There are myriad choices for landscaping with evergreens inside your backyard design. Whether or not offering year-round lush foliage, seasonal shade from flowers and berries, privateness for a nook of your outside retreat, or vitality and construction to see your yard by way of the coldest months, these hardworking members of the planting palette must be a key factor of your backyard concepts.
Typically low upkeep and resilient additions that can grace your backyard for many years, evergreen shrubs are among the many most versatile crops, which may both take heart stage as dramatic focal factors within the backyard, or provide a complementary backdrop to seasonal blooms.
Consultants share their recommendation on methods to make the perfect use of evergreens when you’re deciding the best way to plan a backyard.
(Picture credit score: Harriet Farlam / Farlam & Chandler)
Landscaping with evergreens
‘Evergreen crops are a structural important,’ explains backyard designer Jo Alderson (opens in new tab). With many people aspiring to make use of and revel in our gardens by way of the seasons, an evergreen planting scheme works yr spherical.
‘It will be important when planning your backyard to think about construction and year-round curiosity. Landscaping with evergreens will present different crops within the backyard with a stable anchor,’ provides backyard designer Claudia de Yong (opens in new tab).
There are various fairly evergreen crops to select from. Flowering shrubs can even provide seasonal shade, and if you wish to improve the curb attraction of your private home yr spherical, there are many choices of evergreen shrubs for the entrance of the home.
‘When landscaping with evergreens, as with every shrub, it’s key to consider the aim that the plant will play inside the scheme of the backyard. Are you utilizing it to dam one thing unpleasant or maybe to create a visible cease and focus? Do you need to mild up a darkish nook or create curiosity at a time of yr when different crops have died down. These are all issues you need to contemplate when selecting evergreens,’ explains backyard designer Fi Boyle (opens in new tab).
1. Use evergreens for screening and privateness
(Picture credit score: Helen Elks-Smith / elks-smith backyard and panorama design)
A key potential when landscaping with evergreens is their use to display your backyard from a highway or neighboring homes. They will filter out noise and air pollution, whereas additionally bettering air high quality and supply a spot for birds to nest, even within the winter months, for a wildlife backyard concept.
Many of the greatest shrubs for privateness are evergreens resulting from their yr spherical foliage cowl, and by planting a mixture of varieties in leaf kind, shade and texture you’ll be able to obtain dramatic outcomes. ‘You may select variegated forms of evergreen shrub, which can assist to mild up a darkish nook, or ones which have colourful foliage,’ advises Claudia. And with many quick rising shrubs, you’ll be able to obtain outcomes rapidly.
A helpful method of dividing up a backyard naturally is by landscaping with evergreens, whether or not that is to create a non-public space for sitting and eating, or subtly delineate ‘rooms’ when backyard zoning.
Ensure you know the best way to plant shrubs and the perfect time to take action for wholesome, lengthy lasting crops.
2. Add blissful scent
(Picture credit score: Fi Boyle Backyard Design)
‘Many evergreen shrubs have splendidly scented flowers, an important factor of any backyard,’ explains backyard designer Helen Elks-Smith (opens in new tab). These are vital to include when the best way to design a aromatic backyard.
‘A mixture of simply three crops will present scent from December proper by way of to October. I usually select the peerlessly named Sarcococca hookeriana ‘Purple Stem’ for a barely extra relaxed look however that mixes properly with the broader foliage of probably the greatest aromatic flowers, Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’, and for a barely sunnier spot, Daphne x transatlantica ‘Everlasting Perfume’ to run by way of the summer season,’ she provides.
Scented evergreen shrubs actually come into play as winter backyard concepts when different crops are naked, agrees backyard designer Harriet Farlam of Farlam & Chandler (opens in new tab). ‘Plant an evergreen specimen shrub similar to Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’ near a door to convey fantastic scent within the darkest months,’ and create a sensory backyard really feel.
Elaeagnus × ebbingei is one other scented advice from Fi Boyle, which has ‘insignificant flowers that you may be forgiven for lacking, however the scent is fabulous within the fall so an common time for scent,’ she explains; whereas Claudia de Yong sings the praises of Choisya ternata, Mexican orange blossom, ‘with its fragrant white flowers which is simple to develop in full solar, and joyful to be pruned exhausting after flowering.’ That is additionally a good selection for low upkeep border concepts as it’s takes care of itself.
3. Use evergreens for kind and rhythm
(Picture credit score: Helen Elks-Smith / Elks-Smith Backyard and Panorama Design)
When landscaping with evergreens begin with kind. ‘To make sure a well-balanced scheme, I’ll usually have a look at a mixture of mounding and arching kinds,’ says Helen Elks-Smith. ‘Positioned symmetrically, mounding kinds will lend a extra conventional appear and feel to a scheme, however may also be mixed loosely to present a extra relaxed really feel. Mounding kinds are glorious for including all vital rhythm, and together present motion particularly helpful alongside pathways.’
‘Evergreen construction by way of a big border as a flower mattress concept can be utilized to border the corners or to create construction and rhythm by way of the perennial planting,’ agrees Fi Boyle. My go to possibility for balls could be Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Golf Ball’ because it kinds a beautiful pure ball form and is well clipped. One other various, with a darker and bigger leaf, could be winter field, Sarcococca confusa. These could be clipped neatly and nonetheless produce splendidly scented flowers inside the form in winter,’ she provides.
‘Some evergreen shrubs can, nevertheless, get uncontrolled, turn into too massive and overbearing if they aren’t in the reduction of, so select ones that may tolerate prune,’ advises Claudia.
4. Plant an evergreen backdrop
(Picture credit score: Harriet Farlam / Farlam & Chandler)
Evergreen shrubs can kind the spine to a backyard and supply distinction to extra ephemeral perennial planting in the summertime months, which is especially efficient in white backyard concepts.
‘Together with rising lavenders, rosemary and ballota, Pittosporum tenuifolium and tobira will address drought and salt publicity, so we regularly plant these in uncovered coastal areas. Pittosporum lends itself properly to tight clipping much like English yew, which is a good selection for making a darker and extra dramatic backdrop. For one thing looser and extra resilient, strive Osmanthus x burkwoodii, which will even reward you with extremely perfumed white flowers in spring,’ advises Harriet Farlam.
5. Panorama with evergreen hedges and borders
(Picture credit score: Claudia de Yong)
Essentially the most environmentally pleasant materials for borders and bounds is pure privateness hedging, which will even kind the skeleton construction to the backyard all year long. There are various choices for quick rising hedges.
‘Yew, Taxus baccata, creates an exquisite dense hedge that may be stored properly pruned and neat,’ advises Fi Boyle. ‘For across the outdoors of a vegetable backyard, you would possibly think about using Viburnum tinus, as this produces each flowers and berries, which is nice for bugs and pollination in addition to being fairly and rather less formal than another hedges,’ she provides.
Claudia de Yong additionally recommends Prunus lusitanica or Portuguese laurel, jasmine scented Osmanthus x burkwoodii, Ligustrum ovalifolium ‘Aureum’ or Elaeagnus pungens ‘Maculata’. ‘For a big leaf and vibrant crimson evergreen foliage, select Photinia ‘Crimson Robin’ which requires minimal pruning.’
6. Create construction with topiary
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Topiary shapes can add kind and distinction to all types of gardens, from conventional nation gardens to a extra modern gravel or courtyard gardens concept.
‘Taxus baccata is the historic evergreen shrub used for topiary when landscaping with evergreens as this can be very dense and could be pruned into good topiary kind in a wide range of shapes, and tolerates dry shade, chalk and acidic soils. Nevertheless, different crops, similar to Viburnum tinus work being formed both within the floor or in pots as requirements, whereas bay timber are among the many greatest timber to develop in pots as a well-liked evergreen selection and could be neatly clipped into formal shapes,’ says Claudia de Yong.
Different shrubs appropriate for topiary are Buxus sempervirens, Osmanthus burkwoodii, Ilex crenata, Sarcococca confusa, Phillyrea angustifolia and Hebe ‘Inexperienced Globe’, suggests Fi Boyle.
7. Convey shade or curiosity to shady spots
(Picture credit score: RHS/ Anna Brockman)
There are various evergreen shrubs for shade that can present curiosity all year long and assist to mild up darkish corners with flower and foliage shade.
Claudia de Yong suggests Daphne pontica or Daphne laureola for landscaping in areas of dense shade. ‘Daphnes are gradual to begin, however as soon as established there are plain evergreen or variegated kinds which produce extremely scented blooms. They dislike being pruned so select the location fastidiously and so they desire free draining soils,’ she advises.
For pure form that requires little upkeep, Fi Boyle champions Viburnum davidii, ‘which is far maligned however a helpful plant which bears white flowers adopted by deep purple/bluish berries, whereas Aucuba japonica ‘Rozannie’ is an effective again cease and filler the place different shrubs won’t thrive,’ she explains.
‘Sarcococca is a extra compact shrub and can address troublesome areas of dry shade, however can be good used for path edging as a backyard path concept, the place you’ll brush previous the sweetly scented flowers from December by way of to March,’ says Harriet Farlam.
8. Add symmetry and shapes with an evergreen parterre
(Picture credit score: Leigh Clapp)
An evergreen parterre backyard is a basic method to make use of evergreens for landscaping.
For creating the hedging for a parterre, buxus is just not all the time a advisable selection resulting from issues of field blight, however there are many options. ‘Strive clipped kinds similar to Taxus baccata, to the extra fluid types of among the hebes, together with Hebe rakaiensis. Ilex x meserveae Blue Maid is one other good various – bearing small white flowers, which are sometimes smothered in bees and the engaging berries are a lot beloved by blackbirds and thrushes later within the yr,’ says Helen Elks-Smith.
‘Pittosporum makes alternative for buxus – P. ‘fastigiata’ has columnar form and can be utilized as a specimen in a flower mattress; Ilex crenata, Japanese holly grows properly within the shade and tolerates clipping tightly into any form, whereas for a low upkeep evergreen shrub, the Euonymus fortunei cultivars tolerate poor soils, shade and resulting from their prostrate behavior additionally work properly on a north going through wall,’ advises Claudia de Yong.
9. Create an unique really feel with evergreen landscaping
(Picture credit score: Photograph by Adam Anderson on Unsplash)
For big leaf protection and a jungle or tropical backyard concept, think about using the open spreading behavior of Fatsia japonica for landscaping with evergreens suggests Claudia de Yong. As fatsia copes properly in shade, it is usually a good selection for a north-facing backyard. ‘Different evergreen shrubs for an unique backyard scheme embody Nandina domestica, which has fiery bamboo like pink/ crimson leaves that flip inexperienced to purple all through the season, and Pieris japonica ‘Forest Flame’, with its fiery crimson new development within the spring turning a smooth pink and finally inexperienced. Ensure you choose the correct selection as they will develop very massive. They’re greatest for lighting up a shady nook,’ she provides.
(Picture credit score: Helen Elks-Smith / Elks-Smith Backyard and Panorama Design)
How do you make an evergreen backyard?
To make an evergreen backyard that you must contemplate the aim that every of the crops will serve, and create a well-balanced scheme with a mixture of kinds.
Combine in a variety of shapes, sizes, leaf shade and texture, together with flowering and scented evergreens so as to add totally different dimensions to areas of the backyard all through the seasons.
Together with evergreen shrubs, there are a bunch of evergreen climbers that may dress partitions and buildings, in addition to evergreen timber for peak.
As with all planting, make sure you match the correct plant to the correct place, making an allowance for the situations that they like. With care and planning, landscaping with evergreens may end up in an exquisite and different backyard that can final by way of the seasons.