn't fit neatly into the local Contract Landscape pigeonhole. Wouldn't you know it, they had a kind of blue Hinoki false cypress (thank you simple life!) that gets exactly 3' tall and looks a bit like a feathery blue spruce, AND a dwarf Japanese holly that gets 2-3' wide but no more than 1' tall. Also, they had "cowberry" (AKA lingonberry, mountain bilberry, partridgeberry) which gets edible red berries and grows about 10 inches tall, spreads to make a ground cover, turns red in winter. I ate one of the berries raw, they are pretty good! A bit like a semi-sweet cranberry, not too sharp. And I got my dwarf huckleberries, that also get edible dark blue berries.

Best of all, I got everything on the last day of the year that the garden center will warranty their shrubs. So if the things croak next year, I get new ones for free.

Will post pics in a day or two when it is not raining and dark. Right on, Local Garden Center! I guess they had shoved all this stuff in the back because it didn't sell well, everyone who wants an evergreen shrub of these dimensions ends up with cotoneaster.

 

[Greensage45]

Fantastic...wow, I love sales!

We used to have a greenhouse here that would put all of their roses down 25-50% off every year; this is why I probably have so many of them.

They sold...so sad!

Ron

I cannot wait to see pics ...I guess it is "planting time"!!

 

[obsessed]

Ron,
my local nursery has the roses 25% off right now. So I stopped in and there were three really sad looking things... I just skipped it.

 

[Greensage45]

Oh wow,

See, this is when you ask for the Manager. Look them square in the eyes and tell them that you may be the only hope for these worthless dying things!

There will be pity and no denying the fate of these poor twigs!

Likely you will get them for a buck! LOL :rose

I have seen the worst roses suddenly overcome the odds and become the most gorgeous specimens!

Ron

I am a sucker for a sucker! LOL

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

Oh wow,

See, this is when you ask for the Manager. Look them square in the eyes and tell them that you may be the only hope for these worthless dying things!

There will be pity and no denying the fate of these poor twigs!

Likely you will get them for a buck! LOL :rose

I have seen the worst roses suddenly overcome the odds and become the most gorgeous specimens!

Ron

I am a sucker for a sucker! LOL

Ron is right. My DH brought home a couple of mini roses from the local grocery store that he picked up for 99 cents each. There were like 5 twigs per and maybe 3 leaves per plant. I repotted them (my GOSH, they were DROWING) and just let them go. Now they are thick, lush, and would be full of blooms if the dang HOPPERS would leave them alone....

 

[beefy]

dwarf youpon holly is the only "holly" bush i would consider around a house. too prickly for me.

 

[simple life]

Congratulations on the new purchases, its great when you can score a deal and get exactly what you are looking for.
Happy planting.