King Holly

Come Christmas I never have any shortage of holly berries - that is, as long as I time it right to cut the branches. If I leave it too long the birds will have them. I don't keep a diary of when the berries turn red - just now, the ones on the lowest branches are still a bit browny-red but will probably be as scarlet as the rest of them in another week or two. Then I have to watch very carefully for the right time to go out and cut branches to keep in water till just before christmas itself. Its an absolutely huge holly tree but oddly, none of the others in the garden have berries. Just this one.