Beat the winter blues with Evergreen Trees!

Going into the cooler months we are often confronted by bare branches and not a lot of action in the garden. And while we love deciduous trees and plants for their autumn colour and letting extra light into the home and garden during winter, sometimes we really want a splash of green.

This is our list of our favourite evergreen trees and plants to help add life to the winter garden!

Tristaniopsis ‘Luscious’:

This medium growing tree is quickly becoming a Melbourne favourite! Their broad dark green leaves scream LUSH and the creamy grey bark make them a real feature in a modern garden. These trees benefit from summer watering but love a nice hot summer. Growing to 7 to 12m (the taller heights only being reached up north) and 5m wide, these make excellent shade trees. You can also keep them pruned and compact, and they do well in (large) pots as well!

Ficus hillii ‘Flash’:

Renowned for their speedy growth, these magnificent trees are probably Melbourne’s favourite hedging plant.  Dense, lush and a bright limey green, if left to their own devices they turn into giants! But kept regularly clipped they make a wonderful, almost impenetrable screen up to any desired height!

evergreen trees

Evergreen Magnolias:

There is probably a Magnolia to suit any occasion. Teddy Bear, Little Gem and Kay Paris are our favourites. Each with their own take on large glossy leaves, brown backing and dreamy, creamy white flowers, they make great screens and standalone trees alike.

To keep them happy it is best to work in a good lot of compost at planting, and then keep the water and food up to them for a few seasons while they establish. Once they have a good root system on them they are actually quite hardy trees and a joy to live with!

Olives:

Olives typically remind us of Mediterranean styles gardens, but increasingly they are being used in ultra-modern gardens too.   Their silver foliage has a smoke like wispiness to it without being too frilly. And they are definitely the sort of trees that just get better with age!

If you love the look of the trees but not so much the fruit, them the Tolley’s Upright olive is the one for you. This low fruiting olive has the potential to grow to 10m and is perfect for screening!

Bamboo:

Whether your garden is Zen, Tropical or Lux-Mod, bamboos are a great plant to bring another dimension to the garden. For screening, pots or to cast a little shade, their distinct upright nature makes them great for layering.   And with so many varieties it makes it easy to find one to suit your gardening needs.

Citrus:

Lemons, limes, cumquat, madernine, orange, tangelo, grapefruit. Citrus are a must in the garden of any home cook! And even better is that they look zesty and fresh in the garden too. You can keep them in a pot on a balcony, espalier them against a wall, or prune them up to make a shady spot for the kids to lie under!

Regular application of compost or fertilizer is the key to keep these guys productive and looking their best!

Feijoa:

Want to bring those coastal, holiday vides home with you? Looking for a tree that’s a little left of center? Want to make the most of your space by having a productive tree?  Then look no further than the Feijoa!
This tree not only looks the good with silver foliage and rough flaking bark, but produces delicious fruit you’re not likely to find in the supermarket!