By Debby Looney, gardening expert 

Plants are like clothes – they come into fashion, they fade into obscurity, and then they come back with a makeover!

However, one plant, or rather, a whole family, seems to have been forgotten about by many gardeners, which is a shame. I am talking about conifers. The entire world of conifers is there to be treasured, valued and planted, yet I see few people buying them! In my opinion conifers form the backbone of a garden. I could not do without them, they fill spaces, give consistent colour be it as a background to flowering plants in the summer or feature plants in the winter, and, very importantly, they are excellent for use in flower arrangements! Being on the whole, slow growing, self shaping and evergreen, they provide excellent structure and a feeling of continuity and flow, especially in a large garden.

Conifers come in every size, shape, colour and texture imaginable, and can be used in any part of the garden, be it a border, rockery or arboretum.

So, in this vast landscape of conifers, which to choose?

Go for the unusual! Too many people think the word conifer is synonymous with Leylandii – the hedging palm as it is often referred to. Forget about them - unless you need a fast growing hedge! Let us start with tees, and work down to miniature shrubs.

Dawn Redwood

Metasequoia, better known as the Dawn Redwood, is one of my favourite trees. It is native to China and was reported as an extinct species in 1940. Luckily small clusters of living trees were subsequently found and cultivated. It is a fast growing tree initially, but slows down when it reaches about 10m. They have feathery bright green foliage which they lose in the winter, and a scaly orange bark.

Abies koreana

Abies koreana is a small tree and an excellent choice as a specimen. They have dark green foliage and violet coloured cones. Abies koreana keeps a perfectly conical shape and is quite slow growing. It's ideal as a centre piece and it is the perfect Christmas tree for outdoor lights in the festive season.

Pine trees

A hardy tree is the Pine tree which provide fantastic shelter and generally does not mind waterlogged soil. Pinus nigra, the European black pine, is an easy to grow, reliable tree. It is dome shaped and a deep green, with mid-sized cones. For anyone who is looking for a mid-sized shrub I would recommend Pinus mugo, or pumila, both dwarf pine trees. They are hardy, and do not grow tall - ever! They bear small cones and can be cut back without it affecting their shape.
 

Daisy White

Picea glauca or ‘Daisy White’ is a small cone shaped ornamental shrub whose new shoots in the spring are a bright pale green, almost white. It is traditionally used in pots or as a small focal point. Picea glauca ‘Sander’s Blue’ is a new favourite of mine. It has slate blue needles and does best in a sunny spot. The colour really is stunning.

I have only touched on the different conifers out there, but I hope I have inspired you to give one a spot in your garden!