Here’s a tip that anyone can use in a flower garden: Plant white flowers. They make the whole garden sing. White blossoms glow in the evening, and their appearance cools us on hot days. White makes other colors stand out and injects serenity in any space. Who would think that simple white flowers would be so remarkable? If you look out on a gray day, you will see white-petaled blooms shining more than any other color amidst the green foliage. And you can plant white flowers anywhere in the landscape—as the French fashion designer Christian Dior said, “White is pure and simple and matches with everything.”
The color white is elegant in any situation, and this is also true for white flowers. The statuesque white regal lily (Lilium regale), white rose, and white dahlia each add a stylish presence to any outdoor scene, especially when contained by clipped green boxwood or yew hedges. This is what the English gardener and author Vita Sackville-West did in her famous White Garden at Sissinghurst Castle in Kent, England. It is separated into individual areas by long rows of dark evergreen hedges and only white, green, gray, and silver plants grow within. These include white gladioli, white irises, white pompon dahlias, and white Japanese anemones, among others. The effect is magical!
You, like many gardeners, may be enthralled with the idea of a white garden. But before you plant, remember many white flowers are not pure white. Some have a yellowish or greenish cast, which makes it tricky to blend white flowers together. To help in this, interplant with green and white foliage plants such as Manhattan euonymus, ‘Color Guard’ yucca, or variegated Swedish ivy (Plectranthus coleoides). And plant silver plants to accentuate the white flowers. Try varieties of the silver-leaved artemisia such as ‘Powis Castle,’ the sculptural ‘Miss Willmott’s Ghost’ (Eryngium giganteum ‘Miss Willmott’s Ghost’), and others.
Some white flowers can be playful and casual. Think of white Shasta daisies, airy white cosmos, white bleeding heart, baby’s breath, and white pansies. All of these opalescent beauties are at home in a cottage-style white garden. Or try the annual deer-resistant white summer snapdragon (Angelonia angustifolia) for summer blooms, or the native perennial white wood aster (Eurybia divaricata) with its airy clouds of small white flowers for the fall. You can never go wrong with white flowers.
A large clump of the graceful ‘White Swirl’ Siberian iris (Iris sibirica ‘White Swirl’) is stunning against a backdrop of still water. In late spring to early summer, the lavish display of rounded ruffled flowers features ivory-white falls that lead to a golden flush at the base. ‘White Swirl’ is considered one of the finest white Siberian irises. They require little care and have thick roots that like damp soil. They go down deep into the earth and are great for holding steep banks in place. After bloom, the slender, grassy leaves stand erect through the growing season. Deer resistant. Grows 30 to 36 inches tall. Zones 3–9.
The graceful spires of white foxglove (Digitalis purpurea alba), with their pendulous bell-shaped flowers, are tall and perfect for the back of a bed. Plant them with white peonies, white ‘Mount Everest’ allium, and white garden phlox for a season-long white garden. Blooms late spring to summer. Self-sows. The leaves and seeds of this plant are highly toxic if ingested. Zones 4–8.
The ‘David’ garden phlox (Phlox paniculata ‘David’) was named the 2002 Perennial Plant of the Year by the PPA for good reason. It is a midsummer bloomer that has dense heads of large, crisp-white, fragrant flowers. The round blooms are notably mildew resistant and bloom into early fall, which make it a winner! The snowy flowers can reach 3 feet high. Makes a great accent in a garden border in the summer. Zones 3–8.
Striped water iris (Iris laevigata ‘Variegata’) is a vigorous perennial that is able to grow in 2 to 8 inches of standing water. Its wide cream-and-white striped leaves and stunning blue blooms, which appear in late May–early June, are outstanding. Grows 18 to 30 inches tall. Plant in large groups along ponds, streams, or in a damp location for a powerful effect. Great for rain gardens. The evergreen foliage retains its vertical striping all year. Sun to part shade. It likes moist, acidic soils. Deer resistant. Zones 4–9.
Leichtlin’s camass (Camassia leichtlinii Caerulea) likes moist, humusy, well-drained soils in sunny to part shady spots. It prefers soil that has a bit more moisture. It is a Pacific Northwest native that blooms in late spring and grows from a bulb. It has strappy leaves and beautiful star-shaped blue flowers that open from bottom to top on bare stems. Grows 24 to 30 inches tall. Naturalizes well. Zones 4–8.
Striped water iris (Iris laevigata ‘Variegata’) at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens shares the spotlight with well-placed rounded rocks. It thrives in standing water.
Indian pink (Spigelia marilandica) is a native perennial wildflower that grows in moist woods and along shaded stream banks in the southeastern United States. It is eye-catching with bright red tubular flowers that narrow near the top and then flare out to show off five bright yellow tips. Indian pink flowers during May and early June, and it reaches 18 to 24 inches in height. It grows in medium-wet, well-drained soil in part shade to full shade. A favorite of butterflies and hummingbirds, its home turf is a bright woodland. Zones 6–9.