Holly might not normally seem like a large enough plant to use for privacy, but that's not the case with this cultivar. Nellie Stevens holly (Ilex 'Nellie R. Stevens') can actually reach heights of 30 ...

Dear Neil: After the big freeze wiped out our xylosma shrubs, I replaced them with seven Nellie R. Stevens hollies. Six have done very well, but one is lagging behind dramatically. All are on the same ...

: I see varying information. How tall will a Nellie R. Stevens holly grow? I need a short row of a screening shrub that will grow at least 10 or 12 feet tall. : Nellie R. Stevens holly would be ideal.

Dear Neil: When should I prune my Nellie R. Stevens holly? How much can I trim it? The best time to trim and reshape any evergreen shrub is late winter, a few weeks before the burst of spring growth.

DEAR NEIL: If I wanted to grow a Nellie R. Stevens holly as a tree, how would I train it? I see nice shrubs in the nursery. What should I be looking for? Dear Reader: If you want a single-trunk tree ...

Dear Neil: My HOA has gradually been replacing ornamental peach trees along one of our streets with yaupon hollies. Would you recommend Nellie R. Stevens hollies instead? A: What a wonderful question ...

Q: How would Sea Green juniper do as a privacy screen across the side of our property? I tried Nellie R. Stevens hollies, and they must have gotten too dry. A: Both plants are excellent, although they ...

Nellie R. Stevens hollies will grow to be 15 or 18 feet tall with age. Sea Green junipers may achieve 7 or 8 feet with 20 years of growth. You must hand-water the hollies for their first two or three ...

Dear Neil: What is the best way to feed and prune a number of Nellie R. Stevens hollies we planted 5 years ago in order to encourage vertical growth? A: Before I try to answer that, let me remind you ...