I am thinking about doing an all white garden. One of my nieces is named Biancca which means white (derived from the word Blanca). So I was thinking of planting her an all white garden which is going to be a challenge for 2008. What is your favorite flower color and why? I think mines is in the peach-orange family. The colors just make me feel romantic and pretty. It reminds me of the Europe for some reason. I feel whimsical and free when I look at peachy oranges and try to plant the less garish ones in plants. Any drought tolerant white flower tips for my new "Biancca Garden."
I love white and blue flowers in the garden. White blooms look so good against stronger colours and almost seem to glow in the dark when night falls. Blue is such a striking and versatile colour as you can make 'rivers' with small blue flowers (grape hyacinths come to mind) and then have bright colours on the 'banks' like this: My favourite blue flower is the blue poppy:
I just love any blue bloom...so calming. But I love pink too, and I love to add a splash of white here and there too. But my Hummers are attracted to red so I like to add red in planters. I guess I really love all the colors as they all add their bit to the garden. As for drought tolerant white flowers...I love my Phlox! Takes the full sun, little water and doesn't get the powdery mildew like the others.
That is a difficult question, D2D. I love different combinations, Like bright yellow tickseed coreopis with heavenly blue morning glories, or pure white moonflowers against their dark green leaves,or pale lavender. Your idea of an all white garden sounds beautiful especially with dappled shade. I used to have a shade garden with a lot of varigated greens. I missed my garden when I left. Eileen and Netty: your pictures are lovely too.
Oh just make me faint with the beautiful pictures. I think I will try a blue and white garden I am so easy. It feels so cool and calming the blue and white. I like the thought of it. I can't wait till spring to get started.
Gorgeous flower, Eileen. That's one of those Himalayan Poppies isn't it? I really like that shade of blue. Congratulations on winning, and more importantly...on being able to GROW these.
My favourite flower is the Mirabilis jalapa because of it's fragrance and it;s uncanny ability to have flowers of more than one colour on the same plant. I like multiple colours in my flower garden because not any one colour in particular appeals to me more than another.
Sjoerd - I planted Mirabilis this year for the first time and was very impressed with it. It was covered in blooms all summer and it was amazingly drought tolerant. Mine were mostly hot pink, but I had a few with multiple colors like the ones in your second photo. I also ended up with 1 that was pure white and had extra large blooms. I saved the roots because I heard you could treat them like Dahlia's and replant them for quicker results. I also saved LOTS of seed!
Wow Netty! I'm glad to hear that you have tried them. I grow them every year. It id most certainly true that you can dig up the roots and save them over winter, just like dahlias...with great success usually. I have done it in the past; however, I don't dig-up either now and they usually come up again. I always harvest seeds from selected plants, keep them dry over winter and germinate them the following spring. The germination rate is very high. I like to plant in groups of three solid colours and when I harvest the seeds, they give some of the most striking colour combinations. Last year I had one small yearling plant that had 3 different solid colours on it!. Boy was I chuffed! Don't you just love their fragrance in the late afternoon/early evening? Thanks for your compliment, Penny.
Netty, those phlox look terrific. I have a big bunch of them in my flower garden at the forefront. I really lokle phlox...I've never met a phlox I didn't like. heh heh I added a few new ones this year, but the rabbits ate them all right down to the ground!
I am loving the pictures. I love the double colored flowers. I have 4 O'clocks that are like that in the pictures of the mirabilis. I am glad to pick up the tip of saving the root. I usually just let the frost get mines and they do not come back from seed or root. I must not have the same plant. I will pay more attention when purchasing this spring. Hope to see some more pics. Eileen, is that your photo as picture of the month? It is a beauty.
