Choosing Evergreen Shrubs for Frosty British Gardens

British winters are rarely dramatic, but they are long, damp and quietly punishing. Weeks of grey skies, icy nights and drying east winds will test any plant, which is why evergreens earn their keep. They hold the shape of a border when herbaceous plants have collapsed into the soil, and they give the eye something to rest on when everything else looks like wet cardboard. Get the choices right and your garden will look composed from November through to April, not just tidy.

Why Evergreens Matter More Than You Think

An evergreen is not simply a plant that happens to keep its leaves. It is a piece of architecture. A well-placed holly or Viburnum tinus can screen a bin store, break a wind that would otherwise scorch your winter jasmine, and provide dense cover that small birds use as a night-time roost. In a frost, the gloss of a leaf and the rustle of a shrub in a breeze carry far more interest than a bare branch.

There is a practical case too. Evergreens planted in autumn establish roots while the soil is still warm, so they hit spring running. Place them with the direction of the prevailing wind in mind, and remember that cold air pools in hollows and at the bottom of slopes, so the lowest point of your garden is often the coldest by several degrees.

Holly: The Reliable Backbone

Ilex aquifolium, our native holly, shrugs off frost, tolerates clay, and will grow in light shade where little else will oblige. For berries, remember that hollies are either male or female, so you need a male nearby to pollinate a fruiting female. Reliable pairings include the female Ilex aquifolium 'J.C. van Tol' with almost any male holly in the vicinity.

• Choose a variegated form for dark corners; the cream edges glow in low winter light.
• Plant where you do not mind pruning — holly clips superbly into a hedge or a loose screen.
• Keep it away from a south-facing wall in a very dry border, where it can struggle with drought and scale insect.

A word of caution: holly leaves are prickly, so site it clear of a narrow path where you will brush past it in the dark.

Viburnum: Scent and Shelter in One Shrub

If you want a plant that earns its place twice, plant Viburnum tinus. It flowers through the worst of the winter, producing tight clusters of pink buds that open into small white blooms, and it grows happily in most soils, including heavy clay, in sun or part shade. It is also remarkably tolerant of coastal wind and urban pollution.

For something lower and neater, Viburnum davidii gives you pleated, leathery leaves and metallic blue berries, provided you plant a male and female together. Both viburnums benefit from a light trim straight after flowering, never in autumn, so the young growth has time to harden before the frosts arrive.

Hebe: Rewarding, If You Choose Wisely

Hebes divide gardeners. The larger, flamboyant varieties such as the purple-leaved Hebe 'Red Edge' can be cut back hard by a severe frost in an exposed spot, while the small, tight-leaved alpines sail through. The trick is to match the plant to the place.

• Hebe rakaiensis makes a neat, bright green dome and copes with wind, salt and poor soil.
• Hebe pinguifolia 'Pagei' is a low, grey-blue carpet that looks superb spilling over a wall or edging a gravel path.
• Avoid planting any hebe in a frost pocket or in heavy, waterlogged ground, which kills more of them than cold ever does.

Give hebes a free-draining position, ideally with a little grit worked into the soil, and resist the urge to cut them back in autumn. Tidy them in late April once the risk of hard frost has passed and you can see exactly what has survived.

Planting and Winter Care That Actually Makes a Difference

Establishment is everything. Plant from early September to late October, or wait until March, and never work the soil when it is frozen or sodden. Dig a hole a little wider than the rootball, fork the base, and add a handful of garden compost rather than a rich fertiliser, which encourages soft growth at the wrong time of year.

Firm the plant in well and water it thoroughly, even if rain is forecast. A mulch of bark chip about 5cm deep will suppress weeds and insulate the roots, but keep it clear of the stem to avoid rotting the crown. Young evergreens in containers are especially vulnerable: raise pots onto pot feet to stop waterlogging, and move them against a sheltered wall where the roots will not freeze solid.

During a cold snap, resist the temptation to wrap everything in fleece. Wind-rock does more damage than cold, so check stakes and ties after a gale. If heavy snow settles on a hebe or a conifer, knock it off gently with the back of a broom before the weight snaps branches. Then, on a bright frosty morning, take a walk with a mug of tea and enjoy the structure you have built — borders that hold their shape all winter are the quiet reward of choosing well.