AUTUMN is a great time for buying and planting evergreen trees and shrubs. Evergreens can offer so much to the gardener - structure, form and year round interest.

These plants are long-lived and as you get to know them you’ll be amazed just how much character they have.

Many conifers are ideally suited to smaller gardens or even pots.

So what to plant? If you want to establish structure and foliage in the garden all year round, then perhaps now is the time to look at planting some evergreens, or spicing things up with a selection from the blue conifers. The bluish foliage of these looks great alongside the green leaves of other plants.

If space is limited, or there is a particular area that needs a new theme, then why not make a selection from the smaller conifers?

Juniperus squamata Blue Star is a great choice. Slow-growing and compact, it is ideal for borders, pots and raised areas. It forms a dense, rounded mound of blue foliage and over time will achieve a height and spread of 40cm and 1m respectively.

Another little star is Picea pungens Glauca Globosa, a close relative of the Colorado Spruce. Ideal for small gardens, rockeries, or pots.

For a bigger blue conifer, perhaps for use as a specimen plant to stand alone, think about Pinus parviflora Glauca. This is a medium-sized variant of the Japanese White Pine and will reach a height of 10-12m and a spread of 5-7m.

Each of these conifers is very undemanding as a garden plant. Once established they require no maintenance and are not prone to problems.