Evergreen Shrubs for Winter Interest

The beauty of using evergreens in the garden is obvious in that they provide the basic structure of the garden. Many a garden has a handful of evergreen shrubs dotted around to fill in gaps or screen off walls and fences. Often they tend to look pretty boring – dark green foliage with little in the way of interest. But if you choose wisely, you can select evergreens to add colour, texture, flower and a fresh look during the grey winter months. Here are some of my favourites:
Mahonia – Some gardeners will know Mahonia as a brut of a plant which when not controlled can become a thorny monster!The new cultivar M. ‘Soft Caress’ is a much smaller dainty cousin of the above, with yellow blooms and soft thorn free feathery foliage – good for pots.  However if you need a tall plant which will cope with clay soil and shade then M. ‘Winter Sun’ is the plant for you. It flowers prolifically during the winter with bright yellow flowers over deep green foliage. This one will get to 6ft plus but can be pruned back every 3 years or so to keep it under control...

Choisya – a popular shrub due to it’s ease of growth and glossy foliage.  Choisya grow surprisingly well on our heavy clay soils in the Midlands as long as they don’t sit in constantly wet soil. There are several varieties to choose from including C. Ternata, C. White Dazzler & C. Aztec Pearl – all of which have deep green foliage. C. Sundance and Gold fingers have bright refreshing yellow foliage perfect for brightening up a border all year round. All have scented white star-shaped flowers in May/June.
Fatsia – An exotic looking shrub which again grows well on our local soils. Suited to sun and shade it is a versatile plant with large glossy palm shaped leaves and architectural globes of creamy flowers. It can be grow in a large pot as well as borders and lends it’s self well to contemporary planting styles.
Viburnum – There are so many Viburnums available to the gardener, many of which make really good garden plants. For evergreen structure V tinus ‘Eve Price’ is a winner as it is relatively compact and is covered with clusters of white flowers with traces of pink during the winter months. It can be used on it’s own or as an informal hedge.
Nandina – A lot of plant breeding has gone in to Nandina in recent years resulting in some striking new cultivars including N. ‘Lemon & Lime’ & N. ‘Obsessed’ which have vibrant colourful foliage throughout the year. They prefer a sunny to part shady spot and will be happy in the border or in a container. Often the foliage changes colour throughout the year so the plant gives a real wow factor to the garden.
Sarcoccoca – The winter scented must have. AKA Winter Box, this is a highly fragrant plant with a mass of white flowers along the stems in winter followed by black berries. The foliage is deep green and very glossy. I like to grow this in containers so i can move the plants nearer to the house in winter to benefit from the heady fragrance.
Ilex crenata & Yew – A great alternative to Box (Buxus), these two evergreens will not succumb to the dreaded ‘Box Blight’ and can be used to create beautiful topiary forms. At this time of year topiary adds greatly to the garden, giving elegant structure and form to the space. I particularly love to use Yew as i love the deep green foliage and it keeps a very neat shape once trimmed. ​

Bel Grierson

Expert Plantswoman and Garden Designer with 20 years experience in horticulture.  Bel loves to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with those with gardens large and small.