Evergreens – the Cinderellas of the garden
‘Year-round interest’ is probably second only to ‘low maintenance’ as the most frequent
request from client to designer and to achieve this part of their brief designers
need to include some form of evergreen planting. Evergreen plants are often considered
to be boring, but they come in a huge range of size, leaf colour and shape. Even
the plain dark greens should not be overlooked as they provide both a backdrop for
the colourful plants of summer and essential shape and form during the winter.
The following plants are among the best evergreens available, fulfilling different
functions within the garden but always providing that essential year-long structure.
Euonymus
Evergreen varieties of this plant have to be top of the list for sheer versatility
of use. With hard pruning at the end of May (and a light trim in the autumn) they
make excellent low hedges staying tight and in shape all year. Alternatively they
can be allowed to make a small bush with one trim at the end of spring to maintain
the size and shape as necessary. If an evergreen climber is required, few can beat
it. Once established, plants will produce strong straight stems that can be trained
on horizontal wires and the plant can be pruned to keep it close to the support.
Euonymus will grow in more or less any type of soil except water-logged
and are happy in sun or shade. Best known of the evergreens are the cultivars of
E. fortuneii. 'Emerald Gaiety' has bright green leaves with white margins,
'Emerald 'n' Gold' has bright yellow margins and 'Silver Queen' has dark green leaves
broadly margined with white.
Eleagnus
Happy in sun or part shade these plants make excellent shrubs for providing a splash
of colour all year round and make a good large hedge. One of the most popular cultivars
is E. x ebbingei 'Limelight' with its silvery young leaves maturing to
be marked with yellow and pale green in the centres. Easily reaching 3x3m it can
be kept smaller with annual pruning in spring. If a specimen has been allowed to
grow too large it can be cut back hard to main branches and within a few weeks new
shoots should appear all over. In autumn the inconspicuous flowers produce quite
a heady scent which is a surprise bonus.
Unfortunately, along with many other cultivars, this is prone to reversion and whole
branches will produce plain green leaves. These branches should be cut out as close
to the main stem as possible or they will smother the less aggressive variegated
stems.
Phormium
This is one evergreen that is undeniably a focal point plant. Most Phormium
form large plants with strap-like leaves that stiffly radiate out. During the summer
they produce weird small tubular flowers on tall leafless stems. These are interesting
in their own right but it is the foliage that provides the year round statement.
They like full sun and most soil conditions except waterlogged and make excellent
specimens for a seaside garden.
Cultivars of P. tenax are commonly found with foliage colour varying from
plain green through creamy white stripes to dark bronze. One of the smallest forms
is P. tenax 'Bronze Baby' which is useful in smaller gardens and containers.
Phyllostachys
Many people are afraid of bamboo believing them to be invasive and too large for
a normal garden and some are exactly that but there are others that grow in well-behaved
clumps and will not dwarf the next door house.
Two of the most useful bamboos for British gardens are Phyllostachys aurea
(green culms) and P. nigra (black culms when mature). Height can vary from
4-12m with soil conditions and location having an impact on the end result with
their main requirement being full sun. Both are well-behaved clump-formers and make
excellent screening when planted in bulk and yet are also wonderful specimens in
their own right.
In general all bamboos are happy in any soil except very sandy or boggy. They love
organic matter and only need watering for the first two growing seasons after which
they should be watered only if stressed. Old culms should be removed to allow for
new thicker growth and it’s best to do this during the dormant season so new growth
is not damaged. Lower branches can be removed so show off the culm colour and this
is especially important for P. nigra as the black culms are one of its
main attractions. Never remove the spent leaves from the ground as eventually they
will provide essential nutrients for the plant.
Buxus
If you want an evergreen plant that can be grown in practically any shape desired
then Buxus has to be top of the list. It is easy to grow and fits perfectly into
contemporary urban spaces, formal parterres or cottage gardens. If left unchecked
Buxus sempervirens can reach 4.5m but is just as happy pruned to only a
few centimetres high. Buxus is slow-growing and therefore can be expensive
but they provide much needed formal structure whether planted as a low hedge to
contain more informal planting or in a myriad of forms such as cubes, cones and
balls and when cut into more extreme shapes can even make the viewer chuckle!
Unfortunately there is a relatively new water-borne fungal disease, Cylindrocladium
or box blight, that can devastate plants particularly in damp humid conditions.
There is no fungicide available to the general public therefore treatment consists
of cutting out all infected parts and clearing away any fallen leaves. However,
none of this should put anyone off growing this wonderful plant.
Fatsia
Fatsia japonica is an excellent candidate for the tropical garden. Its
broad, glossy dark green leaves grow up to 40cm long and have the look of the jungle
yet it can tolerate coastal exposure and atmospheric pollution. In autumn it produces
small creamy white flowers followed by black fruit. However, if the fruit is removed
and the plant kept moist this will help to encourage the largest leaf size. Fatsia
also fit into a Japanese themed garden very well and even make good specimen plants
within a gravel bed.
Despite its jungle look there is no need to fuss with this plant. It is happy in
sun or shade and although many books show it to be hardy only to -5 it has certainly
survived in many gardens at lower temperatures.
Other plants to consider
Pittosporum tenuifolium, Prunus laurocerasus, Viburnum tinus,
Skimmia japonica and Escallonia rubra
© Sharon Brown
3rd September 2008