In one’s garden, a person may be one’s own artist without apology or explanation. Here is one spot where each may experience the “romance of possibility.”

Inspired by attending a recent gardening symposium and the glorious autumn weather, I’ve been pondering the best way to start my new garden. It is ever so tempting to get out there and tackle all the areas I’d like to change. However, I’m trying to be more patient and wait until I’ve established a design for the entire garden first because there is only one chance for a blank canvas.

Do it once; do it Right

As I walk around my new locality, there are sweeping vistas of beautiful trees, all in magnificent autumn colours, and extensive gardens surround every home. Our town is well known for attractive gardens, and in the street where we live, each garden is different: formal, wild, native, exotic, and eclectic, but most of them are densely planted canopies of shrubs, ferns, palms, native plants, hedges and exotics. It occurred to me that each garden is unique to each site; some were thickly grown with a variety of Camellias in full bloom, Maples, Cypress pines of many styles, Eucalyptus and Teucrium hedges, perennials like Rosemary, and Lavender and many examples of Australian native shrubs and trees. There is one garden that would look right at home in Mexico or Spain with Palms, Yuccas, and Cactus, and it has a retro look; others are more Japanese with gorgeous Maples and weeping Maples that glow in the Autumn light.

“The first purpose of a garden is to be a place of quiet beauty such as will give delight to the eye and repose and refreshment to the mind.”
Gertrude Jekyll

There is a sense in relocating to such an elegant, rich, and prosperous town that we focus on the garden, which is undoubtedly the case here. The status quo will continue for a few weeks while my ideas take shape. I’ve been aspiring to plant a white garden with a monochromatic colour palette of whites with greens, silver, and greys. All the different leaf shapes and varied foliage should create visual interest and add texture and depth. Then the whites of the blooms will glow in certain lights, especially at dusk and in the moonlight.

Gardens are restful to look at. They have neither emotions or conflicts
Sigmund Freud

It is a rare opportunity to design a white garden because various colours exist in the plants already growing, but this is a blank canvas amongst native plants and trees. And, of course, a white garden is not just white but will have varying shades of white in the blooms and blossoms: cream, ivory, stark white, pinkish white, palest blush white, and greenish whites. I aim to illuminate the more stagnant areas and fill them with more light, as white flowers are reflective, self-illuminating and in varied heights.

I am not alone in thinking that white gardens epitomise serenity, tranquillity, and peace from nature’s wildly diverse shapes and textures of plants. Striking shapes like Calla Lilies to delicate lace-like Baby’s Breath, gentle Cosmos, Phlox, Daisies and Snowdrops or White Agastache. Endless choices and abundant shades of green foliage provide the necessary evergreen backdrop.

Inspiration from wikipedia.org “A White and Silver Garden” York Gate Yorkshire UK.

Of utmost importance is to find homes for more of my roses and several white rose varieties are to be transplanted: Pope John Paul 11, Iceberg, Desdemona, Ice Princess, Brilliance, Pascali, Margaret Merrill, and The Wedding Rose. The additional white roses are Blanc Double de Coubert and Quatre Saisons Blanc Mousseux and are at the minute on the wish list. Along with whites I’m not forgetting the stunning Soul Sister, Lady of Shalott and Spiced Coffee roses that will find a new spots in the garden and flourish next season.

Pope John Paul 11 is a luminous white, magnificent rose with lavish petals that shine against the dark green foliage. The size of the blooms is extraordinary, and they sit on the stems for a long time in full bloom. The outstanding feature of this beautiful white rose is the perfume, an intense citrus scent. Bred by the American rose breeder Dr Keith W. Zary in 2006 to honour the late Pope John Paul II. This rose was chosen by the Vatican for the Vatican Gardens in 2013.

Life for me these days is a lot about letting the unknown be wonderful.
Ann Hathaway

Pope John Paul 11 standard roses pictured here are to be planted out and will become a feature of the white garden. It is a unique site because the garden is a border on the corner along the wall surrounding the house so, not visible from the house. Currently these roses are growing in large blue ceramic pots as standard roses but they will be planted out soon as the pots are along the edge of our swimming pool, and I had never intended them to stay in this size pot for too long.

“The rake, the hoe, the shears and the broom lie at the very heart of gardening”
Hugh Johnson

There are many other plants to be transplanted, including Salvia leucantha Velour White, Crepe Myrtles the Lagerstroemia indica Dwarf style currently in pots, Stachys Byzantina Lamb’s Ears, Lavandula angustifolia ‘Arctic Snow’ White Lavender, Alyssum, Carpet of Snow-Lobularia Maritima, and my favourite Pelargoniums. Whether you call them Pelargoniums or Geraniums, these hardy, diverse plants are a must-grow, especially the white varieties: Pelargonium zonale Eclipse White, Regal pelargonium white beauty, Pelargonium hortorum Geranium, Zonal geranium “Rocky Mountain White.

Sometimes, limiting plant selection either by colour or style and having a more restricted choice can create a more pleasing atmospheric garden where the white blooms focus one’s attention. There are many options for adding new plants, including a Callistemon Snow Burst bottlebrush and Snowball Viburnums, as well as other annuals and bulbs.

To create a garden is to search for a better world. In our effort to improve on nature, we are guided by a vision of paradise. Whether the result is a horticultural masterpiece or only a modest vegetable patch, it is based on the expectation of a glorious future. This hope for the future is at the heart of all gardening.
Marina Schinz

There is another exciting aspect to take into account, and that is to build a new garden with as much biodiversity as possible in my small space. I’m happy to report there is little lawn to look after that is less of an ecological drain, but on the other hand, there are a few invasive species present, including English Ivy that will require careful maintenance . Increasing the habitat for pollinators is at the top of my list of tasks and I can see there is less biodiversity here than on the rural farm, so something to aim for going forward.

“Designing the garden is like learning to speak. You begin with odd words learning the individual plants. Then you create a simple phrase, finding two or three plants that look well together, next comes a sentence and finally the complete story.
Beth Chatto