As the fall season winds down and we edge closer to the leafless, drab landscape of winter, many homeowners look for sustainable and simple ways to add a little color to their yard and garden.
Evergreen shrubs, trees and plants offer year-round color that is easy to maintain and, if planted in the correct region, 100% sustainable.
We’ve got 4 options for the Mid-Atlantic region that will enhance any landscape and offer a welcome of green even as the rest of your yard lays dormant.
Soft Touch Holly: Ilex crenata ‘Soft Touch’. This beautiful and soft-to-the-touch holly bush would be a beautiful accent to any garden bed. With a maturity height and width of only 2-3 feet by 2 feet, respectively, it is compact and easily maintains its rounded shape on its own. The small, glossy leaves are accented by small flowers in the spring and black colored berries in fall and winter that birds love. Keep this shrub in partial to full sun for best growth. Bonus: Since it’s an evergreen, it is resistant to drought and will grow in just about any type of soil.
Eucalyptus Tree: Eucalyptus cinerea. If you are looking for a fragrant and visually appealing accent to your landscape, then this Evergreen is the way to go. It’s a tall, easily maintained option for zones 8-11 outdoors, but can be extended to 4-7too if it lives on your patio with a little cover from the harsher weather. It grows up to 40 feet high and 10-12 feet wide, so be sure to take that into consideration in where you locate it. It is drought tolerant and grows quickly – up to 6 feet per year. Bonus: Its branches can be used as aromatics for your home in drawers and wreaths and quickly grows back trimmed branches.
Juniper “Skyrocket”: Juniperus Virginiana Skyrocket. If you are looking for a tree that will reach maturity quickly, and need something to fit your landscape with a small base-width, then the Skyrocket is the choice for you. Growing between 3 and 6 feet per year and offering a sweet fragrance, this Evergreen tree will set off any garden nicely with its blue-green foliage that never requires trimming of any kind. It grows best in full-sun, but can handle a little shade now and again. Bonus: It helps to repel mosquitos!
Black Bamboo: Phyllostachys nigra. For gardens that need some privacy or backdrop, black bamboo offers a fast-growing and unique-looking option. This variety of bamboo is not as aggressive as others, so it stays within the areas you plant it, growing quickly to a mature height and width of 15-25 feet and 5-10 feet, respectively. The shoots start out green but turn a sleek black with maturity offering a dramatic accent to your yard. Bonus: Attractive, natural privacy fence.
Evergreens add green to your landscape while maintaining the sustainable environment you yearn for. Add any of these choices to your garden to ensure a pop pf color all year-round.