Bright red berries against dark green leaves. A little prickly around the edges — but looks great in a wreath or vase.
Small children in your house? Think twice. The berries contain poison. Same thinking required if you have pets. While certain species of birds eat the berries with no problems, the story is different with children and pets. Adults? Still poison — but more likely to have stomach upset — think body weight.
Holly — fresh from a friend’s bushes gives a festive note to my home. No small children. No pets. Not expecting any guest to be mentally challenged enough to eat the decorations.
Americans in the 1850’s decorated their homes for the holidays. Often the decorations were ties to their European country of origin. Holly would have been a favorite of English and their descendants. Deutsch, like the characters in the sweet romance, New Dreams, would have set up a Christmas tree. Check the book link for details on a story of new arrivals. https://amzn.to/3vWydWE
