Evergreen Plants for Purpose

What makes a plant evergreen?

An evergreen plant is a variety of plant that keeps their foliage year-round. Unlike deciduous plants, evergreens are fantastic for keeping your garden looking lush and colourful throughout the seasons.

Within the evergreen family, you can find a wide selection of trees, shrubs and vines, all of which have their own unique purpose within a garden. Alongside their constant foliage, many varieties of evergreen will flower throughout different seasons, bringing an extra pop of colour to your garden.

Evergreen plants are a hassle free addition to any garden and come into their own during winter, when other plants have died back or lost their leaves. As there are such a wide range of evergreen plants, it is easy to find a plant for any area of your garden no matter the soil type or location.

Ways to incorporate evergreen plants

Structure & interest – evergreens are perfect for building structure within your garden, whether it’s for filling a border or adding a focal point to an open space. For the more extravagant gardener, evergreens make for fantastic topiaries: the art of tailoring a plant to resemble a unique design. These year round features retain their green colour and personalised shape for a feature point in any garden.

Screening & hedging – as evergreens retain their thick foliage, it makes them great for use as screening or hedging along the perimeters of a garden. Whether you are wanting to obscure the watchful eye of passers-by for increased privacy, or disguise an unsightly feature, evergreen plants are great at providing a constant barrier that is also pleasant to look at. We would recommend a laurel for this job!

Boundaries – a well maintained evergreen hedge can serve as a boundary line between neighbouring gardens. As a popular alternative to wooden fencing, boundary hedges (such as conifers) provide a permanent shelter for wildlife and can make an attractive feature on its own. Not only are evergreens great for large scale boundaries, but smaller varieties such as Hebe can be used to create a division within a large garden bed, or as a border between a path and lawn.

Popular evergreen plants

Conifer – a group of trees including cedars, firs, junipers, pines, redwoods or spruces; known for their constant foliage and tall structure, these plants are great for hedges or boundaries. For the best outcome, regular watering for the first two years following planting will allow for strong root systems and hardiness throughout varying seasons.

Bay – this aromatic evergreen tree is characterised by its smooth, vibrant leaves and comes in a range of sizes depending on where you plan on planting. As a slower growing variety, this plant is great for building depth over time and can even be used in pots or containers, as well as directly planted into the ground. This plants preference is to well-draining but moist soil, in a sunny position.

Euonymus – sometimes referred to as a spindle tree due to the thin branches and small leaves, the euonymus is a common plant within gardens. Often green and yellow in colour, these small scale shrubs are great for filling large spaces within garden borders, as they grow wide as well as tall. Best when grown is a moist and well-draining soil, these plants will thrive in both sunny and shaded spots.

Photinia Red Robin – known as a red robin due to their mix of green and red leaves, the photinia is an evergreen shrub with delicate white flowers and red berries during spring or autumn. Best when planted in a warm yet sheltered position, this plant is great as a stand alone tree or as a bold hedge. Hebe – amongst the smaller varieties of evergreen shrubs, the hebe is a unique and interesting plant great for pots or garden beds. Producing flowers in shades of purple, pink or white throughout summer, this plant will continue to bring colour to your garden even in the winter months with its green, variegated foliage.