Winter and Evergreen Plants

[ttctet]

Hi, I have two bits of lawn that I plan to make into two winter/evergreen borders. It’s on clay soil, and partly shady but sheltered. In the south, so not too cold!

Could you tell me all your favourite plants for winter colour? I think I’d like reds, deep purples, greens and browns. I will probably add some white with snowdrops and white hellebores too, maybe. I also want to add dogwood too I think. Oh, and some grasses! Are there any evergreen grasses?

I have these and I'm in the south.

• Pinus mugo Carsten’s Wintergold: turns an eye popping golden yellow during winter; may prefer the sunniest spot in a shady border

• Juniperus communis Goldschat

• Hebe 'Emerald Gem': for a pop of bright green; I'm fond of hebes; these are in sunnier spots in my garden
• Hebe 'Heartbreaker': purple tones
• Hebe 'Caledonia': purple tones
• Hebe 'Mrs Winder': purple tones

• Pittosporum 'Tandara Gold'

• Skimmia japonica

• Carex oshimensis 'Evergold' (Japanese sedge): this has kept itself green through winter; there are a few different coloured varieties

• Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald Gaiety'

Really shady areas:

• Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Tom Thumb': purple tones

• Ophiopogon planiscapus Nigrescens: deep coloured complement to purple tones

• Buxus sempervirens: ok, kind of boring, but I have one box ball in a very shady spot at the end of the border next to the wall; gives the border some 'structure'

• Polystichum polyblepharum: these did well over winter and have kept their green; I was also looking at Japanese painted ferns (purple and silver) before

• Epimedium x rubrum

• Heucherella Alabama Sunrise: there are loads of different coloured heucheras and heucherellas; they can have different sun requirements

• Helleborus argutifolius (Corsican hellebore): winter flowering; there are lots of different coloured hellebores to choose from

• Helleborus x sternii

Oh wow, an amazing list. Thanks both! I have a lot of googling to do...

Googling too 👍

Daphne.

loving the list - marking for when I am planning my beds.

Osmanthus delaveyii smells nice, as does viburnum carlesii. The former is white flowered with small green leaves and the latter white tinged pink.