After 31 years of running Holly Hill Orchards, Claude and Dorothy Lakewold have moved on to further adventures, bringing in enthusiastic new owners - Jim and Cynthia Rummel, along with their son, John to carry on the tradition of a small family-owned farm.

Just out of Olympia, Washington, the orchard is located at the southern tip of Puget Sound across Highway 101 from Eld Inlet - one of the country’s last pure oyster growing waters.

Holly Hill Orchards began in 1932 with the planting of several hundred green English holly starts. Several hundred more tree starts were planted at the end of WWII, including 150 variegated trees. These trees are now all mature with some of the green tree trunk bases more than two feet in diameter. All trees are continuously topped, thereby limiting their heights between twelve and fifteen feet, with one “self grafted” tree (both variegated and green) exceeding 30 feet. Some of the male trees which have not been topped in the last ten years are close to 40 feet.

Cutting and shipping began in the 1930’s and has continued every year since. Holly Hill Orchards may be the oldest continuously operating orchard in the nation. The orchard is small but probably ships as much or more retail holly than most orchards. During the harvest season ten to fifteen people are on the grounds cutting, packing, making wreaths and shipping.

These wreath makers have been coming back for 10 years or more. New wreath makers are taught by senior wreath persons who in turn were taught by one of the states first wreath makers and commercial holly growers.

Holly Hill products are truly all-American. The holly is grown and processed only at this farm. All evergreen material, noble fir, cedar and cones come from local Christmas tree growers. Even the wreath rings and shipping boxes are made locally. Some of the accent material - juniper and mistletoe - come from Oregon or Idaho; all from sustainable growth areas.

The tradition continues to cut the holly, make the wreaths, pack and ship items on the same day - thereby ensuring a fresh and long lasting product - from the Pacific Northwest to your door.