Question
Thank you for your answer. I hope it is ok to ask for a little further clarification and then I'll leave it be. I do know that these will continue to grow and will not likely recover their lower limbs. I think my real question is, does a holly TREE have any integrity in the landscape or does it look like a glaring, obvious mistake? I know beauty is subjective, so I am indeed asking you as a professional if you personally think they would look ridiculous. In other words, if you had (shudder the thought) accidentally done the same thing, would you live with it or tear them out? Are there landscaping tricks camouflage the damage? Are they worth saving or have I destroyed their intrinsic/natural beauty?
I truly appreciate your help and will not belabor this further.
Thank you again,
Sinc`erely,
Laura Poynter
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
Hello, I think I made a big fat mistake and it's making me sick to my stomach! I have three beautiful, healthy, fruit-bearing 15 ft.holly shrubs that are growing very close (2ft) from my split rail fence. The branches were growing into the fence, entangling the rails and compromising the strength of the fence...so one day a couple weeks ago, when I really didn't have enough time for the task, I went in and ruthlessly whacked all the lower branches off each shrub. What is left look like trees...with nearly 6 ft of bare trunk before there is foliage. I think i should not have cut so many of the lower branches off. Have I utterly and completely ruined them?
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond!
Laura
-----Answer-----
Laura,

You haven't ruined them, but you have changed their growth pattern. In pruning off the lowe limbs, you have changed the form of the hollies. The limbs that were taken off will probably never be replaced by the plants.

Good luck.
ED Gulliksen

Answer
Laura,

I have seen Hollies pruned up this way many times. Many times plants will start to dieback at the bottom requiring the elevation.

If you want to lessen the impact of the pruning, I would recommend planting some cherry laurels, viburnum or pieris japonica under the hollies. This will camouflage the area as well as add interest to the area.

Good luck.
Ed Gulliksen