Whimsy and Wonder

THE SUBTLE BEAUTY OF A WHITE GARDEN

T

he other day I received a phone call from a potential new client. She had a small townhouse garden and wanted my help in getting the most out of the space. When I arrived at her home, two things immediately struck me. First, this is a competent, passionate gardener. Second, this a competent, passionate gardener who just cannot help herself. Don’t get me wrong; her plants were thriving. But in an area probably no bigger than an average-sized swimming pool, she had planted one of just about every single flowering perennial that I can think of! Calling it colourful would be an understatement. It was a bit like looking at Joseph’s technicolour dream coat – without the dream.

Now, before you dismiss my apparent judgement and relegate my opinion to the ranks of ‘one of those modern designers who just wants to put formal hedges everywhere,’ please let me assure you that this is not that type of article. I love plants. They are (and always should be) the superstars of every garden. That said, I think we’re often our own worst enemies when it comes to flowering plants. We want them all! However, with a bit of planning, careful consideration, structure, and (dare I say) restraint, there's a way to create a balance of strength and softness, order, and whimsy – something classy and understated – and I believe that we can do that with just two colours: green and white.

‘What colour is it?’ is one of my most frequently asked questions when discussing garden plans with clients. My response is the same every time: ‘Is that a trick question?’ followed by, ‘Green… It’s green.’ Now, my sarcasm has gotten me into plenty of trouble in the past, but I’m sure that by now you’re getting my point. How often do we forget that green is a colour? And not only is it a colour – it's the best colour! As gardeners, we go to great lengths to surround ourselves with it as much and as often as we can.

Next time you’re on a shopping spree at your local garden centre, try and pay attention to the leaves of the plants. Look at their shape, their size, and their arrangement on the stem. All these things, plus the size and growth habit, create the plant’s form. Fix your eyes on the shade of green of each plant, and (here comes the exciting part) think about how it would look next to a plant with different characteristics. In fact, go one better and give it a try. Test out plant combinations on the ground and – provided your chosen plants have similar environmental requirements – you’re already on the right track. Think of the contrast that’s created between the deep, lush green of a box hedge with the soft, silvery green foliage of lamb’s ear. Or how loose, billowing Aristida junciformi grass plays off against a neatly clipped saltbush shrub.

No two greens are the same, and this should be celebrated in our landscapes and planting schemes. One of the biggest advantages of understanding this assertion, is that we can use these principles when designing beautiful scenes around our homes. Green makes the loveliest foil for décor items and furniture, which should be considered when we plan our spaces.

So, why white gardens in particular? There’s a beauty in simplicity. The world of today is driven by busyness and noise – a ‘consumer society’ where everyone is constantly on the go. We’re bombarded by media, advertising, and trends. Our minds are full and part of us yearns to remove all the stuff that fill our days. I think that the white garden design concept speaks as a remedy to this, and is metaphorical as much as it is practical.

The white garden is simple, uncluttered, and serene. The psychology of it is quite simple too: simplify things so you don’t have to make too many decisions. Looking after an herbaceous garden filled with colourful flowering perennials is hard work that requires a lot of thought and planning. It can also be incredibly overwhelming if someone isn’t an active gardener or doesn’t have the capacity to stay on top of it.

"The reason why this planting scheme works so well can be attributed to the variation in form, texture, and foliage colour."

Lamb's ear

Nick Hampton

Landscape Designer Oasis Design

www.oasisdesign.me

@oasisdesigncapetown

The white garden eliminates a lot of options and speaks to a simpler life that so many of us crave. White soothes and calms. It signifies peace and purity, and I think that we could all do with a little more of those things in our lives. I’ve seen some beautiful examples of white gardens throughout the years, and while I agree that they often lean towards the formal side, appealing to those with varying degrees of obsessive-compulsive disorder, I don’t think that this has to be the rule. The principles of contrast, texture, and form apply no matter your style preference. Imagine a winding walkway through a shady garden of mixed Plectranthus and ferns, an English-style border of exclusively white perennials, or even a fynbos rockery with only white flowers, where leaf shape and texture provide enormous interest. These examples paint a picture of vastly different kinds of gardens, yet all still very much achievable.

A few years ago, I designed a garden for the most wonderful client. Apart from a few orangeflowering Clivias, which flower for a very short period, the garden colour palette was entirely green and white. We used Viburnum tinus hedges as a foil for much of the planting. These are stalwarts in the garden as they look good year-round and produce clusters of white flowers in winter. Offset against the hedges were groups of white dwarf Agapanthus, iceberg roses, and clipped Westringia balls, edged with Erigeron to compensate for the formality created by the box hedges and Westringias.

The reason why this planting scheme works so well can be attributed to the variation in form, texture, and foliage colour. But don’t forget that gardens are transient. You may be looking at a flush of big, bold Agapanthus flowers today, but in a couple of weeks, the pretty blooms will be turning. They’ll slowly fade to brown stalks before we cut them off, leaving a clump of strappy leaves. So, as with all gardens, think of succession and try to plant your white garden so that there’s always something in flower. But if there isn’t, that’s okay too; you’ve got all that wonderful foliage interest and plant form. Remember that green is a colour too – the best colour.

Wild & Free