Richly enshrouded in legend and superstition, valued for a wide variety of uses and prized by gardeners, hollies have always been part of our lives and gardens. Now they are enjoying a peak of popularity as gardeners wake up to their huge diversity of form, foliage and fruit, marvel at their adaptability, and appreciate the wide variety of situations in which they can be used. There is a holly for every temperate region of the world, and Christopher Bailes celebrates American, European, Chinese and Japanese hollies in equal measure, providing detailed planting advice and illustrating his account with vivid photographs. This account will inspire gardeners everywhere to discover how hollies, old and new, can enhance our gardens and landscapes.
This book is a fine reference for professional and amateur gardeners. ... Bailes proves that there is a holly for every garden. -- Bill Cannon Quincy Patriot Ledger 20061101 This guide to the history, lore, and growing of hollies is one that will be enjoyed year-round if it convinces you to plant even a single member of the holly species. -- Marianne Binetti Seattle Post-Intelligencer 20061127 Packed with color photos, cultural information and possibilities for using hollies in the landscape. -- Valerie Easton Seattle Times 20061202 A classy, surprisingly entertaining guide to the astonishingly diverse world of hollies. There are master gardeners who'd love to get this as a gift. ... [One of] the 10 best books of the year. -- Steve Whysall Winnipeg Free Press 20061217 For greater detail, grab this comprehensive, colorfully photographed guide to the hollies. -- Susan Smith-Durisek Lexington Herald-Leader 20070120 A much-needed book for gardeners. ... This new book, both far-reaching and scholarly, brings the rich and varied skeins of the genus Ilex into enviable order. -- Louise Bendall Plantsman 20070301 What shines out, as much as the bright berries and glistening foliage of his photographs, is Chris Bailes's personal experience with hollies, his reading of the available literature, and his consultations with other experts in the field. -- Barbara Segall International Dendrology Society Yearbook 20060101