Holly

So, the Beech tree is no more and it's time to start on the Holly, on the other side of the garden.

When we moved in, 30 years ago, I was delighted to discover a Holly in the garden, imagining Christmases bedecked with scarlet berries; but, of course, the species is dioecious and, as ours is a male, it does not produce berries. And, it seems, every time it is trimmed back, it responds with a massive regeneration of growth so is now quite a chunky individual, its leaves get everywhere and are fearsome sharp under a bare foot. Its fate it to become firewood for the log-burning stoves in the family, with one or two pieces set aside for whittling at some future time, the rest makes a good bonfire.