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Our planet is crowded with intriguing plants of every description, many of which we find useful for transferring to gardens. Although a sizable number of the woody ones are evergreen, the majority still appears to be deciduous or annual leaf-shedding sorts, and both of these main categories contribute a magnificent range of forms and sizes. Then there are the extensive annuals, perennials, bulbs, ferns, and grasses for carpeting the lower ground level. We have a wide assortment of vegetation from which to pick and choose for our garden use. Let us begin with an investigation of the evergreens.
An evergreen is defined here as a woody plant that persistently holds its normally green foliage throughout the year in eye-pleasing condition, even when dormant or resting. In colder areas this period of nongrowth also allows for the maintenance of durable and attractive greenery through persistent frosts and icy winds. Because of this year-long leafy effect, both needle and broadleaf evergreens make invaluable landscape contributions to the majority of our garden designs. They define any space enclosure with consistent greenery, provide wind and view restrictions, add solid bulk, serve effectively as dense backdrops for foreground displays, and create showy specimens throughout the year. It is little wonder, then, that evergreens are often called “the aristocrats” of the plant world.
Evergreen plants are more costly to buy than deciduous ones because they require transplanting with a sizable ball of earth around them to maintain an adequate source of soil moisture for their volume of persistent foliage. Sturdy as
they may appear, evergreens have somewhat fragile root systems that resent rough handling and any substantial drying-out of the earth ball during the moving process. Regular and adequate follow-through watering is also necessary once they are replanted. Expect less growth in the first season following transplanting as the plant regrows its feeder roots, many of which were necessarily severed at the nursery.
Evergreens are usually slower growing compared to the majority of deciduous plants. They are readily distinguished by their well-defined silhouettes and heavy foliage masses throughout the seasons. Every growing area of the globe has native types with some useful garden appeal, yet many introduced kinds have also adapted well to nonnative homes, thus greatly extending our plant diversity. All evergreens, whether needled or broad-leaved, are basically considered rich in appearance as foliage accents, and those with conspicuous flowering are even richer. Insofar as we now know, no needle evergreen vines are out there to investigate for garden use.
Representative needle evergreens are usually coniferous, or cone-bearing, but a few of these conifers are oddly not evergreen. For example, the larch (Larix) has cones but completely sheds its needle crop annually. This tree is sometimes jokingly, but inaccurately, described as a “deciduous evergreen,” but it is just a nonconforming member of a large plant group, where exceptions are obviously possible.
Useful as evergreens may be for year-round screening purposes, totally evergreen layouts tend to become dark, overpowering, and even gloomy as they mature. The needled tree forms such as pine, spruce, or fir, which can stretch upward to 100 feet or more, throw very long shadows, adding to the dimness of their surroundings. Small garden areas, specifically, should not be overplanted with such tall evergreens. Mixing evergreens with various deciduous trees, however, can lighten the effect, especially with plants offering showy blooms, colorful fruit, or vivid autumn foliage. A skillful designer will recognize early the visual benefits of incorporating a variety of plant contrasts within any garden scene.