Van Bourgondien

White makes a Sophisticated Spring Statement

All-white gardens seem utterly sophisticated – and they are, in fact utterly beautiful. And unless you are utterly disciplined, they are difficult to achieve. It is so tempting to sneak in a little pale pink, or some blue – and before you know it – there goes the garden!

But somehow, all white spring gardens come easily. Not that spring flowers aren't available in a multitude of colors – but it seems like the loveliest of them are available in white. Plus planting bulbs is one way to avoid that “add a bit of color" impulse. After all – they all look pretty much the same once they go into the ground in autumn. They look – well – gone.

But then the snows thaw, and little green nubs appear above the soil – and the little nubs grow into bigger nubs that one day burst into glorious flowers – and there you have it! A garden of pristine beauty, fit for a bride, or the most sophisticated of gardeners. And the best part is - the flowers arrive so early that you have lots of time to decide whether you want to continue the theme, or begin to add more color as the seasons advance.

For most of us, spring arrives with the Snowdrop. Inconspicuous, unassuming – but totally exciting, because it pops up just when the gardener believes they simply can't survive another day without blooms. Of course the truly impatient gardener has also planted some Helleborus niger 'Raisbuis' – not a bulb, it's true, but an evergreen plant that breaks forth in snowy blossoms as early as Christmas in warmer climates (which is why it is sometimes called the Christmas rose), and by March even in cooler climes. The flowers last for a good two months or more, making this an excellent herald of a great gardening season to come.

Next in line come the crocus. In my garden the tiny snow crocus emerge first, followed by the giant crocus. 'Jeanne d'Arc' is a good white that can be planted by the dozens to make low, glistening masses of white in March.

Other good white flowering bulbs for March include Ornithagalum 'Balansae', at 5" only a whisper taller than the crocus, and Hyacinth'White Giant' – not so gigantic at 8-12" but it quite makes up for it in scent and sheer garden presence.

For height plant early daffodils such as 'Thalia' – one of my favorites with pure white flowers with reflexed petals that blooms prolifically. At about 14" high it tucks in nicely in drifts behind the hyacinths. Other good white daffodils include 'Mount Hood' and 'Tutenkhamun' – both also 14" high but with the traditional daffodil shape and large trumpet, and 'Cheerfulness' – a beautifully scented double that stands from 14 – 18" high with as many as 3-4 flowers per stem. These latter daffodils will bloom from March to April, at which point the tulips can become the stars of the border.

I recommend 'Calgary', a beautiful white triumph tulip that stands a mere 10" high, for the front of the border; in back 'Ivory Floradale' rises to nearly 2', as does 'Maureen', a single, late blooming tulip.

I confess – here is where I cheat a bit. The famed garden designer and writer Gertrude Jeckyll always swore that the true secret to a white garden was that it was not all white. Confusing? Not really. Obviously you will have greens in that garden, since all flowers have foliage. But Gertrude was fond of sneaking in a hint of color, because only in suddenly coming upon a small spot of blue do you realize that it is, in fact, sitting in a garden that is otherwise all white. In other words, the all white garden looks more all-white if you subtly spot in a tiny bit of non-white.

My favorite nominees for this role are both tulips. The first is an early one in every sense of the word – Tulip violacae 'Pallida' is a species tulip, blooming in April and standing a mere 10" high. Mostly white, 'Pallida' introduces an intriguing (and gorgeous!) blue center to your composition, just to make sure everyone pays attention.

Another tulip that I simply can't resist is 'Shirley', which also blooms in April. 'Shirley' is a taller tulip, as 20", and is mostly white – but with this irresistible rim of violet outlining its tips.

There are many so-called minor bulbs that can help fill out the garden in April and May. Spring Snowflakes (Leucojum) are tiny white starry flowers that can make a carpet of 4-6" at the feet of taller plants.

Striped Squill (Puschkinia) is another of those "cheater" plants – while it is essentially white it has the merest stripe of blue down each petal, almost as though it were reflecting a bright spring sky – and I would never be without hundreds of these 6" beauties, both in an all-white garden and anywhere where I can tuck them. Sometimes they escape and make lovely additions to the lawn.

Slightly taller at 8-10", Fritillaria meleagris 'Alba' will bloom from April into May with dropping heads of bell-shaped flowers. Mingle them with drifts of white Muscari 'alba' (Grape Hyacinths), which are about the same height but with an entirely different texture. Underplant them (yes – I said under) - White Anemone Wedding is only 2-4" high – but combine these three beauties in careful drifts punctuated by taller flowers and you have a white carpet worthy of a fine mansion.

These should get your spring off to a very pristine start. If you are fortunate enough, plant your white garden under an old apple tree, like the one that inspired me to write this article. When the white flowers are blooming, and the apple tree blossoms open, then begin to drift down gently to the ground, it truly is a spectacle – enough to make you consider carrying the all-white theme throughout the summer.

Which is a story for another time – but I will leave you with one word of wisdom if you have planted your bulb garden in the shade. Plant hosta. Once your bulb foliage begins to die down it turns yellow and can spoil the garden's beauty. But the hostas, which lie dormant all winter, will begin to unfurl their shelte.