Bay trees have had significance throughout history, particularly in Greek legend, where bay leaves were used to create wreaths given to honour heroes. In ancient Rome, Bay stems were woven into crowns for dignitaries, including the Emperor. Although best known for their towering height ( Italian cypress can grow to 20 metres tall, Leylandii cypress to 40 metres), conifer trees come in all sizes, including extra small. A neat dwarf pine, cedar, cypress or juniper tree is perfect for popping in a pot to bring a calming evergreen presence to a patio. Place in part shade and avoid full sun to prevent the foliage from scorching. 5. Bay Feeding: Mulch topsoil with organic fertiliser and add slow-release fertiliser to the compost during the growing season. Feeding is not needed throughout winter.

Position in full sun or partial shade and enjoy the rich green of the leaves, the appealing structure of their form and the aromatic scent from the leaves. View our collection of plants As bay varieties are used to hotter climates, watering them too much is an issue and they will not tolerate having wet feet. If your bay is planted in the ground make sure the drainage of the soil is sufficient enough. You can improve soils drainage by adding organic matter or grit to the soil. Cold and Frost Besides looking good, bay is an essential ingredient in cooking and topiary specimens really lend themselves to growing in a kitchen garden or in a pot by the kitchen door. Add a touch of Mediterranean glamour to your garden with a potted olive tree. These silver-leaved evergreens are slow-growing and work well in containers. Over time they will develop into real characters with gnarly grey bark and contorted trunks. Choose a compact variety, and an occasional light prune will be enough to keep it in shape. Place in a sunny spot and use a well-drained loam-based compost such as John Innes No. 3. Best evergreen trees in pots

Bay leaves are used within a variety of different cuisines and recipes. From flavouring different types of meats to soups, stews and more they are very versatile in the kitchen. In the short term, underwatering will be much less harmful than overwatering, so always be modest with the watering can! With their lush foliage and succulent fruits, fig trees bring added value to any garden. They naturally perform better when their roots are restricted, but even so, varieties such as ‘ Brown Turkey’ can become very large. Enter ‘ Little Miss Figgy’, a self-fertile dwarf fig variety that won’t exceed 2 metres in height and spread. This petite fig tree is ideal for containers and will produce generous crops of sweet, burgundy-coloured fruit. Position against a south-facing wall and protect with horticultural fleece in winter. 10. Lemon Bay trees can take light pruning throughout most of the year, however, the best time for you to start your pruning is in late spring which can then be finished throughout the summer. Hardiness: Mostly Hardy, can withstand temperatures down to -5°C. Bay trees may need extra protection from frost in winter, especially younger plants.

Bay trees can produce tiny little yellow flowers. To produce any fruits, the female tree needs to be pollinated so if there is only one tree then it may never produce fruits. Standard size: this indicates the height to which the trunk has been cleared before the foliage head begins (based on bay tree guidelines). A half standard, then, will have less trunk height than a full standard. Once trained by our specialists in the nursery, maintaining this shape should be easy, plus growing them will also provide you with a supply of fresh and fragrant bay leaves - what a treat! Pruning: Prune in spring and summer for shape. Conduct any hard pruning in spring with lighter pruning in summer. An ideal evergreen topiary tree that can be clipped into a wide variety of shapes.When it comes to screening, plants with exotic or large foliage really earn their keep. Chamaerops humilis is an RHS award-winning dwarf palm tree that rarely exceeds 2 metres when grown in the ground, but it can also be grown as an outdoor potted tree to make an attractive evergreen screen. Provide it with an ericaceous (acidic) compost and a sunny sheltered spot, and it will thrive; you’ll need to bring the pot indoors over winter as fan palms are not totally hardy in the UK (particularly in the colder hardiness zones 5-6). Best large trees in pots Given the right conditions, it’s technically possible to grow any tree, regardless of size, in a pot. The Japanese arts of bonsai and cloud pruning are the best-known and perhaps most effective ways of accomplishing this (Bonsai literally translates as ‘planted in a container’). Here are a couple of large trees that can be grown as bonsai or cloud pruned. 14. Yew