In The Best Architectural Plants to Define Your Garden (Part One), we looked at how topiary spirals, pom-poms, Italian cypress, Euonymus and Japanese maple can add striking architectural form to your outdoor space. Now, in Part Two, we’ve highlighted our favourite half standards and discussed how Bamboo and Dogwood can be used to introduce strong structural elements to the garden.

1. Half Standard Trees

If you’re aiming to add structured beauty at eye level, ½ standard trees offer a perfect blend of form and function. With a straight, clean stem and a neatly shaped canopy above, they’re well-suited to compact spaces or planting in rows for a tidy, uniform effect.

Photinia ‘Pink Marble’ has eye-catching red new growth and beautiful variegated leaves in shades of green, white, and pink. It adds year-round interest and works well as a hedge, screen or feature plant. We stock Photinia ‘Pink Marble’ in 1/2 standard, bushy, and espalier forms to suit a variety of garden styles.

Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica) – Dense and hardy, they’re ideal for creating elegant borders or refined screens. 

Euonymus japonicus ‘Aureomarginatus’ With its glossy green leaves edged in golden yellow, this evergreen shrub adds year-round colour and structure. Ideal for borders or hedging, it responds well to pruning and brings a bright, polished look to formal or contemporary gardens.

Bay (Laurus nobilis). Bay trees combine a neat form with a beautiful fragrance, they are both ornamental and useful in the kitchen.

Privet (Ligustrum). Perfect for formal gardens, Ligustrum takes well to shaping and brings a lush, classic look.

Olive (Olea). With their silvery leaves and naturally twisted trunks, olives bring a relaxed Mediterranean feel to any garden.

2. Bamboo

Bamboo is often recognised for its tall, upright canes that add height and structure to the landscape. Commonly used as a focal point, it is also highly effective for screening or defining sections of the garden. The gentle rustling of bamboo in the wind also adds movement and dynamic interest, enhancing the overall atmosphere.

3. Dogwood

Thanks to their striking, colourful stems, dogwoods are an excellent choice for adding architectural interest to gardens in winter. Varieties such as Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’ and Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ display vivid reds, oranges and yellows that stand out beautifully against bare soil or snow. Their bold structure and vibrant colours are particularly effective when planted in groups or repeated along borders.