Plants for a Purpose – Plants for a brighter garden

Most gardens look their best with evergreen plants that add year-round interest, especially in winter when few flowers are in bloom. Instead of sticking with the usual dark green favourites like yew, box and bay, consider evergreens with lighter or two-tone foliage for a brighter garden.

Pittosporum is a brilliant option as many varieties have colourful leaves and, as a bonus, they produce beautifully scented, tiny flowers. P. tenuifolium ‘Abbotsbury Gold’ has golden yellow leaves edged with dark green. Or consider P. tenuifolium ‘Tom Thumb’, a slow grower with dark purple leaves and fresh green spring growth.

Another lovely choice is P. tenuifolium ‘Bannow Bay’, a compact, mound-forming variety with cream-edged green leaves that turn mottled green and burgundy in autumn. Choose a mix of evergreen plants with different-sized leaves.

When leaf sizes are the same, plants can blend into the background, reducing the impact of a brighter garden. New Zealand broadleaf (Griselinia littoralis) offers medium-sized leaves and, if left unpruned, will become small evergreen trees. The bright green foliage is cheerful and they’re ideal for hedging, regenerating well after a trim.

Leaf shape matters too. Phormiums break up the visual texture with their long, strap-like leaves available in a range of colours and sizes. Upright leaves usually mean it’s P. tenax or one of its cultivars, while arching leaves point to P. cookianum. This handy ID tip can help you impress fellow plant lovers!

Carex are easy-care plants that look like grass but are actually sedges with triangular stems. They like moist soil but adapt well to dry spots. C. testacea has narrow, orangey-green leaves that deepen to copper in the colder months. C. oshimensis ‘Everest’ has slim, arching green leaves with a silver-white stripe running the length of each one.

Sedum is another favourite, with succulent leaves in a rainbow of shades, from the deep purple of ‘Black Knight’ to the yellow-green tones of ‘Atlantis’. These variations bring colour and interest to a brighter garden.

You’ll also find a great selection of colourful ground cover plants. Heuchera is a standout choice, with over 700 cultivars offering foliage in pink, red, apricot, lime, green or purple.

Ophiopogon is another strong contender, particularly the striking Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’, better known as ‘Black Grass’. These plants hug the ground while adding dramatic colour to help build a brighter garden from the ground up.

Once your evergreen framework is in place, add plants with long-lasting or repeat blooms to extend the colour display. Choose light or bright-coloured flowers for an extra boost to your brighter garden. Modern shrub roses are ideal, offering continuous flowering in a vast range of colours and forms, many with a beautiful fragrance.

Many perennials flower for months during summer and autumn. To maximise colour, choose varieties that bloom from mid-summer to late autumn. Good examples include Gaura lindheimeri ‘Whirling Butterflies’ with pink-tinged white flowers, Diascia ‘Emma’ with deep pink blooms, and osteospermum with its pastel daisy-like flowers. In late summer, dahlias shine as one of the best options for bright, repeat blooms.

Hundreds of cultivars offer dramatic shapes and colours, helping maintain a brighter garden well into autumn. Hardy chrysanthemums are growing in popularity thanks to their vivid early autumn flowers. Varieties like ‘Esther’ will bloom from July through to the end of the season.

Annuals such as cosmos, zinnia, cleome and calendula also bring extended colour, often blooming until the first frosts. Their vibrant tones make them ideal for keeping a brighter garden going strong.

To quickly energise a space, introduce hot-coloured flowers in red, orange, yellow, vivid pink or magenta. These colours advance the field of vision, which can make smaller spaces feel cosier. At the same time, they add energy and warmth, both visually and emotionally—perfect for a brighter garden vibe.

If parts of your garden are shaded, you can still achieve a brighter garden using the right plants. Choose varieties with white or very pale flowers, as these show up best in low light. Alternatively, look for foliage with white variegation to reflect light.

Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Irene Paterson’ is ideal for part shade, forming a neat mound with bright white, marbled leaves. It’s also one of the toughest pittosporums available.

For ground cover, Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ is a winner. Its large, heart-shaped leaves appear dusted with silver and lift any dark corner. Though it prefers moist soil, it tolerates drier ground once established.

Pachysandra terminalis is another reliable evergreen ground cover. It produces small creamy flowers in summer and thrives in dry shade, a great choice for bringing life and texture to darker spots in a brighter garden.

Bulbs are a great way to keep the garden cheerful all year. Plant a range that bloom in succession from late winter through to autumn. Start with snowdrops, followed by crocus, crown imperials, alliums, tulips, iris, lilies, gladioli and ginger lilies.

For long-lasting displays, choose perennial tulips so you won’t need to lift them after flowering. These layers of bulbs ensure a brighter garden from winter to summer.

Some gardeners avoid trees when aiming for a brighter garden, but the right tree adds beauty, structure, and wildlife. Trees attract birds whose songs lift the mood just as much as flowers do. Avoid those with dense, heavy canopies or dark foliage, as they can feel oppressive, especially in small spaces.

Skip tall-growing conifers too. Their roots draw up moisture, making it harder to grow plants nearby. Instead, choose trees with an open habit and seasonal charm. The June berry (Amelanchier lamarckii) is a brilliant option. It has light, airy branches, masses of spring star-shaped flowers and foliage that turns copper, red and orange in autumn.

Japanese maples are perfect for sheltered spots and come in red, yellow and light green cultivars. If space is tight, try step-over apples and pears. These specially trained trees grow no higher than 45cm, with two horizontal branches. They’re perfect for lining paths or borders, and they offer fruit as a bonus—another clever touch for a brighter garden.