Evergreen Structure – Garden Express
Episode: #8 19/05/07
Presenter: Melissa King
Where would our gardens be without evergreen plants? They bring structure, colour and texture to the garden and carry our planting schemes through the non-blooming times.
Good "bones" begin with good design, strong lines, a well placed hedge, an evergreen backdrop or distinctive edging and above all a choice selection of plants. To take all the guesswork out of it for you, Garden Express have put together a list of the most reliable and best performing plants for evergreen structure.
This is a hedging favourite and for good reason. Most Photinia (Photinia x fraseri ‘Robusta’) can be kept at around 2-3 metres tall, a great height for screening fence areas. The real feature is the bright red young foliage, which is particularly intense in some varieties. Frequent clipping encourages striking new growth.
Hebes are New Zealand’s gift to gardeners. The majority are low-growing evergreen shrubs that get to around 1m tall which is perfect for compact hedges and borders. The foliage is really quite handsome, with both deep green and variegated varieties. From late spring to autumn they have the bonus of pretty flower spikes.
You can always rely on Lavender to bring scent, colour and romance to the garden. They are native to the Mediterranean and love dry, sunny conditions and there is lavender to fit almost any landscaping need. Some dwarf forms hug the ground; others become substantial bushes, perfect for hedging and screening.
Now, an evergreen that boasts wonderful foliage colour is the Dwarf Japanese Sacred Bamboo (Nandina domestica ‘Nana’). Most forms grow to about 60cm and form dense rounded shrubs with burgundy new growth. They are just divine in autumn and winter when the foliage takes on tints of orange and red.
In spring and summer when the Mexican Orange Blossom (Choisya ternate) is in flower you can smell it from metres away. It grows wild in Mexico and the flowers smell very-citrus like, hence the name. The leaves have a lovely gloss to them and it makes a wonderful dense hedge.
Whether it is English, Dutch or Korean - Box makes the ultimate low hedge or border. For a start it is very stylish, with rich dark green foliage that clips beautifully into formal shapes. It only requires 1 or 2 trims a year, it grows in full sun and shade and once it is up and running its dry tolerant. Topiary box is also a fantastic way to bring evergreen structure, as well as a bit of wit and fun, to the garden.
GARDEN EXPRESS OFFER
The secret to a perfect box hedge is to plant closely, so it doesn’t take forever to fill out. And if you make the most of this weeks Garden Express offer you need not break the bank. This week Garden Gurus viewers can get their hands on a pack of 40 English box plants in 50 mm landscaping pots for just $50, normally a collection like this is over $100 so that is a 50 percent saving.
Get yourself on the phone or online, before Monday morning the 21st of May, so you can get delivery for free.
An instant hedge or border delivered straight to your door!
For further information visit: www.gardenexpress.com.au
Or Call: 1800 677 437
Presenter: Melissa King
Where would our gardens be without evergreen plants? They bring structure, colour and texture to the garden and carry our planting schemes through the non-blooming times.
Good "bones" begin with good design, strong lines, a well placed hedge, an evergreen backdrop or distinctive edging and above all a choice selection of plants. To take all the guesswork out of it for you, Garden Express have put together a list of the most reliable and best performing plants for evergreen structure.
This is a hedging favourite and for good reason. Most Photinia (Photinia x fraseri ‘Robusta’) can be kept at around 2-3 metres tall, a great height for screening fence areas. The real feature is the bright red young foliage, which is particularly intense in some varieties. Frequent clipping encourages striking new growth.
Hebes are New Zealand’s gift to gardeners. The majority are low-growing evergreen shrubs that get to around 1m tall which is perfect for compact hedges and borders. The foliage is really quite handsome, with both deep green and variegated varieties. From late spring to autumn they have the bonus of pretty flower spikes.
You can always rely on Lavender to bring scent, colour and romance to the garden. They are native to the Mediterranean and love dry, sunny conditions and there is lavender to fit almost any landscaping need. Some dwarf forms hug the ground; others become substantial bushes, perfect for hedging and screening.
Now, an evergreen that boasts wonderful foliage colour is the Dwarf Japanese Sacred Bamboo (Nandina domestica ‘Nana’). Most forms grow to about 60cm and form dense rounded shrubs with burgundy new growth. They are just divine in autumn and winter when the foliage takes on tints of orange and red.
In spring and summer when the Mexican Orange Blossom (Choisya ternate) is in flower you can smell it from metres away. It grows wild in Mexico and the flowers smell very-citrus like, hence the name. The leaves have a lovely gloss to them and it makes a wonderful dense hedge.
Whether it is English, Dutch or Korean - Box makes the ultimate low hedge or border. For a start it is very stylish, with rich dark green foliage that clips beautifully into formal shapes. It only requires 1 or 2 trims a year, it grows in full sun and shade and once it is up and running its dry tolerant. Topiary box is also a fantastic way to bring evergreen structure, as well as a bit of wit and fun, to the garden.
GARDEN EXPRESS OFFER
The secret to a perfect box hedge is to plant closely, so it doesn’t take forever to fill out. And if you make the most of this weeks Garden Express offer you need not break the bank. This week Garden Gurus viewers can get their hands on a pack of 40 English box plants in 50 mm landscaping pots for just $50, normally a collection like this is over $100 so that is a 50 percent saving.
Get yourself on the phone or online, before Monday morning the 21st of May, so you can get delivery for free.
An instant hedge or border delivered straight to your door!
For further information visit: www.gardenexpress.com.au
Or Call: 1800 677 437
AS SEEN ON 
