Evergreens

Evergreens are an essential part of any garden. They provide year-round colour, texture, and privacy and offer food and shelter to birds and wildlife. There are thousands of types of evergreen shrubs in every size and shape, with shades of green ranging from the deepest emerald to the sunniest golden-green. Some varieties tolerate extreme heat and cold, so be sure to read the plant label or description when shopping to find one that’s suited to your garden and aspect. When you’re planning your garden, don’t forget to pay attention to how tall and wide the plant gets, especially if you’re considering a fast-growing shrub. That cute little shrub won’t stay tiny forever, and you don’t want to create a maintenance nightmare by having to prune it three times a year. For further information or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Feeding evergreens:

Like all landscape plants, evergreens require nutrients to grow well. While evergreens generally require less fertility than deciduous trees and get some nutrients from the soil, at some point you might need to fertilise your evergreens.

Foliage colour, lack of flowering, or overall vigour can be signs that fertiliser is needed.

If growth rate and needle colour are normal for a particular variety, fertilisation is not necessary.

It is not unusual for newly transplanted evergreens to exhibit slow growth until they’re re-established.

Here are our favourite evergreens, including flowering shrubs, for your garden:

Holly

Featuring sharp, pointy leaves and bright red berries, this is the type of holly most commonly associated with Christmas. Make sure you have both “female” and “male” plant types so berries will form. It is a very tough plant and great for wildlife, which makes it a real winner.

Azalea

These shrubs with glossy green leaves put on a show in early spring with lovely shades of pink, peach, coral, purple, or white flowers. Some types, which are suited to warmer climates, re-bloom. Make sure to purchase an evergreen (not a deciduous) variety if you want it to retain its foliage year-round.

Box

Tiny rounded leaves that keep their deep green colour through the coldest months make boxwood an all-time favourite for landscapes. Most types can be sheared into a hedge, ball form, or left to grow in a more naturalised shape. A real classic.

Sarcoccocca

Compact, sometimes suckering evergreen shrubs with simple, leathery leaves and tiny, fragrant creamy-white flowers in winter or spring, followed by red, purple, or black berries which may persist into the following winter. The fabulous scent drifting across an early spring garden is never forgotten.

Rhododendrons

Against this plant’s deep green shiny leaves, showy flowers in brilliant purples, pale pinks, and snowy whites pop. They prefer dappled shade and are nice as hedges or accent plants. They will grow quite happily in pots but are shallow-rooted, so wide pots suit them best and will benefit from regular feeding. Remember to keep it well watered, especially in the summer months, to ensure good bud formation for the following year.

Yew

This shrub has dense, finely textured foliage and attractive reddish bark. There are both low-growing and upright varieties. Red berries are formed on more mature trees.

Japanese Holly (Ilex Crenata)

With small, rounded leaves and many interesting forms, Japanese holly boasts a strong architectural form to add as an accent to your garden or in pots flanking your front door. Sometimes it is used as a substitute for box hedging.

Pines (Mugo)

This hardy pine works beautifully in rock gardens, mass plantings, and mixed with other broad-leaved plants. Colours range from deep green to gold, and the newly formed stems and needles stand like candles. A real favourite with us.

Mahonia

This low-care shrub has bright flowers that appear in late winter to early spring and turn blue to black berries by late summer to autumn. It’s perfect in mass plantings.

Camellia

Handsome, glossy foliage and fabulous flowers have attracted gardeners for hundreds of years in Japan, China, and Korea, and is it any wonder! They thrive in mild climates. These broad leaved evergreen shrubs have durable, glossy foliage and gorgeous flowers. The most common species of camellias are Camellia japonica (spring flowering) and Camellia sasanqua (winter flowering).

For any other questions or queries that you might have, feel free to give us a call or email and we will endeavour to answer them.