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Shropshire, United Kingdom Gb

Single colour border. I have always loved white plants and flowers. I have totted that I have about 12 white perennial plants scattered throughout my garden. Question is, should I decide to put them all together for effect or keep them intersperced with a variety of other coloured plants. Has anyone got a single colour (white?) border in their garden? I remember seeing the white garden in Sissinghurst and Monty's white garden on gardeners' world and liking the effect. Any thoughts or experience out there? Thank you.




Answers

 

I don't have a single-colour border, but I have noticed that a lot of the flowers I have that are white go brown before falling - 2 different roses, veronica, lily, cyclamen.
I've got a white-flowered silene under a viburnum plicatum 'Mariesii' which both have/had flowers that go over well, though.
I think you'll want a very few accent plants of a different colour, say silver/purple, but I've seen pictures where the accent colour was gold/yellow/cream and it was horrible.

8 Aug, 2014

 

I'm aiming for white/pale blue/lilac tones for summer flowers in my tiny yard. There'll be yellow in spring as I have to have a few daffs.
I find simple colour schemes much more restful and I couldn't live with riot of hot reds and lots of dark flowers - though I do have dots of purple allium.

8 Aug, 2014

 

I was a bit disappointed with Sissinghurst's white border - I'd go for a few accent plants and Teadrinker's suggestion sounds great.

8 Aug, 2014

 

I think the success of a one-colour border is having varieties in the leaves. I have a white border planted in shade (I think it works better than in sun). It includes an actaea with purple leaves, pulmonaria, a camellia, dicentra, cyclamen, a white-flowered heuchera and several other plants.
A friend of mine with a small south-facing garden decided to go for an all white one. But after four years, she now feels she wants a few blues as it is too bright. I would be tempted to add a spot or two of dark red as well (such as knautia).
I agree with Stera - I was disappointed with the white garden at Sissinghurst, but it's famous because it was the first one.

8 Aug, 2014

 

Thanks for your thoughts. I think I will stick with white and blue, purple and lilac colours. Am going to have a think and move some plants around this autumn.

9 Aug, 2014

 

I've never been to Sissinghurst but fell in love with Gertrude Jekyll's white garden at Bois des Moutiers (at least 20 years ahead of Sissinghurst) when I first saw it in the 1990s. the magnolias there are pretty spectacular as well.

9 Aug, 2014

 

Amsterdam that sounds perfect. I tried to have a blue and lemon bed but didn't have the discipline to stick to it!

9 Aug, 2014

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