Ever BEAUTIFUL

Offering bright berries or vibrant foliage, winter is the best time to appreciate our resilient evergreens

- WORDS: LOUISE MIDGLEY. PHOTOS: GETTY, SHUTTERSTOCK

When deciduous trees and shrubs are stripped of their leaves in winter, evergreens – which hold on to their foliage – take centre stage. Native species include Scots pine, juniper, yew, holly and ivy.

These hardworking stalwarts are good for the planet and look glorious when the wider landscape is dormant.

Evergreens can be found throughout the country, both in our gardens and in the countryside. To see them en masse, visit Glenmore in Scotland's Cairngorms – for the largest natural Caledonian pine forest – or Bedgebury National Pinetum in Kent, which is home to a world-leading collection of conifers. And look in historic churchyards, where you may find ancient yew trees that have stood for hundreds of years.

Evergreens support a host of wildlife