Ever Green.

An early holiday season stroll about the garden or yard usually reveals the true nature of a gardener: those souls who create with untamed impulsiveness and those souls who plan. In the midst of any self-imposed chaos that we create for ourselves during the holidays, we are reminded constantly of the nature of this truth. Our gardens and yards can be silent dull palettes that remind us of our lack of foresight or they can be a source of interesting pleasures that continually renew our creative spirits.

If ever a group of plants were the answer to the procrastinating planner's prayers, it would be the ones we call evergreens. Adding structure to the garden like a supporting actor, the evergreen suddenly commands center stage during winter when all the deciduous players have abandoned their roles. Evergreens represent an everlasting hope and constancy, and with the holidays, represent spiritual tradition, nostalgia, and a bit of romance

An evergreen plant is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as, "a tree, shrub, or plant having foliage that persists and remains green throughout the year." For those of us who could be labeled by some as yard scavengers, this is holiday music to our ears as these plants make wonderful additions to seasonal decorating.

Evergreens are generally classified as either broadleaf or narrow leaf. When we think of evergreens, the narrow leaf or needled plants such as pines or yews are generally the first to come to mind. The broadleaf plants, on the other hand, can lay claim to some of our oldest favorites such as the holly or boxwood. Conifers are usually evergreen trees or shrubs having cones as a common characteristic. According to the American Conifer Society however, the yew and juniper are considered conifers although they produce berries instead of cones. Additionally, there are a few plants such as the cypress that are not evergreen because they lose their leaves in the fall.

Looking a bit further, we can find some truly interesting characters such as the mahonia or nandina that are classified as evergreens but are known for their unique structure, and more so, for their unforgettable berries. Even for those self-proclaimed brown thumbs in Mississippi, the one evergreen that everyone could probably identify is the Southern Magnolia, also known as the Evergreen Magnolia. This grand dame of the South has thick, leathery, glossy leaves that remain practically unchanged through the year. In addition, the tree sets reddish seeded cone-like buds in late fall that drop from the tree in early winter. I think the unimaginative consensus would be that these are one of the messes in life we could do without; however, the artist would argue that these make wonderful additions to almost any kind of arrangement or creative endeavor. One variety of magnolia, the Little Gem Magnolia, was chosen as a Mississippi Medallion winner in 1997.

An evergreen tree that prefers the Southern climate is the wax myrtle. This fairly fast growing tree is a good choice for screening and also produces berries. It works well planted in large groups or by itself and is not difficult to find or grow. Other good evergreen choices for this area include the Eastern Red Cedar and American Holly which also happen to be trees native to Mississippi.

No doubt the choices that can be made ear in the season in order to have foliage and material with which to create seasonal decorations are varied enough, but which plants are going to be durable and actually usable? I think there are plants that we continually rely on because they have passed many tried-and-true experiences. And with that in mind, I think any impulsive, impatient gardener who follows this simple recipe will find himself in a garden that will carry the deception of having been wrought by an earnest planner and full of holiday decorating potential.

First to consider with any planting is the site. As a general rule, evergreens like full to partial sun, and rich, moist soil conditions. They can be planted like many trees either in the late fall or early spring. The idea with fall planting is that the roots have a better chance to establish over the winter. Once established, medium and large evergreens need little if any pruning. Pruning may be needed to maintain a certain shape or to clean up any winter damage, but generally evergreens are low plants.

A good place to start is with nandinasi Nandinas in the South are practically maintenance and pest free, and at least in my yard, grow like weeds. They can take full sun or shade, land have a graceful appearance when planted in groups. The most common variety is nandina domestic. Everyone will agree the most exciting characteristic of the nandina are the berries. The berries set in grape-like clusters that hang on the shrubs from early winter to late winter are an absolutely perfect Christmas red. The normally dark green foliage age also takes on a reddish tint during the winter months. Cuttings and berries from this plant will last several weeks and combine wonderfully with magnolia leaves or any kind of needled evergreen. A good stand of this plant is an endless source of decorating material. Nandinas pair wonderfully with hostas, hydrangeas, and have even been used in containers with different grasses.

A second part of this pre-holiday planting scheme should include any kind of conifer or evergreen that bears interesting seeds or cones. If your garden or yard happens to be on an older site, most likely there is a magnolia. If unfortunately the site is magnolia-less, plant one. We are in Mississippi, and it is the state tree! It truly goes without saying that the leaves and seeded cones are yet another yard staple. Short cuttings at the end of limbs can create elegant swags when tied together.

Perhaps the most obvious and essential garden holiday plant would be some sort of needled evergreen. Pines and cedars would be the best choices, with junipers, arborvitae, or spruce being other possibilities.

Every yard needs a holly. Hollies can actually be evergreen or deciduous. While deciduous hollies will lose their leaves, many produce beautiful berries. One newer variety is the Mississippi Medallion winner, the Kathy Ann Yaupon. It is hailed in Mississippi Farm Country as the most prolific berry-producing holly.

With any combination of the mentioned plants, a garden can shine in winter as well as summer, and with a bit of imagination, these plants will only be the beginning. Plant boxwoods in containers that can grace a summer patio, but string them with Christmas lights in winter. Cut the seed pods from crape myrtles or use wild bittersweet vines to weave through arrangements. Collect balls from a sweet gum tree or cut curly willow branches. Whatever the idea, follow it with impulsive abandon knowing that the steadfast evergreen will provide gardens with shape, structure, and support, and it will fill our homes with the look and scent of the holidays.