Hi I have a long backyard so I want to plant a evergreen shrubs so as it should look good and easy to maintain ,please suggest name of shrubs suitable for Toronto area .
Thank you for contacting the Toronto Master Gardeners.
There are many possible evergreen shrubs that you could plant in your garden. You do not mention whether you have sun or shade or what type of soil you have so I’m going to offer various possibilities. I’ll also attach some links so that you can check to see which ones would best fit your garden.
Here is a list of some evergreens for you to consider:
Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis’): this evergreen grows in full sun to part shade. This is a slow growing conical evergreen which will reach 6-9′ at maturity.
Yews (Taxus spp.) Yews come in many sizes and shapes. Unlike cedars which do best in full sun and moist soil, once established yews can handle partial shade and some varieties such as Upright Japanese Yew (T. cuspidata ‘Morden Upright’), Dwarf Japanese Yew (Taxus cuspidata ‘ Nana’) , Globe Japanese Yew (Taxus cuspidata ‘Clipped Globe’) and Taxus x media ‘Runyan’ can grow in full shade. The above yews come in many shapes: pyramidal shapes, columnar shape, global and spreading and sizes Before you make your choice make sure to check the mature height and spread.
Jeddeloh Dwarf Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis ‘Jeddeloh’): Grows best in medium moisture, well-drained soils in part shade to full shade. This plant grows as a dwarf, flat-topped, spreading mound with a distinctive funnelform center depression that resembles a bird’s nest. mature height is 2-3′ and 3-4′ wide.
Dogwood (Cornus spp.) Cornus is a genus of about 30–60 species of woody plants which grow in full sun to part shade and are tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions. Their colourful branches add winter interest to the landscape.
Japanese Pieris (Pieris sp.): These shrubs grow and flower best when planted in full sun or partial shade. They will grow in deep shade, but generally do not flower as well, and the new foliage growth is usually not as brilliant.
Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium): Is a broadleaf evergreen shrub with shiny holly-like leaflets. It does well in part shade.
Dwarf Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum ‘Compactum’): is a rounded shrub with dark green foliage which turns red in the fall along with red berries in October. Does best in full sun to part shade.
Common Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) Grow in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best fruit production occurs in full sun.
This link lists additional drought-tolerant shrubs for shade
Also, the Toronto Master Gardeners have a number of Gardening Guides which you might find useful, including: Ornamental Shrubs for Various Light Conditions
Happy Planting!