Garden Clippings for May 22, 2023

Last year our backyard colour scheme was yellow.  The Ukrainian Crisis prompted us to plant Sunflowers, and we extended the yellow colours in all our containers and through the garden beds around the fire pit and water garden.  Yellow is the colour of cheer and brightness.

Let me put the challenge out to all backyard flower growers to plan their colours with care.  I find that sticking with one or two main colours is neater, more dramatic, and easier on the eyes than a mix of colours.  Each to her own, but a hodgepodge of too many colours and textures may lead to confustion.

In nature, the most soothing colour is green, followed by white.  Green and white are neutralizers and serve to act as a buffer between two competing colours.  White is the sign of purity and cleanliness.  White never offends, but rather it goes with anything.  At sundown, when all other colours recede, white leaps forward and puts on a display that lasts until the wee hours.

The old standbys, Geraniums, Petunias, Begonias and Verbenas, can be depended upon to perform wonderfully in white, but I encourage trying less well-known whites like Angelonia, Lobularia, Sutera and Euphorbia.  All are grown under the Proven Winner banner, which are plants that have been tested and trusted for optimum performance.  Proven Winner annuals are especially suited for containers.

Angelonia or Summer Snapdragon has interesting snapdragon blooms, but smaller, and on upright or spreading stems.  It height reaches 12 to 14 inches, with almost double width, making it a good choice for penny wise gardeners.  Summer Snaps are heat tolerant and can withstand hot, dry conditions.

Lobularia or Sweet Alyssum is a short, groundcover plant with masses of tiny flowers that cover fine textured green foliage.  Use it as a border plant in the garden, or in a container where it can spill over the edge.  Sweet Alyssum is very heat tolerant.  It is fond of water but if it is allowed to dry out, will, quickly bounce back when water supply is restored.

Euphorbia is a fine textured delicate looking plant that packs a powerful punch.  Its size, reaching 2 feet or more, allows it to have a prominent spot.  Pure white blooms dance with the slightest breeze.  If planted in the garden, Euphorbia needs little water.

Sutera, often called Bacopa, has dependable flowers in all colours, including pure white.  In a container, it will not grow higher than 4 to 6 inches, with a width of 2 feet or more.  An interesting feature of Bacopa is that it will not wilt when the plant becomes too dry.

Lamium, one of my favorites, has light green foliage edged in white.  Lamium is a versatile plant that grows in both sun and shade.  Use it as an annual flower in containers in summer, but plant it in the garden in fall where it will behave like a perennial that can be enjoyed for many years.  Flower spikes appearing in summer are a bonus.

Artemesia is a plant grown for its silver white foliage.  It is a tough, upright grower that can persist well after the few first frosts in fall.  Artemesia is a showy plant that can grow to 2 feet in height and width.

Browallia is an easy-care plant that has become a good substitute for shade loving Impatience.  Available in both Violet and White, Browallia can be planted in the garden where it grows upright, or in a container where it will spill and fill a space about 12 inches tall and wide.

The above list of white flowering annuals is not complete but includes my favorites.  Other white garden annuals include Verbena, Variegated Ivy, Cleome, Petunia and of course, Geranium.