Creating an Evergreen Garden
Looking to create an area in your garden full of plants, shrubs or trees which don’t lose their leaves, even in winter? Evergreens are for you! Evergreens are great at providing colour and interest in your garden all year round, but are also easy to maintain, so you don’t have to spend a great deal of time gardening.
If you have a large space to work with, then you may want to think about including some evergreen trees. Even if you only have a tiny garden or balcony, you can still use evergreens to great effect.
Despite their name, evergreen plants, shrubs and trees are not always just green, so planting an evergreen garden won’t restrict the range of colours available to you.
Evergreens provide a variety of different colours, giving you greens and whites, greens and golds, yellows and greens, reds and golds, and sometimes even three colours in one leaf. Some evergreens are even well known for their flowers and strong scents, so they can keep your garden looking – and smelling – wonderful, through the months when nothing else is growing.
Creating the evergreen garden look
Any garden of any size will look better with some evergreen planting. While spring and summer bedding plants come and go, and deciduous shrubs and trees lose their leaves, evergreens act as a great framework for your garden all year round.
You can also make your evergreen garden as formal or relaxed as you like.
Symmetrically shaped box trees in containers, carefully trimmed hedges and evenly spaced trees or shrubs will give your garden a very formal look. Alternatively, mixing container plants with evergreen grasses, and planting a variety of different height plants and shrubs together, will look more natural and tranquil. You could even add a water feature to enhance the relaxing look and feel.
Whatever space you’re working with, here are our top 10 favourite evergreens, to give you some inspiration for planting your evergreen garden:
Bay (Laurus nobilis) is an evergreen shrub with aromatic leaves that can also be used in cooking. Bay can be used as an alternative to yew or box topiary and grows well in pots. Grow bay in a sunny, sheltered spot in moist but well-drained soil.
Ceanothus, also known as California lilac, are smothered in flowers in May and June – mostly a vivid cornflower blue, although some varieties have pink or white flowers. They do best in a sunny spot but will survive in partial shade. The bushy, evergreen types have small, neat leaves and tend to be slightly less hardy, so grow in a sheltered spot, away from cold, drying winds.
Griselinia is a low-maintenance shrub with pretty, apple green leaves. It can be grown against a wall, or as an evergreen hedge. This plant is not suitable for cold, exposed sites, so a well-drained soil is needed.
Heathers are compact, evergreen shrubs with spikes of tiny, bell-shaped flowers in shades of white, pink, red and purple. Some varieties flower in summer and autumn, others in winter. Grow in a group as ground cover, or at the front of a border, or in a pot. Most need acidic soil and a sunny spot. Top tip - Winter flowering heathers are an especially valuable source of nectar for bees.
Pittosporums are versatile evergreen shrubs that are grown for their neat foliage that ranges from dark to apple green or grey-green or purple-black, depending on the variety. They have small but highly scented flowers in May and June. Some varieties can be lightly clipped into a pleasing shape.
Holly can be grown as a tree, shrub or as part of a hedge. There are many different varieties, with some boasting beautiful mixed coloured leaves. Osmanthus heterophyllus Goshiki, also known as Devils Wood is a close relation to regular holly, with picturesque, yellow and green marbled foliage. It also has scented white flowers in autumn.
Cordyline is ideal as the centrepiece for containers and tubs. This evergreen shrub has long strappy leaves giving it an exotic, palm-like feel. Not completely winter hardy but would suit a sheltered spot in the garden.
Vinca minor 'Illumination', also known as Periwinkle. Vibrant, spreading, evergreen herbaceous perennial has starry blue flowers in Spring. It has yellow and green showy-looking leaves. It likes part shade, dry, well drained, or moist soil and is happy in acid (ericaceous), alkaline or neutral soil, as well as being frost hardy.
Clematis Armandii, a climber with beautiful evergreen foliage and delicate white scented open flowers in late March - April. Ideal for training to climb on walls, fences and pergolas. It likes sun, moist but well drained soil and is happy in alkaline or neutral soil. It is also largely frost hardy.
Honeysuckle 'Copper Beauty', also known as Henry's honeysuckle. An evergreen shrub with green leaves and yellow flowers in summer, and delightful copper foliage with blue fruits in spring. Loved by bees and birds. Enjoys sun and tolerates partial shade. This honeysuckle is also frost hardy.
If you need any further advice on how to create an evergreen garden in your outside space, don’t hesitate to ask one of our knowledgeable staff members in the plant team next time you’re in store.
