White Flower Terrace

 In 2016 we decided to expand the white flower garden around the stairs, which consisted mainly of two iceburg roses and a large viburnum along with the usual annuals, to included the next terrace in front of the studio.  Here we had more real estate to have some fun.  I started adding more as each season came and this year it is looking full.  

May 2023

Hardenbergia violacea 'White Out'

This Australian vine-like shrub loves our climate and regularly produces a huge abundance of flowers every January.   That's if you don't prune it too hard.   Only lightly shear to maintain shape.   This is my first time with this white cultivar and it will eventually, next two years or so, climb this arbor leading to the upper terrace of this garden. 

Barbican Centre

 

Plant Profile: Datura wrightii

Up next in my plant profile is Datura wrightii.   I got mine at Annie's Annuals.   My friend Frank calls it a ditch plant and I'm sure he is right.   It thrives in disturb, impoverished soil.  I let a few of the seed heads ripen and toss them about my garden   They will come up where others won't, usually dry, crappy areas.   The leaves are beautiful and is the main attraction for me.  The blooms only last a day or two but are beautiful too.

10 Grey Plants for San Francisco Herbaceous Borders

How can I bring supportive light into my borders, containers and vignettes? Bright white, silver and grey foliage will support any color scheme by reflexing the ambient color of your vignette back to your eye. So what are some good plants for San Francisco?

1) Centaurea gymnocarpa 'Velvet Centaurea' - shrub, with Ricinus communis 'New Zealand Purple'
2) Ballota pseudodictamnus (False Dittany)
3) Onopordum acanthium - Need a character, a real prima donna. Likes to reseed.
4) Stachys byzantina - ground cove
5) Verbascum bombyciferum 'Arctic Summer' - specimen reseeder
6) Artemisia - shrub
7) Dudleya - Succulent for rock wall
8) Cerastium tomentosum - ground cove
9) Dymondia margaretae - tight low ground cover
10) Lychnis white flowered variety- annual (Playing a true supporting role to the Wisteria, Rosa and Iris. Mid-lower right.)

Planting a White Garden on the Pacific Coast

The garden tour is this Saturday.  The Garden Conservancy is hosting it's annual garden tours.  We spruced up this garden for the tour.

Frank and I are leaving early Wednesday and will be adding these plants. I'm so thrilled that I was able to find these gorgeous silver plants from Flora Grubb Gardens:

Stachys 'Bello Grigio'

Barrington Court Gardens

 

Sissinghurst Castle Garden

The second garden on our tour was the impeccable Sissinghurst Castle Garden in Kent. This garden is one of the best, if not the best garden in England. Known for the room division where each room is distinctive in color, texture or theme. Once inside the room, all you see is that room, The Tower and the tree tops from the borrowed landscape of the English countryside.