The magic of evergreens
Never underestimate the power of evergreens, they seem to defy the winter chill and offer their resilient, reliable colour across the colder months when not much else is in flower! Autumn into winter is a fantastic time to plant when the ground is still warm and wet, allowing our hardy shrubs to establish a strong root system over winter so they can thrive in spring!
Year Round Elegance
They tend to be forgotten when your annuals take centre stage in summer, but evergreens offer year-round elegance! Even in the bleakest months you can rely on your hardy evergreens to offer structure, shape and a backdrop of everlasting greenery.
Wildlife Habitats
Always bustling with life, evergreen shrubs are nature’s natural habitat. Providing essential shelter for birds and small mammals and creating a miniature ecosystem within our gardens. Winter wildlife will be grateful of your evergreens when offering a sheltered space to call home during the colder months.
Low maintenance
A garden filled with evergreens can be considered a low maintenance green haven! With little requirements to prune, feed and protect from harsh weather conditions, evergreen often to take care of themselves.
Winter Colour
The colder months encourage the berries on hardy evergreens which not only provides a lifeline for wildlife but stand out amongst the faded backdrops. Winter tends to be a time with little colour, but our winter flowering evergreens such as Skimmia, Holly, Callicarpa and Cotoneasters help provide a much needed injection of colour as nature’s pallet begins to fade.
Privacy and screening
Using a wall of evergreens to offer seclusion and privacy in your space is often easier than using a fence! With no requirement to restrict how high they can grow (within reason!) and no need for a yearly lick of paint, you can use a cluster of evergreens to create a natural structure in your space.
Our top five evergreens for 2023
Skimmia
This evergreen shrub is known for producing clusters of fragrant, white or pink flowers in spring and deep red berries in autumn and winter. Well-suited to partial shade, they make an ideal plant for borders or containers! Skimmia’s are one of our favourite evergreens for their multi-seasonal displays.
Rhododendron
Rhododendrons are renowned for their large, showy flowers that bloom in a variety of colours in spring. With a preference for acidic soil, they are popular in gardens for their springtime floral displays and year round leathery leaves.
Holly
Widely distributed across Europe, holly is known for its glossy, spiky leaves and distinctive red berries (on female plants!) Often associated with winter festivities, its branches are used for Christmas decorations. It’s easy to say the holly plant is a prominent winter garden plant and is a versatile addition to most gardens.
Pieris japonica
Pieris is appreciated for its attractive, leathery leaves and elegant, drooping clusters of bell-shaped flowers in spring. What makes this plant unique is the striking colour contrast of new growth which is often pink, red or white.
Boxwood
The boxwood is popular for its compact growth habit and small, glossy leaves making it a popular use for hedges, topiaries, and as a structural element in gardens. The boxwood is extremely tolerant of pruning and shaping allowing you to get creative in your space!
