This time of year, many of us add lights and decorations to adorn our properties for the season. One of my favorite ways to decorate is to take what I have around my yard — branches of various shrubs and trees — and create seasonal displays.

Take winterberry holly, for instance. This shrub, native to our area, lends itself well to holiday decorations. This deciduous holly will grow well in both wet and dry conditions, preferably in full sun. The shrubs will grow in partial sun but the berries won't be as bountiful.

Think about planting some winterberry holly plants next spring. There are varieties in various heights that are bursting with red or yellow berries. Ilex verticillata ' Winter Red' is one of the most popular varieties because of its big, bold red berries. It reaches a height of about eight feet. 'Sparkleberry' has slightly smaller red berries and reaches about 12 feet tall. 'Red Sprite' is a great choice for smaller landscapes, with a mature size of three to five feet.

I have both 'Winter Red' and 'Sparkleberry,' but I can't decide which one is my favorite because I've never met a winterberry that I didn't like! It's my favorite shrub. From watching the bees pollinate the shrubs earlier in the year, to seeing the little green berries appear, to watching the colors change to red, I enjoy watching the shrub mature throughout the year. My favorite part is watching the birds enjoy their feast!

A few winterberries have golden or orangish berries. The berries of 'Winter Gold' vary from pinkish to golden-orange. 'Afterglow' has large orange-red berries and reaches about 10 feet. With its bold, bright pinkish-orange fruit, 'Aurantiaca' reaches about eight feet.

You will need one male plant for every five fruiting females on your property in order to pollinate the female plants. Males cultivars include 'Jim Dandy,' 'Apollo' and 'Southern Gentleman.' Your nursery will advise you which male is best, depending on which females you choose.

Don't forget the birds! Winterberry holly is a great native shrub that provides food for the birds. Some years, my shrubs retain their berries until January or February. In tough years, the birds may eat all of the berries in a day or two sometime in December. So, don't plant one shrub, plant several to assure that you'll have enough branches for holiday decorating!

To get started, trim off several branches of winterberry holly, and include other plants that you have on your property such as conifers, evergreen holly, and red twig dogwood stems. Arrange the branches in a window box or container. Refresh your containers after a month or two if they are starting to look a bit worn. Usually, the birds leave my containers alone, but occasionally, I find them enjoying the "fruits" of my labor. Then I tell them, "Bon Appétit!"