Any advice on what dwarf evergreen tree/shrub to plant?

[Moistbushes]

I’m just about to finish clearing the ground of rubble and and gravel after building work and think about planting.

The border is about 2.5m x 4m on a steep slope and is poorish draining clay / sand. I want a dwarf evergreen tree or shrub that can be pruned to be tree shaped to sit in the middle at the back of the border before I plant down the slope.

The garden is west facing and this border is in full sun from about midday until 5 ish in summer.

I want something with a visible trunk so not conifers and that won’t grow much taller than 10ft.

I’m no gardener so google searches are just confusing me, I’d appreciate any suggestions you all have.

I'd go for an olive or a bay

Can an olive cope with clay soil that doesn’t drain very well? I’d have assumed it needs well draining soil. Love olives though so if it can cope will be thrilled

Our soil is all clay here, as long as it's not waterlogged it should be fine. My olives are tough as old boots. Just prepare the ground properly when you plant it and water for the first couple of years.

Ooh I’m excited, I’d wanted to plant lavender in this border but have dismissed that as there’s no way the soil is right. I’d kind of assumed it would be the same for olives…….purely based on the fact in my head they’re both Mediterranean plants.

Am not sure if it could be encouraged into a tree-shape, but I love my Escallonia Pink Elle. Looks glossy and green all year round and very pretty when it explodes with flowers in the summer. The butterflies absolutely love it, mine looked like the plant was “breathing” a week or so ago when it was covered with them.

I grow lavender all round my garden in clay too

Our soil is very clay and we, well the neighbour, has a huge sweet bay. Someone round the corner from us had a big conifer (species unknown) and they lollipop(?) pruned it, trimmed the trunk and branches but left blobs of greenery at the branch ends. It looks much better than I've described it.

they lollipop(?) pruned it, trimmed the trunk and branches but left blobs of greenery at the branch ends.

Cloud pruning?

I am on clay too. Maybe a camelia or a magnolia grandiflora?

@ErrolTheDragon yes. Though it doesn't look this good. Reminds be of someone bonsaiing a tree who couldn't be bothered with the bonsai bit.

That cloud pruning thing is called 'niwaki' and is similar to bonsai but the trees are usually much bigger and are grown in the ground rather than in a pot. Big ones bought from garden centres cost the earth, although you can try growing your own using ilex crenata.

@Moistbushes You could maybe try a mugo pine. They can be pruned and trained into a tree shape.

I went for a bay in the end and quite a small one. I didn’t want to make an expensive mistake, will get an olive in a pot at some point next year.

Got to figure out the rest of the border now, thinking a row of hydrangeas against the fence but no idea what in front of them, it’s such a big space.