Now my house has absolutely no white walls. Not a one. Blue, green, even Tiffany blue and purple brown, but no white. I would never, how boring, I think.
So in the rest of my color world its all very clear... very black and white (wink!), but in my garden I cannot make up my mind. I both love and hate white flowers in the garden.
Love, for example, is cohesive, dreamy and like my favorite white sundress:
But the ugly side (reality) is what stops me from planting much white in my garden:
The issue is that having a moon garden would be something worthwhile for me. My garden is at its best in March, April, October and November, when the days are short and it is twilight most weekdays before I get a chance to enjoy. But those dead white flowers. ick. they kill me. Nothing dies in the garden quite so ugly.
{please excuse the above use of these photos, they have been stolen off the web as inspiration many moons ago and I have no idea who to attribute them too. If they are yours, please let me know!}
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All those pictures are of my garden! I wish. LOL You're so right. Nothing is a bigger turn-off than a flower that doesn't die gracefully. I've yanked out many plants just for this reason. Reality checks are important in gardening. Too often we [me] get ideas out of magazines that fail to show the downside. But sometimes this is the only way to learn. The other point I need to remember is that many of those fancy, estate gardens have multiple caretakers out deadheading at dawn. No such luck around my abode. :)
ReplyDeleteThose photos are dreamy! I suppose they wouldn't be near as dreamy if we saw them with their dead flowers still in place. Maybe you could call it your 'beige garden'? :)
ReplyDeleteFor one brief shining moment a white garden can be truly breath taking, then very quickly looks trashy. White azaleas can steal the show in spring then leave you wondering why you keep them in the landscape. Definatly a love-hate relationship, usually leaning more to the love side.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely. My first garden, the intent was stick to a soothing palette. Predominantly green (as it was so shady little would bloom), and the few blooms would be white. For best effect, they all need to bloom together (which mine did not), and overall I felt my garden just looked washed out. I was excited when I planted white camellias to bloom in winter, but for just the reason you mention, my excitement quickly turned to disdain. Camellia blooms often don't fade gracefully, and the white ones were the worst. The gardens above are beautiful though, but I personally wouldn't plant an all-white garden again.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't really ever thought of how a flower looks as it dies. I do love white flowers and variegation though in a shady spot. Nothing else pops quite like it.
ReplyDeleteThose white gardens certainly are inspirational. I think a moon garden would be wonderful. I planted a moon vine by our patio. It is a striking white night bloomer. Utterly romantic! That flower alone has made me want a more complete moon garden by the patio. It hasn't materialized yet, but I am thinking on it!
ReplyDeleteThe photos are all very inspiring. I've had a love of white flowers ... but exactly for the reason you say, I'm planting a lot more colour now. The worst I think is when gardenias die ... they really look ugly. Such a pity.
ReplyDeleteI have a moon garden as in flowers planted around my patio for viewing when we eat or sit out there after dark. I love it, not just white but silver foliage too. I never noticed a problem with the dead flowers---go for it.
ReplyDeleteHey Jess, you had me with those photos! I thought, that's it I'm coming to visit and stay in the room with that lovely window overlooking that garden bed brimming with flowers :)
ReplyDeleteThey are very beautiful photos and I'd love to think I could plant a restrained palette. But I know I can't. I've tried, but something magenta or violet always seems to appear out of nowhere.
BTW, you look different without sunnies on :D
What I really wish is that someone right next door would plant one, so I can see it, but not have to constantly be deadheading it. :)
ReplyDeleteHeidi - lol I hope better, not worse! no sunglasses, hair down and makeup on!!!
I always think of dirty white Kleenex when I see a post-bloom white azalea. Nasty! I have to fight the urge to either chop it down or bury antibiotics into the soil. Either could cause problems since I don't have any azaleas and would be tresspassing. I use white as an accent in my garden only. I prefer the drag queen approach - lotsa color, honey!!
ReplyDeletevery interesting post and interesting comments above. I think the reason it is hard to make a really attractive white garden is that there needs to be a balance between green and white to make it work. Anyway I think I prefer cream or off white now, and pastel colours because they mix so easily.
ReplyDeletevery interesting post and interesting comments above. I think the reason it is hard to make a really attractive white garden is that there needs to be a balance between green and white to make it work. Anyway I think I prefer cream or off white now, and pastel colours because they mix so easily.
ReplyDeleteI approve of the drag queen approach myself, but I admire restraint.
ReplyDeleteCatmint (okay, one of these days I need to know your real name!!!) I totally agree and I am not surprise at the barbell opinions. And the lack of 'green' with the white is something I hadn't thought of but absolutely true in my garden. Because I am working around cement, or pavers or gravel and do not have grass it really is a consideration. I know the gods of all 'green' things will strike me down, but sometimes I wish my patio was grass (cringe). Though I have no idea how it would get mowed. I sure as heck wouldn't be doing it.
Hi Jess - I so agree with you about the nastiness of spent white blossoms. White seems to be very popular here in NC, but I just don't see it - think I'll stick with basic purple :) Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI so agree with you on the ugliness of the spent blossoms. I love white flowers but I hate it when they turn nasty. Camellias are the worst culprit and roses come in a close second. And they are my two favorite plants.
ReplyDeleteI do grow white plants but must admit they make a limited appearance in my gardens. Daisies, butterfly bushes, phlox - I must have white. ~Debra
ReplyDeleteI must agree with you about the white flowers...In design class, the professor said they looked like used tissues hanging from the branches, after they died!
ReplyDelete25yrs ago, hubby and I honeymooned in Charleston and we've had a long distance love affair with your city ever since, going back every year in Feb. My daughter was offered a vball position with the Citadel and she turned it down.
My heart is still broken....!
Jess, try the white salvias, phlox, and assorted herbs. Barbara favored those in this garden. They love our heat and bloom all the time, so no large, spent white flowers that end up looking like old mushrooms. Maybe the principle is, the smaller the white flower, the better it will be.
ReplyDeleteThe way you feel about white flowers is the reason I don't have any iris in my garden. When the blooms fade, they're just ugly! Funny, but I've never minded faded white blooms...maybe I spend too much time deadheading! Or maybe I just plant the easy ones, like petunias. Oh, and as I looked at the pictures, I was thinking 'Wow! I want an historic Charleston double porch style home...and what part of it needs renovated?' LOL!
ReplyDeleteKathy - Ha! Me either - I hate iris too, because they die in great melting rotting heaps and I think they smell bad too!
Deletethe site brought the exact meaning of the nature in my mind! helpful fashion
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ReplyDeleteI wanted to say that it's nice to know that someone else also mentioned this as I had trouble finding the same info elsewhere. This was the first place that told me the answer
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