When the leaves come down in November, the garden’s bones are laid bare. This is when evergreens earn their keep. But “evergreen” doesn’t have to mean a wall of plain green. Conifers and evergreen trees come in a surprising range of colours, from icy blue and silver to gold, lime and winter bronze. Chosen well, they can give you colour every single day of the year.
This is the first in a short series on evergreen colour. Over the next few weeks we’ll look at blue conifers, small colourful evergreens for pots and patios, some rare finds, and how to put it all together.
The evergreen colour palette
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Blue and silver: cool, frosty tones that look especially good in winter light. Think blue spruces, Arizona cypress and the Korean fir ‘Kohouts Icebreaker’, whose curled needles show their silvery undersides.
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Gold and lime: instant warmth on a grey day. Golden cedars and yellow-leaved cypresses brighten dull corners.
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Bronze and copper: some evergreens change colour as the weather cools. Southern white cedar ‘El Paso’ takes on bronze hints in the colder months, and Chinese golden cedar ‘Aurea Nana’ warms to a bronze tone in winter.
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Grey-green: softer, Mediterranean-style colour from evergreen oaks such as the rare Muller oak, whose holly-like leaves have a silvery sheen.
Why colour matters more in winter
In summer, flowers and fresh leaves do the work. From November to March, evergreens often carry the whole garden. A single blue or golden conifer can become a focal point, and a few chosen together create contrast that keeps the garden interesting through the darkest months.
Three things to check before you buy
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Ultimate size: many “dwarf” conifers grow slowly but still get bigger. Check the height and spread after 10 years.
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Light: blue conifers usually colour best in full sun. Some golden varieties can scorch in hot sun and prefer a little shade.
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Hardiness: most conifers are tough, but some unusual evergreens need a sheltered, well-drained spot.
A good time to plant
Autumn is an excellent time to plant evergreens. The soil is still warm and moist, so roots can settle in before spring. Plant whenever the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged, water in well and keep an eye on them during dry, windy spells.
Explore our evergreen trees and dwarf conifers in the shop and start planning a garden that stays colourful all year.