Evergreen tree

infoDMwTTvzn · 12 February

Hi

I have a concrete raised planter 1m x 4m bordering my patio. I'm just wondering what small evergreen trees I could plant in here. Thanks

Fire · 12 February

what is the depth of the planter, please? Is there a base to it?

infoDMwTTvzn · 13 February

It's about a metre tall (maybe more) and it has no base. It's near our house though just at the end of the patio.

Fairygirl · 13 February

You'd need to give an idea of location and your general climate @infoDMwTTvzn , as well as what direction the container faces and if there are other buildings, walls, fences or planting that would affect the amount of sun and shade it gets. That makes it easier to offer suggestions.

What survives, and thrives, in London for example, doesn't necessarily survive here where I am, or further north or at serious altitude.

infoDMwTTvzn · 13 February

OK, thank you. I'm based in Cork which is in the south of Ireland. We're located near the inner harbour but on a hill so it can get windy but the climate is generally mild (and wet!). The planter is south/north facing depending on what side of it your standing on. It's sheltered by the house to the north and west (as in it's a L). We're a suburban garden to also surrounded on all three sides by other houses and gardens. I filled the planter last year with logs, leaves and topsoil. Currently it has wild flowers and bulbs growing in it. But I feel that it's bleak during the winter and needs a bit of structure. I was think of some small multistem trees and some grasses for evergreen structure over the winter time.

Plantminded · 13 February

Bay laurel, Irish Yew or Arbutus unedo might suit. Although not trees, Phormiums are also worth considering, they are evergreen, happy in containers and will give winter interest. Evergreen grasses such as Sesleria autumnalis and Stipa/Nassella tenuissima and evergreen sedges like Carex are also possible options. Deciduous grasses also provide winter interest, you just need to prune them to ground level in March. I recommend having a look at Miscanthus varieties, Panicum Northwind and Calamagrostis Karl Foerster. You could also add some spring bulbs for extra colour and interest. Enjoy your planting!

Dovefromabove · 13 February

As well as the great suggestions from @Plantminded above, have a look at the Golden Yew (sorry it the English type 😉). I’ve seen it work very well in large containers

https://www.jacksonsnurseries.co.uk/taxus-baccata-summergold.html

Fairygirl · 13 February

That's great @infoDMwTTvzn. If it's far enough from the house, and therefore gets a bit more sun, the smaller, slower growing Japanese azaleas would suit, as they don't mind sun at all. Most are evergreen. I'd also look at Choysia, and things like Pieris. You'd only have room for about 3 decent sized shrubs, and if one is a small tree [quite difficult as they can still be fairly large over time! ] you'd possibly want that in the centre with a shrub either side, and then your other plants/bulbs running through and around. Those may need changed over time, as any evergreen shrub will cast more shade and take up moisture, so just bear that in mind. You could probably have an Amelanchier as a small tree - not evergreen but good interest through the main season, and would be fine for a good many years in a decent sized container like that. It's a tree that we often recommend for small gardens, simply because it's very easy, and stays at a reasonable size, but also has a light airy canopy, so less shade cast when in foliage. Won't mind a shadier site either. There are several varieties, but all relatively similar in their needs and sizes etc.
There will be plenty of other choices, but those would offer a bit of variety in shape and foliage, especially if you opted for one of the variegated Pieris. Pieris and Choysia can also be pruned if necessary. Amelanchiers work well with Pieris because of foliage colour - the former has red autumn colour, and Pieris have new red growth in spring/summer. The flower colour is also similar on both, and Choysias have white flowers too. Pale colours are always good in shadier sites too. There's a yellow variety of Choysia, but I'd steer clear of that. They can be a bit iffy in some positions, and in a milder, sheltered site they can often lose the colour anyway.
There are woody plants which have variegation - Euonymus etc, but the flowers tend to be a bit insignificant, so you get less effect through the year. Plants in containers and small gardens need to work hard to earn their keep IMO

You're a good bit further south than me, but not too dissimilar in climate - a bit milder, but wind always takes a toll if there's no shelter. It sounds like that isn't a problem though, and all those plants will certainly cope with that no problem. My garden is quite exposed, even with shelter, and I've grown all of those in the gardens I've had.
Regular rainfall is also ideal, especially for evergreens, and especially when they're more mature, as rain doesn't get through the canopy so easily. In the ground, they can take up moisture from surrounding ground, but that isn't the case with a planter. You'll need to add extra soil or organic matter every so often too, because the level will tend to drop, and that's also why it's important to plant the new specimens at the right level [ie near the top of the container] so that you can add more matter without burying any stems/trunks.

Plantminded · 13 February

Another compact evergreen shrub for winter interest is Nandina domestica which will be happy growing in those conditions. It needs some sun for the tinted foliage to look its best and also some shelter from cold winter winds, but it is fully hardy. There are several varieties with orange, red or lime green tints which make a welcome sight in winter. I have a young plant in a container, as below, plus a narrow columnar variety of Amelanchier, A. Obelisk, which is growing in a narrow, fairly shallow border, also below.

Liriodendron · 13 February

Arbutus uneda 'Compacta' is an 8ft variety of Strawberry Tree. The tall one is native to SW Ireland so it might do well for you. It's sold in Ireland by Future Forests, if you're interested.

I tried growing one here in east Clare but it's not warm enough - and the soil isn't right for it, either. Plenty of rain though...

robairdmacraignil · 13 February

My suggestions would be Viburnum tinus for its winter flowering, feijoa or myrtle for good appearance year round and flowers, Osmanthus bukwoodii for its early spring flowers and Photinia red robin for interesting leaf colour for much of the year. Bay laurel could be nice as well but they can get big when they mature.

Happy gardening!

Evergreen tree

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