Trying to figure it out, I tried to remember which blooms' scent I had noticed lately. It couldn't be the daffodils that had enchanted me with their fragrance just yesterday - they were planted in a different bed. Slowly, my gaze moved along the garden, eliminating each plant. Not the lamb's ear, not dianthus. The irises were in mid-bloom - some had finished blooming, others had not started. The roses hadn't started blooming yet. Same with the cannas. The lilies were starting to come up, but no blooms on them either. This was getting mysterious!
Finally, I realized. It was the hollies!
Normally, holly bushes get all their attention in the winter.
But right now, my holly bushes are getting all the attention they could ever want from multiple pollinators. It was amazing to see not only bees, but flies, wasps, crane flies, and many other different flying insects being attracted to their strong perfume.
These holly bushes are Dwarf Burford hollies (Ilex cornuta 'Dwarf Burford'). I have clipped them into different shapes over the years as they grew - starting with a ball, then a pyramid, then a cube. Now they are too tall for me to reach the tops, so they are clipped as a cube on the bottom, with the top having a bad hair day - sticking up and about every which way. (Uh, yes, that's done on purpose!)
Dwarf Burford hollies grow in zones 7 to 9, up to 8 ft tall and wide. Mostly grown as a hedge, but I've also seen them attractively limbed up as small trees.
Hollies are great plants to have for winter interest. But as I realized today, that's not the only time these plants are interesting. Pollinators love them in spring. And their scent fills the air.
Mine are blooming too-my doxie loves to sit next to them and snap at the bees! I just know she is going to get stung one day!
ReplyDeleteOh, I hope she never gets one! That could be dangerous! Mine are covered with bees - I am almost scared to go near them!
DeleteI suppose the hollies must need extra-fragrant blooms to compete with everything else this time of year. If yours is a dwarf, the more typical size must be mammoth!
ReplyDeleteYou're right - the dwarf variety is big for a dwarf - the 'regular' one gets to 20 ft. or more! I'm glad to see the bees all over it - I hope to have lots of berries next winter.
DeleteI really love all the hollies and so do bees. I have to admit never smelling them though. With fields of them planted at the farm, I am going to make a point to do that.
ReplyDeleteMine are really trying to attract every bee in the county with their scent. And I think they just about have!
DeleteWhat what what do they smell like????
ReplyDeleteThey smell sweet to me. Strong, like privet, but sweeter - but not as sweet as honeysuckle. Sorry, I'm not much of a scent connoisseur.
DeleteI have read that Chinese Hollies have very fragrant flowers but have never caught the scent. Sounds like they are making the insects very happy!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see all the different things being attracted to it. I think the crane flies are trying to lay their eggs on it.
DeleteI had no idea they were fragrant! I'm going to be out sniffing my holly tree as soon as it starts flowering..
ReplyDeleteDon't sniff up a bee! ;)
DeleteHI Holley, Spring not only brings us pretty colors.. It also brings us great SMELLS..... Oh how I love spring.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Betsy
You're right, Betsy! So much to look forward to in spring!
DeleteI only think of hollies around Christmas time and didn't even know they were scented!
ReplyDeleteI think they're often ignored for bigger and prettier blooms. But the bees certainly don't seem to mind that they're not the prettiest bloom on the block!
DeleteIt's great to see bees and insects this time of year! I'll have to check my holly in the garden and see if it smells nice.
ReplyDeleteThose tiny little blooms are easy to overlook. You'll know they're at their peak when the bees are all over it!
DeleteI love the Hollies. In fact one that I transplanted I think may have died and I'll have to replace it this year. Waiting to see if anything regenerates from it. Yours I think look great.
ReplyDeleteCher Sunray Gardens
I hope yours is not dead. I have a few plants that I'm doing the same thing - trying to figure out if it's completely dead, or if they might make a miraculous recovery!
DeleteI love seeing the large hollies as trees or hedges in the warm climates..I hope to be able to actually see my garden before dusk today..so warm here that my early blooms are now jumping up and fading fast...
ReplyDeleteI think a long hedge of these would be magnificent. Things change so fast in the spring, it's almost as if every few minutes the garden is different! I hope you can enjoy your garden more now that the time has changed.
DeleteI have no hollies at the moment but you remind me I may remedy on that. I want some bushes in the wild area of my garden. I didn't imagine they are so strongly scented! I like your bad haired tall cube! :)
ReplyDeleteAlberto
I get teased around here that I need to trim the hedges because of that wild haired stuff on top. I saw one trimmed like that in a book, and since I now can't reach the top, thought I'd go for that look. It's easy, anyway!
DeleteYou're right, Hollies tend to get attention in the winter with their bright berries but rarely in the spring with their sweet scent. We have a couple and some types have interesting and unusual leaf forms too!
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of different hollies, and some are barely recognizable as hollies! They are one of my favorite plants, but I shy away from some because of their sharp leaves! And I've also learned the hard way that some of the ones I love the looks of won't grow here.
DeleteThank you. I was trying to find a small tree to plant near the back of the garden (can't be higher than 20 feet or so - electric lines above). The hollies would be great. Still loving your blog. Off to garden.
ReplyDeleteHave fun in your garden! So glad you found a good plant for your spot. I love it when inspiration hits like that! These are slow growers, though, so it will take some time for yours to get tree size. (If you buy small, and cheaper, like I usually do.)
DeleteIt is so nice to have all those pollinators to insure berries this next winter. I just love the waxy leaves of the Burford Hollies. Great Plant Choice!
ReplyDeleteThat's what I've been thinking, Lucy - that I'll have lots of berries come winter!
DeleteI have that problem with pruning. The branches on the cut branches shoot up vertically. I haven't figured out how to deal with this - except to do more pruning.
ReplyDeleteI just got where I couldn't contain its height any longer. I've been trimming it for years, keeping it in one little area, but I thought I'd just let the top go! We'll see if this is a mistake or not!
DeleteWell I've learned something new today - I must go sniffing around the holly bushes that grow wild around here!
ReplyDeleteI hope they smell good to you, too!
Delete