Plan a White Garden for Summer Evenings.  

A white garden is a natural if you spend a lot of time on the patio, deck or terrace on your summer evenings grilling or entertaining.  Light-colored blooms really stand out in the evening light, and if you include scented things like gardenias, nicotiana and jasmine you can make magic in the summer evenings.  Use the famous White Garden at Sissinghurst Castle for inspiration when planning your garden.  You don't have to have the same climate as southern England.  The trick is to use plants that are appropriate for your soil, rainfall and temperature conditions. There is a wide selection of annuals, bulbs, perennials, shrubs and trees to choose from.  Here are some great ideas.

In the White Garden near the end of May, the roses were just beginning to bloom, the big Rosa mulliganii on the arbor was not in bloom alliums,  yet.  The featured plants at the time were white irises, dame’s rocket (hesperis), alliums, centaurea, anthriscus, viburnum, and shrub roses.

Annuals for a White Garden

Ammi majus, false Queen Anne’s lace or bishop’s lace.

Brugmansia, angel’s trumpet.  These tropical plants have downward facing “trumpets”

Catharanthus roseus, annual vinca

Centaurea cyanus, batchelor’s buttons, ‘White Ball’

Cleome hassleriana, spider flower, ‘White Queen’

Cosmos bipinnatus, cosmos, ‘Pure Joy,’ ‘Snow Sonata,’ ‘White Psyche’

Datura meteloides ‘Evening Fragrance’, also known as moonflower, night-blooming annual.  Beware, however, that this is a prolific self-seeder so seedpods should be picked off before ripening.  It is also poisonous, so should be kept away from children and pets.

Euphorbia x 'Diamond Frost,' hybrid euphorbia

Ipomoea alba, moonflower vine, fragrant annual vine similar to morning glories

Lobularia maritima, sweet alyssum

Mandevilla x, hybrid mandevilla vine, ‘Sun Parasol^®’

Mirabilis jalapa, four o’clocks, fragrant, opens in the evening

Nicotiana alata, flowering tobacco, fragrant

Nicotiana sylvestris, woodland flowering tobacco, fragrant

Nierembergia caerulea ‘Mont Blanc’

Nigella papillosa ‘Bridal Veil’

Orlaya grandiflora, white lace orlaya

Osteospermum, African daisy, ‘White Spoon’

Papaver nudicaule, Iceland poppy, ‘Champagne Bubbles White’ (biennial or short-lived perennial, will self-seed)

Papaver somniferum ‘Sissinghurst White,’ poppy

Senecio candicans 'Senaw' Angel Wings

Viola x wittrockiana, pansy, in white

Zaluzianskya capensis, night phlox, very fragrant

Zinna elegans, zinnia, ‘Polar Bear’

Zinnia marylandica, ‘Double Zahara White’

Bulbs for a White Garden

Agapanthus africanus ‘Albus,’ white lily-of-the-Nile

Allium cernuum, nodding onion, ‘Album’

Allium nigrum (spring)

Allium ‘Mount Everest,’ or ‘White Giant’ (spring)

Allium nigrum, black onion, white blooms (spring)

Allium tuberosum, garlic chives (late summer)

Camassia leichtlinii 'Alba' or 'Semiplena' (spring)

Crinum americanum, American spider lily

Crocus speciosus ‘Albus,’ fall blooming white crocus

Crocus vernum ‘Jeanne d’Arc,’ spring blooming white crocus 

Eremurus himalaicus, foxtail lily.  Great for a vertical accent.

Eucomis autumnalis, pineapple lily

Fritillaria meleagris ‘Alba,’ white Guinea hen flower (spring)

Galanthus elwesii, Elwes snowdrop (late winter, early spring)

Galanthus nivalis, snowdrop (late winter, early spring)

Gladiolus callianthus, Abyssinian gladiolus or peacock orchid

Gladiolus x hortulanus, hybrid gladiolus, 'Essential,' ‘White Friendship.’  Plant every two weeks for a succession of bloom.

Hedychium coronaria, ginger lily

Hyacinthoides hispanica ‘White City,’ wood hyacinth (spring)

Hyacinthoides non-scripta ‘White,’ English bluebells (spring)

Hyacinthus orientalis, hyacinth, ‘Carnegie’ (spring)

Hymenocallis maximiliani, Maximilian's spider lily

Hymenocallis narcissiflora, Peruvian daffodil

Iris germanica 'Immortality'

Leucojum aestivum, snowflake, ‘Gravetye Giant’ (spring)

Lilium longiflorum, Easter lily.  Commonly forced into bloom for Easter, the normal bloom time is summer.

Lilium orientalis hybrid, ‘Casablanca,’ highly fragrant.  Indispensable.

Lilium philippinense, Philippine or benguet lily.  A very tall lily for back of the border.

Lilium regale  'Album.'  The pure white version, deliciously fragrant.

Narcissus, daffodil, ‘Falmouth Bay,’ ‘Mount Hood,’ ‘Stainless,’ ‘Thalia’ (spring)

Polianthes tuberosa, tuberose, 'The Pearl,' opens at night, very fragrant

Sinningia tubiflora, fragrant white gloxinia

Tulipa, tulip,  ‘Maureen,’ ‘Mount Tacoma,’ 'Snow Crystal,' 'Spring Green,' ‘White Triumphator,’ (spring)

Zantedeschia aethiopica, white calla lily. Zephyranthes candida, white rain lily

Perennials for a White Garden

Anemone japonica 'Honorine Jobert'

Astilbe x arendsii ‘Bridal Veil,’ ‘White Gloria,’ ‘Younique White’

Digitalis purpurea ‘Camelot White,’ ‘Dalmatian White’

Echinacea purpurea ‘Fragrant Angel,’ ‘Pow Wow White; ‘White Swan’

Eremurus himalaicus, foxtail lily, 'Himalayan'

Gaura lindheimeri, gaura, ‘Whirling Butterflies’

Helleborus niger ‘Jacob,’ 'snow Frills,' Christmas rose

Hemerocallis ‘Gentle Shepherd,’ Heidi Eidelweiss,’ ‘Joan Senior,’ ‘Marque Moon,’ ‘Royal Frosting.’  While there are still no pure white daylilies, these are some of the closest to date.

Hesperis matronalis ‘Alba,’ dame’s rocket

Hibiscus coccineus, swamp hibiscus, ‘Albus’

Hosta plantaginea, plantain lily, ‘Aphrodite’

Leucanthemum x superbum, Shasta daisy

Liatris spicata, blazing star, ‘Floristan White’

Liriope muscari, lilyturf, ‘Monroe’s White’

Muhlenbergia capillaris 'White Cloud'

Phlox paniculata ‘David.’  Pure white flowers, long bloom season and mildew-resistant.

Platydodon grandiflorus, balloon flower, ‘Fuji White’

Salvia nemorosa, meadow sage, Lyrical™ ‘White’

Stokesia laevis, Stoke’s aster, 'Alba,' ‘Silver Moon,’ ‘White Star’

Veronica longifolia, long-leafed speedwell, 'Charlotte,' ‘Icicle’

Veronica spicata, spiked speedwell, Magic Show^® ‘White Wands’

Shrubs and Small Trees for a White Garden

Abelia grandiflora, glossy abelia, ‘Little Richard,’ ‘Prostrata.’ ‘Rose Creek’

Buddleia davidii, butterfly bush, ‘White Bouquet,’ ‘White Profusion’

Clethra alnifolia, summersweet,'Caleb'

Cornus angustata ‘Empress of China’

Cornus kousa

Gardenia jasminoides 'Aimee,' ‘August Beauty,’ 'Radicans,' ‘Veitchii’

Hibiscus syriacus, rose of Sharon, ‘Diana,’ ‘White Chiffon,’ ‘White Pillar’

Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle.’ ‘Incrediball^®’

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Endless Summer^®' ‘Blushing Bride,’ ‘Madame. Emile Moulliere,’ ‘Soeur Thérèse,’ ‘Wedding Gown’

Hydrangea paniculatea ‘Bobo,’ ‘Chantilly Lace,’ ‘Little Lime,’ ‘Unique’

Lagersroemia fauriei 'Fantasy'

Lagerstroemia indica, crape myrtle, ‘Natchez,’ ‘Pixie White,’ ‘Sarah’s Favorite’

Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem,’ 'Teddy Bear'

Magnolia virginiana, sweetbay

Roses: ‘Flower Carpet White,’ ‘Frau Karl Druschki,' ‘Iceberg,’ Rosa banksiae 'Alba Plena,' Rosa moschata 'Plena,' ‘Tranquillity,’ ‘White Drift^®,’ ‘Winchester Cathedral’

Stewartia ovata, mountain stewartia

Gray and Silver-Foliaged Plants for a White Garden

Having all white flowers can become a bit staid, so try adding foliage plants with silver or gray variegated leaves to break it up and keep it lively with clumps of lamb’s ears, dusty miller and artemisia.  It also doesn’t hurt to add a few plants with off-white, or pale-yellow flowers into the mix.  Give it a try and have fun with it!  A white garden is pure magic in the evening.

Artemisia abrotanum, Southernwood, very aromatic

Artemisia absinthium, wormwood or absinthe

Artemisia x ‘Huntington Gardens’

Artemisia x ‘Powis Castle’

Artemisia schmidtiana ‘Silver Mound’

Athyrium x hybrida ‘Ghost,’ silvery fern

Athyrium niponicum, Japanese painted fern

Brunnera macrophylla ‘Alexander’s Great,' ‘Jack Frost,' 'Looking Glass,' 'Silver Heart' or 'Variegata'

Buddleia ‘Silver Anniversary’

Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘Longwood Blue’

Eryngium giganteum ‘Miss Wilmot’s Ghost’

Helichrysum italicum, curry plant.  Borrowed from the herb garden, curry-scented.

Heuchera 'Blackberry Jam,' ‘Glitter,’ 'Sugar Frosting,' ‘Venus’

Jacobaea maritima, dusty miller or silver ragwort (formerly known as Senecio cineraria)

Lavandula angustifolia, lavender

Lychnis coronaria ‘Alba,’ white rose campion

Pulmonaria ‘Trevi Fountain,’ lungwort

Salvia argentea, silver sage

Santolina chamaecyparissus, lavender cotton

Stachys byzantina, ‘Helene von Stein,’ lamb’s ear

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