New Guy In The Neighborhood?

When we lived in Maryland I grew hollies in the yard. We had four big beautiful holly bushes across the front of the house and an even larger holly in the yard. I really loved them because they kept their glossy green leaves all year and in winter they were covered with bright red berries. Three of the smaller plants and the large plant all had lots of berries because the smallest plant was male and with the help of the birds and bees that visited, he pollinated the female plants.

I used twigs from my trumpet vine to make wreathes and decorated them with holly branches complete with red berries. Add a ribbon and we had wreathes that lasted all winter.

About two years after we moved here I planted a holly in the back yard. I had noticed that a couple of neighbors also had hollies, so I expected them to get along well. The first winter we had no berries, but I thought maybe we needed more time. Well, I've waited fifteen years. Surely that's enough time. Obviously all the neighbors also had female hollies.

Over the weekend, I was wandering around the yard with the dogs when something caught my attention. Look...

My holly has berries all over.

I guess a new male holly has arrived somewhere in the neighborhood. Things are looking up.