We planted three 4 1/2 ft English Hollies two falls ago as part of an evergreen screen along a 5' tall fence on the SE side of our back yard. The English Hollies completely lost their leaves after that 1st winter. They rebounded with new foliage but not like it was when it was first planted. Overall it still has a very sticky appearance with sparse foliage and doesn't even look 1" bigger. I know it's still early and it usually takes a few yrs to get established but I guess we were hoping for SOMETHING in terms of progress as the shrubs around it are growing. Hoping this coming season will quiet our concerns. In the meantime, most of what we read about it is conflicting in terms of growth rate and size - so we're a little confused. We love it but we bought it for the promise of SIZE and the benefit of year round color. Wondering if anyone in NJ has experience - good or bad - with english hollies and if there's any advice you can give us. Thanks! --Kelly