Summer is usually when our gardens are at their peak, but after another run of hot, dry weather, you've probably noticed yours is looking, well, brown. Now that we're in late summer, you might also be thinking about how your garden will look once the weather starts to cool.
It's easy to fill your garden with lots of plants that put on a summer show, but once autumn swings around, borders start to become sparse if they're only filled with perennials. And as hotter, drier summers become more common, choosing low-maintenance plants that can cope with heatwaves while still delivering year-round interest is becoming a lot more important.
Evergreen shrubs are one of the simplest ways to achieve this. They'll provide structure and colour, but most interestingly, quite a lot of them are also drought-tolerant once established. So here are some of the expert-approved evergreen plants to consider filling your borders with to future-proof your garden.
Best drought tolerant, evergreen plants
'A lot of people end up filling their gardens with plants that only really shine for a few weeks of the year,' says Jo McGarry, luxury garden design expert at Caragh Nurseries. 'They look fantastic in summer, but once autumn arrives the garden can suddenly feel a bit bare.'
Jo explains that evergreen plants for borders are among the easiest ways to avoid your garden feeling bare by autumn, as they keep their look year-round.
'Better still, many are much tougher than people realise and can cope really well with hot, dry weather once they've had a chance to establish,' she adds.
1. Pyracantha (Firethorn)
Pyracantha offers something in every season. In spring, it's covered in clusters of white flowers that attract pollinators, while autumn and winter bring bright red and orange berries that birds love to munch on. Throughout the year, its glossy evergreen foliage provides valuable structure and colour, explains Lucie Bradley, gardening expert at Easy Garden Irrigation.
According to Lucie, pyracantha is also exceptionally resilient during heatwaves. Its thick, waxy leaves help minimise moisture loss, while its deep root system can access water lower in the soil, allowing established plants to cope well during prolonged dry spells.
Where to buy pyracantha:
- Thompson & Morgan: Enjoy the orange berries and sprays of white flowers of Pyracantha 'Orange Glow', from £11.99 .
- Crocus: Or go for this classic red variety – Pyracantha Saphyr Rouge, from £24.99 for a two-litre pot .
2. Euonymus
If you're looking for reliable foliage colour all year, evergreen euonymus is hard to beat. Varieties such as 'Paloma Blanca' (from £24.99 for a two-litre pot, Crocus) produce fresh white new growth that matures to rich green, while 'Emerald 'n' Gold' (from £10.49 at Gardeners Dream) combines vibrant green leaves with golden margins for year-round impact.
Lucie explains that euonymus is equally impressive when temperatures soar. Its leathery foliage resists scorching and helps conserve moisture, while its adaptable root system makes the most of available water, even during drought conditions.
Where to buy euonymus:
- Gardener's Dream: Go for this easy-to-grow white and green Euonymus 'Kathy' from £10.49 .
- Crocus: Or go for Euonymus alatus, from £26.99 , that puts on an incredible fiery red display in autumn.
3. Ceanothus (California lilac)
Ceanothus combines evergreen foliage with spectacular clouds of blue flowers, depending on the variety, from spring to late summer. It provides valuable structure in winter and one of the most eye-catching floral displays during the growing season.
Native to Mediterranean climates, ceanothus is naturally adapted to hot, dry weather. Lucie says its waxy leaves reduce water loss, while its extensive root system enables established plants to continue thriving during heatwaves.
Where to buy ceanothus:
- Crocus: Add vibrant colour from August until October with Ceanothus 'Autumnal Blue', from £24.99 .
- Thompson & Morgan: Or opt for Ceanothus griseus var. horizontalis 'Yankee Point', from £12.99 , which has a low spreading habit which makes excellent ground cover.
4. Heather
Heather is another evergreen that offers year-round colour, with varieties featuring green, silver, bronze or golden foliage alongside flowers that appear at different times depending on the cultivar.
Richard Barker, horticultural expert at LBS Horticulture, advises growing heather in free-draining, acidic soil in full sun. Once established, it needs very little attention beyond an annual trim after flowering.
Where to buy heather:
- Gardeners' Dream: You can pick up a lovely mix of different heathers from £17.99 .
- Crocus: Or go for a deep pink variety with this Calluna vulgaris 'Dark Beauty', from £8.99 .
5. Cistus (Rock rose)
Cistus (or rock roses) is ideal for hot, sunny gardens. While each delicate flower lasts only one day, the shrub produces a continual succession of blooms throughout summer, ensuring weeks of colour alongside evergreen foliage that can develop attractive bronze or purple tones in colder weather.
After the first year, Richard says cistus becomes highly drought-tolerant and requires very little maintenance, making it particularly well suited to modern UK gardens experiencing hotter summers.
Where to buy cistus:
- Thompson & Morgan: For striking borders, try this Cistus x purpurea, £34.99 , which provides masses of pink blooms with maroon blotches all summer.
- Crocus: Or go for a pretty white variety with this Cistus × hybridus, £22.99 .
Mixing a handful of evergreen shrubs with different flowering times, foliage colours and textures means your garden keeps changing with the seasons, but it never looks empty, explains Jo.
'It's a much more resilient way to garden, especially as we're seeing hotter, drier summers become more common,' she adds.
So there you go! It's possible to create a garden that remains attractive throughout the year while also standing up to increasingly frequent summer heatwaves. Happy planting!
