by holly
Some strange holly trees and their berries and leaves underfoot.
Alternately busy and lazy here with family visiting all week.
Very cold and clear here with night temperatures as low as -15C with windchill.
Possible snow on the weekend.
February 6, 2014 in Home by Marja-Leena
I miss seeing holly trees (and bushes) so seeing these is a sweet reminder of gentler climates. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a formal stand of such old specimens before. Now the berries have withered they’ll make fine food for hungry birds.
It’s cold here too after another significant snowfall yesterday. Nevertheless, February is the shortest month of winter, isn’t it? Spring is getting close for all of us.
Susan, these do seem to be old trees which have been pruned clean at the lower levels, prpbably because of the public sidewalk next to it. The trunks are quite interesting to me. The English holly is considered an invasive species here and I do find I have to keep pulling it out after the birds have seeded them everywhere.
This week has been the coldest of this winter, an otherwise fairly mild one here, while the rest of the country has been suffering a bitter one! Spring is coming soon!
I am in agreement here with Susan in that I have never seen this kind of formalised planting. Usually, one occasionally happens upon an odd scrubby plant here and there, but that may be a climate thing. Hollies seem to be more at home further north, in the UK.
Er?? When I said, “Usually, one occasionally……..” I meant that occasionally, one happens upon……..and that is the usual, normal form of meeting. I’m not entirely certain I have clarified what I meant in the first place with my second comment. I think I’ll have a lie down.
Tom, I didn’t even notice the word stumble (I do it a lot!) until you pointed it out. 🙂 I don’t recall seeing such a formal hedge of hollies either but the row of trunks drew our attention to it.
What IS it about your photos? They are so intriguing!
Hattie, I do look for subjects that intrigue me so I’m glad you find them so!
Hollies? Holly-wood? Never seen the tree. And they should two more North?
You’re going have a true winter! I heard that there is a weather warning given out to Portland. We have +3 C, and snow is melting and bringing up ice. It was a bit treacherous moving outside.
But be happy about the family gathering!
Ripsa, I’ve always thought of holly (and ivy) as being very English from all their Christmas stories and songs. They are abundant, too much so, in this climate. I did not see it until we moved here.
We’ve had a week of this cold now, with brilliant sunny days and moonlit nights. It has warmed a bit and clouded over and we might get a bit of snow later and overnight. Compared to the bitter winter in the east and southeast, we can’t complain about it here for it has been fairly mild and drier. The ski hills complain of not having enough snow.
Oh yes, lovely to have family here! They have had to extend their stay a few more days because son-in-law has yet more work to do in the city.
The brutal pruning and all the surface growth make them seem ancient (and therefore Marja-Leenan in nature.) And the last is also–the rust, the look of ancient technology, and the light humor of leaves and leaf-like shapes together.
Marly, how very well you put into words the things that attract me!