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Buying an evergreen statement tree

Victoria SpongeVictoria Sponge Posts: 3,502
in Plants

Hiimage

I'm thinking of getting an evergreen as a statement tree, also to provide year round structure as much of the garden is herbaceous and deciduous...

I would like something that will grow to/keep trimmed at 2.5m, conical or pillar shaped and I would prefer it to be an interesting colour or texture. Site is full sun, neutral, heavyish soil, clay base.

I've been searching through the Internet, mainly looking at conifers but there are alot! And most I'm not familiar with...

Can anyone recommend such a tree or do you know any specialist nurseries so I can peruse the choices available and try and narrow it down? I would also prefer to buy at a decent size, say a metre plus.

Things I vaguely like are taxus baccata fastigiata aurea and also standishii and I saw a picea glauca called rainbow's end but I think these prefer acid soil?

Any help given would be much appreciated as I'm planning my autumn move aroundimage

Wearside, England.

Posts

  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546

    Irish juniper is nice - it grows fairly slowly, so won't get out of hand, columnar and stays reasonably slim, though like most of us it expands a little with ageimage Sometimes recommended as a substitute for Italian cypress, though mine didn't ever get that tall. RHS says good for small gardens.

    Juniperus communis 'Hibernica' - Jackson's have it, among others.

  • cathy43cathy43 Posts: 373
    You could try some of the mail order hedging websites. I needed four metres of instant hedge for a privacy issue. I got two hollies, 1.7m height and conical,all kinds of sizes available and varieties to give you a few ideas for different evergreens. Hope this helpsimage
  • treehugger80treehugger80 Posts: 1,923

    Lonicera can be bought in several varieties, standard green, golden etc. its easy to look after and topiaries nicely

    the one I have is Lonicera Nitida 'lemon beauty' its a variegated one

  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698

    A row of three clipped (irish?) yew pillars would be nice as a foil to your fluffy herbaceous stuff. I feel that just one wouldn't have the impact. I wouldn't go with gold leaved varities, just the nice sober dark green one.

    http://girlaboutgarden.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/yew-beds.jpg

     

    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • Victoria SpongeVictoria Sponge Posts: 3,502

    Thanks for all your comments - I'm still wading through this one - don't want to make a hasty decisionimage I will look through all your suggestions. Which hedge nursery did you use in the end Cathy?

    The area in which I am planting is surrounded by large perennials that get to between 4-6' so the tree needs to be quite imposing. It can't be huge imposing, so I thought the colour or shape needs to be impressive. 

    The look of the garden is also quite green until July time so I would like some colour to stand out. I nearly bought a red berberis but realised at the last minute it was deciduous.

    I have a taxus baccata - I intend it to be a dark, sombre, cone shaped presence behind some froth - eventually, it's only 4'image

    image

     

     

    Wearside, England.
  • cathy43cathy43 Posts: 373
    Hi Victoria, it was best4hedging, also very helpful on phone for advice image
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