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Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Scented and white
Certain plants tend to look their best after sunset. I can think of at least a dozen. In gardening circles it is known that white flowers are most likely to open as evening arrives and they will stand out prominently as the surrounding colours fade. By coincidence, it is these white flowers which give out the best scents. Just now, the white Regale lilies are opening their huge trumpet blooms adding not alone the colour white to the evening garden, but a scent which can only be described as magical. If you can possibly purchase a pot-full do so without hesitation for they’re the essence of good gardening in flower or out.
The other really strong smells are the white sweet peas-I can never get enough of these, for growing up into my circular pergola structureand the white tobacco plants, Nicotiana. Coloured nicotiana are usually less powerfully scented so it pays to look for white varieties only. These can still be purchased at garden centres but get them before they disappear! Other wonderfully scented climbers are of course the honeysuckles and white jasmine. Put any of these near your favourite sitting out place in the garden and enjoy their scent long into the evening.
Without scent, but ideal for the border in late July and August are the double and semi-double forms of Shasta daisy, Chrysanthemum maximum. These excel at blooming for a considerable period beginning late July along with the architectural gem Acanthus mollis, commonly known as ‘Bears Breeches’! This majestic plant is already holding it’s stately stems above mounds of handsomely shining leaves (which look quite menacing and thistle-like, but are really quite soft to the touch) making in the process almost a statement. These have strong lipped flowers of a curious dull maroon with a clean white frilly petticoat held out almost seductively to encourage whatever insects are in the locality to come visit and fertilise.
The idea then of making a one or two colour border is interesting if not perennially challenging.
A white and silver border would be endlessly challenging for you will get more pleasure from these colour combinations than any other colouring. If the border is not too wide it will be easy to take things away if they don’t fit in properly and to replace them with something you like better.
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