Evergreens come into their own to light up winter

Some may just associate evergreens with the columnar conifers so often dotted in among other specimens in the flower border to give height, structure and some colour throughout the year, but you can also feature evergreens in rock gardens, as feature plants in the shrub border and to add vibrance and form to containers.

Of course, the usual evergreen suspects include azaleas, heathers and laurels, but with careful suiting and siting, there's a wealth of evergreens which can provide so much more interest. Don't think that evergreen is just green look for flowering evergreens which can provide a splash of colour when flowers are non-existent. Plant Choisya ternata 'Sundance' to give the border a yellow feature, or Photinia fraseri 'Red Robin' to provide dazzling red foliage in spring.

Pepper the border with variegated specimens such as Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald 'n' Gold', which is spotted with gold to give an eye-catching contrast to other less colourful plants in winter.

Aim to include both colourful evergreens and deciduous shrubs with either fine flowers or stunning autumn foliage. In general, shrubs tend to go at the back and in the middle of the border, herbaceous perennials at the middle and in front. Aim to have around the same number of evergreen and deciduous shrubs and trees.

For a really hot combination try Crocosmia 'Lucifer' with its pendant arches of red flowers alongside the conifer Thuja 'Rheingold'. The thuja's adult foliage, a rich, deep old gold, is brilliant in winter as the lower temperatures enhance the olour even more.

Conifers are low-maintenance plants, providing structure by adding height, require only occasional trimming, and give shelter all year round for garden wildlife. They are a particular favourite of goldcrests and coal tits.