How white gardens can dazzle with drama
The first in a series of four blogs about white gardens through the year.
White gardens are one of the Instagram garden trends for 2021, “where a serene scene of all-white creates the perfect garden retreat,” according to Ideal Home magazine.
White gardens are a fantastic opportunity to bring elegant sophistication as well as romance to a garden project, proving that drama and interest can be created without a riot of colour.
This is something Alaster Anderson is seeing first hand, with clients looking for simpler, cleaner gardens with a more restricted colour palette. White is a standout choice.
And as well as being firmly on trend, white gardens also have a proud heritage in some of Britain’s best-loved settings.
It was in the winter of 1950 that author and garden designer Vita Sackville-West began planning “a pale garden” at her magnificent home at Sissinghurst, a garden where only the colours of white, green, grey and silver were to be allowed to grow.
Creating contrast and surprise
Sissinghurst’s White Garden is now one of the most famous in the world. It owes its success to the use of a range of different textures, shapes and form to introduce variety, draw attention and spark surprise.
“Vita chose upright white trumpets of Lilium regale and the white spires of Eremurus, Foxgloves and Delphiniums. There are shrubs to add volume and structure; Hydrangea grandiflora, a white cistus, Paeonia suffruticosa subsp. Rockii and Buddleia nivea as well as trees such as Hippophae rhamnoides, a Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’ and almond trees lining the central path. The giant Arabian thistle Onopordon arabicum surges up 8 feet into the air whilst foamy Gypsophila softens the planting”
It was the contrast of all these plants together that created interest for the eye, despite the absence of colour.
Living works of art
This aligns perfectly with the Alaster Anderson philosophy of using sculptural form, contrasting textures and carefully chosen shapes to create gardens that are living works of art. It's the artistry of creating something really extraordinary.
Planting a white garden can reflect a beautiful and romantic garden vision. An example is the Princess Diana White Garden at Kensington Palace. Head Gardener Sean Harkin took inspiration from her white dresses and favourite roses for planting that is “joyful, exuberant and glowing”.
“The public reaction to the garden has been overwhelming and we hope the garden manages to capture the elegance and radiance that made Princess Diana such a loved figure around the world”
Planting for a summer white garden
Here Alaster suggests planting for a summer white garden. Future blogs will suggest planting for autumn, winter and spring. We will also cover the essential green elements that provide the perfect backdrop for whites.
By deploying grasses, ground cover and climbers as well as perennials and shrubs we can bring showstopping variety to a white garden. This strategic creative approach is the benefit of our many years of expertise.
Suggestions for Summer
Perennial:
Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’ (purple coneflower)
Penstemon ‘White Bedder’
Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Album’ (culver’s root)
Eryngium yuccifolium (button snakeroot)
Grasses:
Stipa tenuissima (pony tails / angel hair)
Ground Cover:
Geranium macrorrhizum ‘White-Ness’ (big-root cranesbill)
Vinca minor f. alba ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ (periwinkle)
Shrub:
Myrtus communis (common myrtle)
Rosa ‘William and Catherine’
Climber:
Solanum laxum ‘Album’ (white potato vine)
Trachelospermum jasminoides (star jasmine)
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
