Suggest a plant for me

[Leah2005]

I'm looking preferably for an evergreen with an upright habit no more than 1m high to fill a gap. Any suggestions?

Rosemary, lavender could both grow to nearly a metre, not really upright, more clump. You could try one of the hardy flax plants, come on good colours, you could put a few together if you needed to. To be honest I think if I was worried about filling a gap that was only a metre tall I would think about getting a nice pot and filling it with a variety of things to take through the year, bulbs, geraniums, bedding etc, if it was a lovely pot then it wouldn't matter if there was a bit of a fallow time in winter.

Oh, hold on, do I mean flax or cordaline , one is more hardy than the other I think, but can't remember which. I suppose it also depends on where you live.

Lonicera but you would need to prune it back, the one with tiny leaves, not the honeysuckle that grows upwards.
Hebe - lots of different kinds, you would need to check it was evergreen
Some ceanothus are evergreen but I think you would have to prune them occasionally. Try the RHS website to search.

@viques the gap is in the middle of the border behind a hydrangea which once in leaf will hide the gap. I have a euonymus green rocket on the other side of the border. I guess I could just get another for balance but I wanted something a bit brighter green.

@viques actually I do have a red cordyline thing in a pot that I could pop in there I guess

@HennyPenny4 I 'm not a very dedicated gardener so pruning would go out the window! I just googled the gold one which is the perfect colour but too low growing. I do love ceonothus and hebe may do it. Off to Google......

Nice wall! don't hide too much of it.

If you wanted something really sharp and bright to go in there (which would incidentally look great with a cordaline in a pot) then what about a euphorbia ? SOme of them are a really striking green, they do come in different sizes and colours though so choose carefully. Watch out for the sap, I wouldn't have one where children are likely to brush up against them or pick them. And mine die back in winter but come back , and have usually managed to seed themselves about as well.

@viques I want something evergreen to fill the gap until the hydrangea comes back in into leaf. I love euphorbia though although they do self set so much. The wall is the neighbour's garage and I really wish I'd stuck an espalier apple tree against it originally. I've been trying to work around the previous owners plants for years and my husband would have an apoplexy if I change my mind again. I think too much about things and have less success than friends that just bung stuff in!

What about a Daphne? If you look on crocus.co.uk you can filter the ones they stock to find the shorter ones. My neighbour has a stunning one outside their door - around a metre tall and upright and it’s so nice to see flowers so early in the year.

A camellia would be lovely in that spot.

Have you thought of something like sysrinchium striatum? Makes a goodish clump but not invasive , evergreen leaves, sprays of yellow flowers in the summer. Would be a good structural plant for your border as the leaf shape would be a good contrast to what is there already.

Escallonia pink Elle grows only to 3-4 feet in height and spread. Evergreen, and little pink flowers for 6 weeks in June/July. I love mine.

Or Erysimum Mauve Bowles? Mine flowers all year round (south east).

I have a euonymus green rocket on the other side of the border. I guess I could just get another for balance but I wanted something a bit brighter green.

Well, euonymus Green and Gold is bright, would that work?

@Callybrid I was trying to think of that plant - couldn't remember what it was called. I think one of my Auntie's had it in her bouquet in the 1940's.
Thank you all for the suggestions. I'm writing them down and investigating further.

Sarcoccora is a low evergreen shrub.

When I say upright, perhaps I actually mean columnar! I've just found a beautiful berberis which might fit the bill. Orange sunrise. Not the colour I was thinking either but I do like something a bit different. What do you reckon?

That looks lovely - I’ve looked at the fancy berberis varieties online but not seen any in real life I don’t think. I was thinking something red or purple would look great in amongst the green!