Replacing the less hardy Old English Boxwood, 
a closely trimmed specimen Holly on each side of 
the steps leading to your main door will give dig- 
nity and distinction to your whole planting. 
You will like Holly as a background for your 
Japanese flowering cherry or other flowering shrubs. 
A beautiful planting can be made with Holly and 
white dogwood. 
Holly is a permanent tree and will grow in 
beauty with age, so I like it best planted as a speci- 
men with lots of room to grow. 
Seashore winds hurt it little, but some protec- 
tion from the cold, dry west and north winds will 
help keep the late winter foliage a brighter and 
more attractive green and the berries will stay red 
longer, too. Holly requires very little special care, 
but it will pay you to follow closely the planting 
directions that follow. Don’t skimp on the mulch. 
6. What Is the Right Way 
to Plant My Holly? 
Dig a hole for your tree twice the width and 
depth of the root ball, even larger will pay. Cart 
away one-half of the soil you have just dug up 
and bring back an equal quantity of compost (this 
composted material should be made up of two parts 
of leafmold from oak woods and one part old cow 
“manure with some cottonseed meal added); mix 
the compost thoroughly with your heap of soil and 
throw some in the bottom of the hole. 
Now place your tree in the centre of the hole 
about four inches deeper than it was in the nur- 
sery. Fill the hole almost full and add lots of water, 
several buckets full, and let it settle for a few min- 
utes. Finish with the last six inches of material 
made up of much more compost, all compost, if you 
have it to spare. 
Remember, use lots of compost and loads of 
water, as proper soil preparation and careful plant- 
ing will do more than anything else to make your 
Holly a success. 
Do not pile the dirt up around the tree cone 
shaped, as so many people do their shrubbery. Al- 
ways leave the soil around your Holly level with, 
or slightly below the surrounding ground. See 
illustrations 1 and 2. 
Many years of experience have taught me that 
Holly planted carefully, as outlined above, will grow 
to its maximum beauty. 
Do not let good friends mislead you by urging 
that you give some other special treatment. Wish- 
