I'm frequently accused of not liking flowers, however nothing could be further from the truth. I love flowers. If I could afford it I would buy fresh cut flowers weekly. I just don't garden for the flowers. Meaning I chose plants for the foliage, the flowers are a bonus.
There is one kind of flower I wish I could avoid though, plants that bloom white (bet you thought I was going to say pink? nah, they're fine in the right context). I don't care for white flowers in my garden, or white variegation, or especially white containers. White is extremely stark, too bright. It commands attention through the absence of color, almost reading as a hole in the garden. Yes, I know, technically white is all the colors, but that's not how my eyes see it. If you asked about white flowers I'd tell you there are only two, my magnolias; Magnolia macrophylla (which won't be blooming for several weeks) and M. laevifolia...
The smallest white flowers also may be the ones that make the largest impact in the garden, the tiny blooms of my many saxifrage (this one S. × urbium 'Aureopunctata'). There are literally hundreds of them (maybe thousands?) around the garden right now.
They are a bit much. I will have to start cutting them back soon before they really start to irritate me. Yes I know. But it's my garden not yours, and that's how I feel.
Do you mind white in your garden? Maybe there's another color you try to avoid? (for many people I suspect it would be orange)
One morning a few weeks back—on a bright sunny day—it looked like snow was falling in the garden. White petals from a neighbor's tree were drifting down, it was kind of magic (I'm not completely lacking in romantic imagination).
My oldest mahonia, M. x media 'Charity' (planted on the north side of our house), has reached ginormous proportions. The wind, rain, and heavy fruit load had it leaning into the neighbor's driveway so I trimmed it back last weekend.
The Bit at the End
Speaking of art, and nature, enjoy this gift article from the NYT. At the very least click through and scan the photos: In the German Countryside, a Farmhouse Turned Lush Cultural Retreat.
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Orange, people don't like orange? This cracks me up, I'm firmly with you on "it's my garden, I'll please myself". I'm trying to rid myself of white planters, which at some point I clearly was a fan of. Or more likely they were cheap and I bought them. White blooms, I would guess few - but I'd have to go out for a reality check on that. The Mahonia 'Charity' fruit is glorious!
ReplyDeleteOur tastes definitely change when we can afford to buy what we want, or at least to be a little choosy.
DeleteWhile I claim to favor blue, yellow and green in my garden, there are really no colors I dislike other than possibly some dodgy or muddy browns. I like white in the garden, although I don't like how all whites combine with one another. I feel that many white flowers lift others around them in proper balance. I've never wanted to have a predominately white garden ever, though.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be fun to visit an all white garden, but I definitely wouldn't want to live there!
DeleteI am often teased as to my color selection being first_ white, then orange, then pink or purple... but white is a favorite how it pops against a darker background and foliage!
ReplyDeleteThat it does, if a pop is what you're after then white is definitely a good choice.
DeleteI've teased you about saxifrage flowers before. I guess mine don't bloom as prolifically as yours because I find them a delightful little surprise/extra. They're also sentimental as my childhood garden had them. (And unlike some others, the bloom scapes don't get knocked over if it's windy.)
ReplyDeleteThe color I prefer not to deal with is red, or dark red-orange. Some corals are challenging,
too. To me, red can look muddy, fade into foliage in darker spots, and has numerous different undertones making it harder to blend in. I make occasional exceptions, like early tulips when there's nothing else, or maybe if I do an annual pot and want to do something different.
I like variegation but I don't like yellow/green next to white/green. As far as white flowers, I prefer tinted cream or greenish to stark white but all of them play better with others (and each other) than the reds. I don't mind colorful foliage but it's easy to overdo and then it's too chaotic, same with too much variegation.
It's definitely the quantity of the saxifrage blooms that pushes me over the edge. But I love that plant as a ground cover so what can I do? And yes... the mixing of yellow/green and white/green variegation sends me!
DeleteMy gardening Likes and Dislikes shift with time. I used to not like yellow blooms, or pink... I have both throughout the season. I've been to an all white garden in England: it was pure magic and I was shocked at how much I loved it. Your pictured Magnolia laevifolia is splendid!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of mahonia, I finally located Mahonia eurybracteata of a silver persuasion. I develop a lust for it seeing it on your blog. Are you growing yours in semi sunny locations?
Chavli
Oh yes, you reminded me of a dislike, that school bus yellow of Farfugium or Ligularia... ugh! My Mahonia eurybracteata of silver persuasions (love that description) get morning sun but afternoon shade. Congrats on finding one!
DeleteHeh! Yellow is my "nope" color. I do love my sweet Epimedium sulphureum, however. This year's big question is: will I prune off the flowers on my new Brachyglottis greyi???
ReplyDeleteOh gosh yes, those flowers are UGLY! (well, just my subtle opinion)
DeleteHa ha I love it. I tried to limit color and flowers but orange is definitely allowed and pink, purple not my favorite and to much yellow is hard so many flowers are yellow! The rules have got away from me but I will reel it in someday. I removed red geum because next to yellow I hated it! White in my garden is all in one area (also hard to stick to) My biggest rule /unpopular opinion is no variegation only exception is one hosta that is two shades of green which I love. Scott hates white for all the same reasons you do. Also, wow the fruit on that mahonia! I appreciate your opinions!
ReplyDeleteNo variegation huh? That would be a hard one for me, green on green plants are my fav. Tell Scott I said he's a smart man!
DeleteI like white blooms in the garden but I am not partial to most variegated leaves. The color that never lives in my garden? You are right, orange! I don't wear it and I don't have it indoors either. The other colors I don't like? hot pink and burgundy.
ReplyDeleteHa! Of course now I'm wondering what you think when you visit here and see so much orange...
DeleteI don’t mind white flowers but have to say bright white near creamy white, not so much. Much prefer the shrubs (mock orange and goats beard) when the flowers turn copper brown. Some people don’t like brown flowers? What?? Also, baby blue flowers don’t look so great near my maroon/dark red house. We all have preferences. As you said, it’s your garden, do what you like! Your mahonias are looking great! Fabulous year for them with long bloom time in PDX this year!
ReplyDeleteI know right? Brown flowers are the best! Even my mahonia that were knocked back during the deep freeze of 2024 have recovered, yay!
DeleteHa! I knew there would be a lot of opinions about flower color! I have named my garden 'Orange Vibe' -- gives you some idea of my opinions!
ReplyDeleteI dislike all pure primary colors next to each other. A garden with true blue, true red and true yellow near each other looks like a fisher-price "playground equipment" total disaster to my eye. But the 'right' primary with the 'right' secondary is pure magic -- for example orange and blue, which is the color scheme in my front garden.
I dislike most pinks. Extremely pale (early cherry blossoms) and very deep pink are ok, but everything else, nope!
White and extremely pale flower colors POP in very low light. I normally dislike pastel colors, but when the sun goes down and I want to tour a garden, the pastels (and whites) are the only colors you can see at all!
Klark in Cedar Hills
Right color, right place. I'm okay with most anything, though I strongly dislike certain combinations, like pink and brown, especially those dirty pink magnolias that everyone goes ga ga for in spring - grossbuckets. I also find the harsh, shiny orange of the common California poppies to be slightly nauseating in the wrong context.
ReplyDelete