Evergreens keep their leaves all year round, so are a must in any garden. They’re particularly good choices in winter when their green foliage adds some much-needed interest and structure to a bare garden. Here, we share some of our favourite evergreens. There are options to suit any style of garden, as well as ideas for evergreen hedges. Our choices include recommendations from the Gardeners’ World team and familiar faces from across the gardening industry.
More evergreen inspiration:
20 best evergreen shrubs
Best evergreen climbers
10 of the best evergreen plants
Hebe salicifolia Chosen by Arit Anderson, Gardeners’ World presenter
For something that is quite elegant but gives evergreen presence in the garden I like Hebe salicifolia. I have one in a large container which has been handy to move around the garden to fill a gap when needed. It likes sun or part shade and is reasonably hardy, and has long racemes of pale lilac lowers in the summer.
All you need to know about growing hebes
Pittosporum tobira Chosen by Sue Kent, Gardeners’ World presenter
I like plants that will do many things. Pittosporum tobira not only has glossy evergreen leaves but its flowers are larger than other pittosporums and have a sweet scent, emerging white in late spring and turning yellow in early summer. The shrub has dense growth so may be useful as a medium sized hedge.
Rhaphiolepis umbellata Chosen by Nick Bailey, Gardeners’ World presenter
I don’t label many plants as perfect but this compact evergreen spherical shrub, which virtually reads as a piece of topiary, is about as close to perfection as you can get. It flowers with clusters of white blooms for several months through summer, rarely needs pruning and I’ve never known it to
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As well as being that haloed place where one can enjoy a bit of peace and quiet and a hot soak, the bathroom is also one of the best rooms to grow house plants. Its high humidity is a haven for a lot of indoor plants because so many of them hail from tropical or subtropical forests. There they flourish in the consistently damp, warm air and the light that pours in between the trees. These plants will feel right at home in bathrooms, shower rooms, and kitchens, if provided with the indirect light and average-to-warm temperature that most of them crave.
If you envision your garden as a secluded sanctuary where you can relax and enjoy some peace, it will be of great benefit to improve the privacy of that special place. One way to do that is by strategically planting different beautiful tall-growing plants. They will not only add a touch of botanical elegance but will also shield your outdoor area from curious eyes.
While some may be familiar with Japanese sacred lily (Rohdea japonica, Zones 6–10), Rohdea pachynema is an uncommon species that is indeed a Rohdea less traveled. Found only in the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan, it is an intriguing member of the Asparagaceae family that is slowly becoming more available to gardeners. It was formerly known as Campylandra sinensis or C. pachynema, but recent DNA work has moved it into the genus Rohdea, whose name commemorates German botanist Michael Rohde. We can find no documented common name for this species, so we have dubbed it “yellow thread rohdea” since pachynema means “thick thread” (referring to the colored central stripe on the leaves).
An attractively planted container will bring colour and interest to your garden even in the depths of winter when all around is dormant, waiting for the spring. A winter container can be squeezed into almost any garden space, whether a small balcony or patio, or they can take pride of place on your doorstep. Here we share some of our favourite plants for containers, guaranteed to brighten up the darkest of days. Our choices include recommendations from the Gardeners’ World team and familiar faces from across the gardening industry.
There are few groups of plants more valuable in the garden than broadleaf evergreens. They give the garden structure and interest when not much else is going on. This varied group generally includes any woody plant that does not lose its leaves during the fall or winter and is not a conifer with needles or scales (think pines, junipers, firs, or arborvitae). Broadleaf evergreens represent some of our most popular and useful shrubs: rhododendrons, camellias, hollies, and boxwood. These plants offer a wide range of textures through their varied foliage and can often be complemented with beautiful flowers and a lovely growing habit.
Would you like to maximise your cantaloupe harvest? This list of good companion plants for cantaloupe will help you give your plants the best chance of thriving and fruiting.
If you live in a place that gets a fair amount of snow, is it important to have evergreen perennials? For many years we have debated this question around our editorial planning table, and the staff falls into two camps: those who say that ever-green perennials aren’t just for regions that receive little to no snow, and those who see no point in spending money on a category of plants that might be buried out of sight for more than three months.