Spring whites for a sophisticated garden
The final blog in a series of four about white gardens through the seasons.
After the long haul of winter it can be tempting to look forward to a riot of spring colour: bright red tulips, dazzling yellow daffodils, glossy purple crocus and candyfloss-pink cherry blossom.
But a different approach is to opt instead for the sophistication of glorious whites, with stunning displays of flowering plants, trees and shrubs.
In the words of House Beautiful magazine: “Tranquil, calming and reminiscent of the British countryside in spring, white borders are undoubtedly a garden classic. Understandably popular in rural gardens, white plantings are most successful in urban gardens where the dramatic contrast from street to serenity is soothing, particularly at dusk.”
“white borders are undoubtedly a garden classic.”
Here are some of our favourites, beginning with the aptly named Pulmonaria 'Sissinghurst White'. Sissinghurst is where author and garden designer Vita Sackville-West’s conceived her world-renowned White Garden. in the 1950s, and where a range of textures, shapes and form in white, green, grey and silver spark endless surprise. Pulmonaria 'Sissinghurst White' has pure-white, delicate funnel-shaped flowers that bloom well in shady borders and are complemented by white-spotted, bright-green leaves.
5 spring white flowering plants
Anemone blanda 'White Splendour': each gorgeous petal of these ample daisy-like flowers has a pink flush underneath, with a boss of yellow stamens. Perfect for underplanting trees or shrubs.
Paeonia 'Madame Lemoine’: a really pretty peony with a lovely long-lingering scent that lasts for days as cut flowers in a vase.
Erigeron karvinskianus 'Profusion': a profusion indeed of tumbling daisy-like flowers that last for months, self-sow in gaps and crevices and offer a pink tinge too.
Helleborus × hybridus ‘Harvington double white speckled’: maroon freckles add interest to a woodland floor, while these hellebores also provide plenty of nectar for foraging insects.
Brunnera macrophylla 'Betty Bowring': pure white and elegant, these lovely blooms rising on delicate stems flower in early spring and often flourish again in late summer.
3 spring white trees
Amelanchier lamarckii: there is an abundance of interest in this versatile specimen, from starry white spring flowers to summer berries then autumn glory, as well as the fact that it can be trained either as a tree or a shrub.
Prunus 'Shirotae': a Japanese flowering cherry covered in scented spring white flowers, with foliage gravitating from pale green to fiery orange and red in autumn.
Pyrus calleryana 'Chanticleer': an ornamental pear bedecked in pure white spring flowers before producing round fruit then showstopping purple autumn leaves.
5 spring white bulbs
Narcissus 'Thalia'
Narcissus 'Thalia': this multi-headed trumpet daffodil has pure white flowers and looks fabulous planted in sweeping swathes. A Victorian favourite, it is now firmly back in vogue for its understated elegance.
Narcissus 'Bridal Crown': creamy blooms with a luscious ruff of orange-yellow petals, combined with a deep, sweet fragrance.
Muscari aucheri 'White Magic': this grape hyacinth starts to bloom with cute green-budded flower spikes then opens into clusters of tiny white flowers.
Scilla luciliae (Gigantea Group) 'Alba': captivating white star-shaped blooms set this lovely flower apart, and they will thrive in settings from borders to underplanting deciduous trees.
Tulipa 'Mount Tacoma': pink and green buds maturing to creamy-white double flowers that will last until late in the season. This is another traditional favourite enjoying a much-deserved renaissance.
Tulip fields
3 spring white shrubs
Magnolia stellate: unusual star-shaped silky flowers on a bushy shrub that open early and last for weeks, sometimes with a faint pink blush.
Fothergilla major: spectacular scented flowers like feathery bottlebrushes waft in the breeze and are a delightful fringe to a woodland area.
Viburnum × burkwoodii: a delicious full fragrance, evergreen when mature and bountiful clusters of spring white blooms that become red fruit nestling against glossy dark leaves.
2 spring white climbers
Clematis x cartmanii 'Avalanche': as befits its name, this specimen really does light up a garden with a swooping cascade of pretty white flowers.
Clematis montana var. wilsonii: choose these white star-shaped blooms for their beautiful fragrance and joyful free-flowing growth in late spring and early summer.
To bring beautiful whites to your garden all year round, please read other blogs in the series: Summer, Autumn and Winter.
Please get in touch to see how we can help you with your garden. You can reach us on 0207 305 7183 or email at enquire@alasteranderson.com
