Gardening Australia – May 2019

48 MAY 2019 GARDENING AUSTRALIA

to success in a white garden – that of
the necessity of using flowers of widely
variable shape and texture.
It seems the more we, as gardeners,
choose to keep one element consistent

• in this case, flower colour – the more
  imperative it is that we go to town with
  the other variables.
  A quick glance at the list on the opposite
  page reveals dramatic height variations,
  shape diversity in the plant and the flower,
  and differences in boldness and density.
  The regal lily (Lilium regale), for instance,
  presents itself as a bold chunk of white, with
  a few large flowers, while baby’s breath
  (Gypsophila paniculata) produces a virtual
  haze of white, with many tiny flowers.

Regardingshape,it’sworthgroupingthe

plants you’dliketouseintocategories–

for example,thosethathaveflowersin

upright spires(suchaspenstemons,white

salvias or Vita’sdelphiniums),thosethat

present collectivelyasaflatplateauof

colour at agivenheight(suchassedums

or shasta daisies),andthosethatproduce

their colouratgroundlevel–andthen

working towardsabalancebetweenthem

all. Too manyplantsofanyoneshape

quickly becomemonotonous.

whitesain’twhites

Once you startplayingwithwhiteflowers

in the garden,youquicklyrealisethat

there’s a hugerangeofwhites,andthey

don’tallsitcomfortablyalongsideeach

other.Shastadaisiesareacold,glaring

white,whilewhitepenstemonsarenearly

alwayssuffusedwithaflushofpink.There

arewhitesthatcarryamilkyblue,and

othersthatlookliketheybarelyescape

beingclassedasaverylightgreen.

Butit’sneverworthbeinguptightabout

theseconsiderationswhenyou'resetting

out.Thebestwayforwardistojamin

everythingyou’dliketouse,thenslowly

edittheplantingovertime.

Allreallysuccessfulcolour-themed

plantingworldwideisheavily,andusually

consistently,edited.It’sbettertosimply

repairyourmistakesthantobetooafraid

ofmakingtheminthefirstplace. GA

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT

Astelia ‘Silver Spear’, Agapanthus ‘Albiflorus’, Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’, Penstemon

‘White Bedder’, oleander and English lavender featured in an award-winning

entry at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show; Rosa ‘Rambling Rector’ and

Salvia ‘Vatican White’ tower above veronicastrum and Chinese peony, with

a splash of colour from Achillea ‘Moonshine’; white posts, furniture and

accessories, and grey hard landscaping complement a planting at Melbourne

International Flower and Garden Show; this potted display includes gaura,

Miscanthus spp., federation daisy, geranium, petunia and calibrachoa.

PHOTOS

LEIGH CLAPP, BRENT WILSON, MICHAEL M

cCOY