Elegance of White Flowers

My most popular talk for garden clubs is one on evening gardens. I touch on the history and design of gardens meant to be enjoyed by moonlight. It’s very romantic (and fun!).

I think white flowers are sort of like the little black dress of garden design. You need at least one and they go with everything. Easy to dress up or dress down with more colorful neighbors, white is a color, like green, where the eye can rest.

There are thousands and thousands of white flowers, but these two hold particular elegance in spring. Eastern shooting star (Dodecatheon meadia or Primula meadia) is an ephemeral native. Its clusters of chandelier-like blossoms are easy to dot around the garden bed. Plus, it is a favorite of queen bumblebees who must shake the flowers to work the pollen out. Who doesn’t want a garden filled with shimmying bumbles?

On the flip side, bearded iris is a tried and true classic. I confess to iris collector tendencies, which are getting harder to meet as the trees get bigger and cast more shade. I’m pushing their shade tolerance, but so far this ‘Immortality’ is holding its own. With a nice fragrance, it might rebloom this fall. The stately frilly flowers are also favored by bumblebees as a hangout. Heck, I’d hang out in there too, if I could.

What white flowers do you adore?