(Photography: Adobe Stock)
A white garden is never really just white. To create a luminous garden, you need deep green foliage that makes white flowers pop. Or glistening silver foliage that sparkles like Christmas tinsel and launches plumes of colourful flowers – so much better than crackers. Creating a garden with white plants that shine at Christmas allows you to explore the softer shades of white – think alabaster, cream or ivory, subtle tones of pink or yellow, or hints of green. So chill out in the summer warmth and have a white Christmas with these tips. You’ve decked trees with festive red but maybe you’re nostalgic for a traditional white Christmas. Improvise with flowers and foliage that bring back the romance.
Are you wondering why go white? Here’s why and how to create it yourself.
Types of white gardens
A white garden lights up dark areas and can have a big impact in a small space. All-white gardens are often called dusk or evening gardens because the colour glows brighter and becomes more prominent as the sun sets.
Take advantage of this by using low-growing, white-flowering plants, such as lobelia or sweet alyssum, along the edge of borders and paths. Many white-flowering plants, such as hydrangeas, or white foliage plants, such as brunnera, prefer afternoon shade. White has a cooling effect when paired with other colours – perfect for our hot summers.
6 flowers to create an elegant white garden
There is a huge variety of white plants, allowing you to contrast textures, forms as well as plants of different heights, such as climbers and spires. Some white flowers also boast secondary colours, such as yellow centres – think daisies or the flowers of silver dusty miller. This lets your white garden sing but breaks up the block of white and draws attention to the diversity of plants.
01
Iceberg roses
Roses are an obvious choice for their exquisite beauty and intoxicating perfume.
02
Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas love morning sun and afternoon shade so will light up a gloomy spot.
03
Snowball tree
The snowball tree looks similar to hydrangeas but loves the sun.
04
Gardenias
Gardenias have an alluring perfume. This becomes more intense at dusk as nocturnal pollinators such as moths get to work. Plant them in a garden bed or pots around an evening outdoor gathering area.
05
Snow in summer
As the name suggests, snow in summer (Cerastium tomentosum) produces masses of small flowers that cascade from a raised garden bed. The foliage is also a glistening silver all year round.
06
Salvias
Create the illusion of a dusting of snow on green foliage with these stunners!
6 leaves to create a white Christmas garden
Green is a cool colour that’s a relief during a hot December, but when frosted with a little white on the leaves? It can look like a winter wonderland.
White, silver or grey foliage is an adaptation that assists plants to better tolerate heat, drought or other harsh conditions. These plants are able to reduce water loss when leaves transpire – or expire – excess water. They are less likely to wilt or collapse when water is scarce. Many leaves feel soft because of fine hairs that protect them from the sun’s rays. These hairs also reduce water loss. You’ll generally find these plants in harsh environments such as beside the sea, in arid climates or in cold mountain zones.
01
Lamb’s ears
Lamb’s ears look almost ghost-like with large, furry, white-grey leaves emerging from white-pink stems. Expect tiny pink flowers in summer.
02
Brunnera
When mass planted in a shady spot, brunnera gives the impression that a heavy frost has fallen overnight. You get tiny blue flowers in early summer.
03
Dusty miller
Dusty miller has layers of lacy silver leaves, which add depth and texture to garden beds. Yellow, daisy-like flowers emerge in summer.
04
Variegated lamium
As a ground cover of silver and green, variegated lamium lights up a shady area. Small, hooded pink, purple or white flowers add colour to the carpet from mid-spring to early summer.
05
Heuchera
Heuchera leaves are renowned for their walloping, scalloped shapes, dazzling colours and intricate patterns. A star of the winter garden for their enduring foliage colours – gold, crimson, bronze, deep purple, chartreuse and orange – you can also get plants that provide silver or pewter leaves to dazzle in summer. A bonus is the sprigs of tiny, bell-shaped flowers in spring.
06
White-edged hosta leaves
Create the illusion of a dusting of snow on green foliage with white-edged hosta leaves.
