Hello, I have a question about what type of plants to plant in a garden that is 75% to full sun exposure with loamy soil. I need three plants that are upright pyramidal coniferous evergreen trees that are 5-6m in height and are yellow, gold, red, or orange, and three upright pyramidal coniferous evergreen that are 3-4 m in height and are green. Three shrubs that are deciduous 2-3 m in height with colourful foliage, three semi-shade-tolerant conifer shrubs that are up to a meter in height, and three mounding broadleaf evergreen shrubs about a meter in height that have decorative fruiting features
Thank you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners.
Assuming you live in Zone 4 to 6, our TMG website has lists of plants you can choose from that fit your description: these guides provide information on shrubs, whether they prefer sun or shade, and which type of soil:
Shrubs in the garden landscape or
Ornamental Shrubs for Various Light Conditions: A Toronto Master Gardeners Guide
Your description of shrubs you require is very specific. I would suggest to also research the following website which provides evergreens that will do well in our climate, for the growth, spread and colours: Whistling Gardens list of plants 2024 There you will find various sizes, shapes of evergreen trees. (For example, the most colourful would be Chief Joseph Lodgepole Pine.) Also listed is Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Gold Post’, narrow, slow, golden, upright. There are also Rhododendrons, broadleaf evergreens, that are flowering, found in the Whistling gardens list of shrubs. Rhododendron diversiplosum ‘Milky Way’, Zone 5, dwarf white form evergreen, very hardy; and Rhododendron ‘Golfer’, Zone 6a, and extremely unique coloured leaves of grey/blue, with soft pink flowers.
Also, including here an extensive list of evergreens of different colours, sizes and shapes, which you can view on this website: Missouri Botanical Gardens
Many upright conifers are listed with various hues and shades of your preferred colours to choose from. Picea orientalis ‘Silver Seedling Rare’, white and green foliage on slow growing tree, recommend partial shade; or Pinus virginiana ‘Wate’s Golden’, 3-4ft , has incredible bright yellow needles in winter, is fast growing, peeling orange bark in time,
The list includes smaller deciduous shrubs meeting light, maintenance and height requirements with flowers, berries suited to our climate: size can be accommodated by pruning. For instance any Viburnum shrubs such as Viburnum lentago ‘nannyberry’, or ‘ninebark sp.’ shrubs, with various flower and leaf color, could fit your requirements, as long as you are willing to prune them in the fall. Shrubs that are slow growing, and relatively short in height, and have flowers, would be Spiraea Alba, ‘meadowsweet’, and Cephalanthus occidentalis ‘buttonbush’.
And finally, please also visit this website for native shrubs suitable for our landscapes: Ontario shrubs
Have a wonderful experience growing your garden!