Year-Round Greenery: Best Evergreen Plants for Your Garden
Is your garden lifeless and lacking colour through winter? Seasonal plants look beautiful when blooming, but when the cold hits, they leave the outdoor space bare and boring.
Planting year-round greenery is the simple answer.
Evergreen plants maintain their vibrant, lush colour throughout the year. From compact shrubs to majestic trees, evergreens leave your garden looking beautiful month after month.
If you’re looking for some inspiration, read on to discover the best evergreen plants for your garden and top tips for caring for them.
Why choose evergreen plants?
Evergreen plants make sense for those who want their garden to look full and lustrous year-round.
Unlike seasonal plants, evergreens retain their foliage across all seasons.
Additionally, evergreens can be functional. They can act as windbreaks, provide privacy, and even reduce noise pollution.
Evergreen shrubs for small gardens
Boxwood
Boxwood is a great evergreen plant for small gardens. It’s slow-growing and has dense, green foliage. Use it to create formal hedges or topiaries. You’ll need to prune it regularly to help maintain its shape and encourage healthy growth. Boxwood thrives in well-drained soil and tolerates both sun and partial shade.
Dwarf Japanese Holly
Dwarf japanese holly has small, glossy leaves and is well-suited for low hedges. It looks similar to Boxwood, but this plant prefers acidic, well-drained soil and thrives in full sun.
Skimmia
Skimmia is a compact shrub that gives a hint of colour with its clusters of red or white flowers, which are followed by red berries. This plant works in shaded areas and needs moist, well-drained, acidic soil.
Dwarf mountain pine
A dwarf conifer, that requires minimal maintenance and is drought-tolerant once established. Its dark green needles look beautiful year-round, and it works well in borders or containers.
Evergreen trees for medium to large gardens
Holly
Holly might be a plant we associate with Christmas time, but it is also a great evergreen option in gardens. Its glossy, spiky leaves and bright red berries in winter can be pruned to maintain a desired shape and size, making it suitable for any size garden. Holly prefers well-drained soil and full sun.
Blue Spruce
Blue spruce is a striking evergreen tree with silvery-blue needles. It makes a great focal point in large landscapes and thrives in moist soil and full sun. However, this tree needs plenty of space to grow.
Dragon Prince Cryptomeria
This compact form of Japanese cedar has bright green, fine needles that will add texture and colour year-round to your garden. Once established, it can tolerate heat and drought and is suitable for many garden sizes.
Photinia
Photinia is a fast-growing evergreen shrub that has striking red new growth that matures to a glossy green. It thrives in well-drained soil and full sun and is ideal for use as a hedge. Photinia will need regular pruning to keep it looking vibrant year-round.
Portuguese Laurel
Portuguese Laurel makes a great hedge because it can be shaped as desired. Its dark green, glossy leaves contrast beautifully against the reddish stems. The plant prefers well-drained soil and full sun.
Versatile evergreen plant options
Camellia
Camellias are evergreen shrubs that produce flowers from late winter to early spring. So when colour isn’t showing in your garden, these make a great choice. Prevent the buds from dropping by protecting them from early morning sun and cold winds.
Heavenly Bamboo
Despite its name, heavenly bamboo is not a true bamboo but an evergreen shrub that has bamboo-like stems and lacy foliage. It’s a versatile plant that you can use in borders, containers or as a low hedge. You can expect white flowers in spring, followed by red berries.
Maintenance tips for healthy evergreens
Evergreens still need year-round care to thrive in even the harshest weather. Here’s a guide to ensuring their success.
Soil and water requirements
- Soil conditions: Most evergreens prefer well-drained soil. Sandy soils often work best; if you have heavy clay soil, you’ll need to ensure proper drainage.
- Watering schedule: Newly planted evergreens need consistent watering to help establish their roots. Mature evergreen plants are often drought-tolerant but benefit from deep watering during extended dry periods.
- Seasonal adjustments: It’s advisable to reduce watering in autumn to help prepare plants for winter dormancy.
Pruning techniques
- Why prune? Pruning helps to maintain the plant’s shape, encourages healthy growth and helps to prevent disease by removing dead or diseased branches.
- When to prune: Early spring or late winter is the ideal time for most evergreens to be pruned, as they have time to recover before the growing season begins.
- Tools: Use sharp, sterilised shears to ensure clean cuts.
Evergreens are the ideal way to introduce year-round beauty to your garden. They also provide structure and some functionality to your landscape.
Whether you have a small urban space or a sprawling landscape, there is an evergreen plant suitable for your needs.
By choosing the right species and caring for them adequately, you can enjoy beautiful greenery in your outdoor area every day of the year.
- Daniel Corlett
