Your favourite evergreens?

[SparkyUK]

I reclaimed a border at the beginning of the year but didn't have time to plan anything so just chucked a bunch of dalhia's and bulbs in there. Actually, that's not true, I also put in a Viburnum Davidiii but have since decided I didn't like it, took it out (put it in a pot in case I change my mind) and replaced it with a peony.

I really do need to plan it out more properly though. The garden is sort of cottagey style, though still in its infancy so not nearly as lush and overgrown as I hope it will be one day. I'm in London, and the border is south facing, and sits between our raised patio and the lawn, beside the steps leading down to said lawn. It is about 4 meters by 2 meters

I think the way I need to approach it is to put 2 (or 3?) evergreens in as my skeleton (as it will be like that for at least part of the year) and then I can move my bulbs and tubers around, and add some herbaceous plants into the mix as well. But I am totally stumped when it comes to evergreens so turn to my mumsnet gardening gurus for inspiration.

Fast growing because I'm impatient and the garden is full of young wimpy plants would be a definite bonus.

My fav's are Hebe's and HEUCHERA's . Both are easy to grow and easy to find. I've planted bright lime green HEUCHERA's next to dark red ones. Anyway best bet it to take pictures of your borders and ask in the garden centre as they know what they are talking about and I don't.

Oops forgot Pittasporum, lots of varieties and nice and hardy.

i would second the hebes and heuchera as they also provide colour as well as being there all year! I also like lavender, rosemary and sage which would also add fragrance from the leaves as it's near the patio (although I'm not actually too keen on the smell of sage). Or how about cistus which is cottagey, just a shame the flowers never last long. Small buddleias, such as the buzz ones would help encourage butterflies to the area - not 100% these are evergreen although the ones i have in pots kept their leaves over winter.

try the following. photinia red robin, eleagnus pungens maculata, viburnum tinus eve price, skimmia rubella, euonymus emerald and gold,euonymus emerald gaiety, hebe elliptica variegata, escallonia apple blossom, if you want more ideas, let me know.

if you have any vertical spaces eg fences, try the evergreen clematis look for the summer flowering one called Armandii or the winter flowering one called clematis cirrhosa jingle bells, or an evergreen passion flower called passiflora caerula, there is a evergreen honeysukle called lonicera henryii.