Evergreens are shrubs or trees that stay green all year round. A popular evergreen tree is a conifer.

Many evergreens, once established need little or no maintenance but some may need pruning to keep them in shape and to stop them taking over the garden. Pruning should be done with care, as conifers are quite unforgiving, it can take a while to get the shape back if you over prune.

Many conifers have evolved in regions with low rainfall, poor soil conditions, and extreme temperatures, so they are generally considered to be rugged plants and therefore a popular choice for many people that want to fill their garden with greenery without having to maintain them regularly.

Often people want to prune conifers due to their size. Ideally a conifer should be planted in a place it has plenty of room to grow and should not need to be resized but if this does happen you need to prune very carefully. Some conifers will sprout out additional main branches rather than just the main one running through the middle, this may be a reason to prune but it may be advisable to get an experienced gardener in to do it for you so you don’t end up ruining the tree.