Winter isn’t really winter without a flush of snow. When the pure white flakes first fall, they clothe our plots with a wonderful white carpet. But as it melts and is trudged away it soon becomes dark and murky. But it’s a reminder how important white is in the winter garden. It’s not strictly a colour of course, but it’s a wonderful theme for a winter garden and there are lots of lovely ways to introduce it into your plot.
White Hellebores
Winter hellebores are a wonderful addition to the garden. Plant them in pots or add them to the front of the border for the best effect. You can even bring a potted hellebore indoors for a few days to make the most of their beauty. Their nodding flowers are best appreciated from below and create virtual umbrellas for our pollinators to feed from the very nectar rich flowers. One hellebore flower has as much nectar as 157 snowdrops. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t grow snowdrops, but if you want to support your pollinators, hellebores are a great choice. For pure white flowers choose to grow the Christmas Rose, Helleborus niger.
Winter white birches
Sometimes we forget what an impact coloured stems and bark make in our gardens and there’s nothing more winteresque than a white stemmed birch. There are many forms of birch, some have pink bark, some have shiny chocolate bark but the best used garden form is Betula jacquemontii. It’s a fabulous choice for a statement tree, especially when grown as a multi-stemmed tree. And surprisingly, birches also have lovely autumn colour, their leaves turning from green into a rich buttery yellow as the season sets in.
Honesty seed heads
If you want an attractive ghostly white effect within the border, grow some honesty. It’s a great plant for pollinators, but it’s the moon like seed heads that create a wonderful winter effect in the garden. Plus, you can pick them for indoor arrangements too. If you want to grow a really fabulous form of honesty, choose to grow Lunaria ‘Chedglow’, it has fantastic rich purple foliage and mauve flowers and is a stunning addition to the garden. Honesty is also another great plant for pollinators.
Bright white lights
These days, you don’t need an outside power source to add lights to your garden. And honestly there is nothing prettier than a bare stemmed winter tree (especially a birch) lit up with white fairy lights. Outdoor battery or solar powered lights are now widely available and will bring to life a feature tree or shrub adding real ambience to a winter scene. Choose warm white for a soft look or bright white light for a more modern look.
Paperwhite narcissi
One of my favourite white winter flowers is the Paperwhite narcissus. I love the creamy white flowers that burst from the fat bulbs in the midst of winter. They are hope in the dark days of winter and hint that spring is really not far away. I grow them in the greenhouse and then bring them indoors when they start to flower so that their rich perfume pervades the room. You can buy ready grown bulbs from nurseries and garden centres, or make a note to buy some bulbs next August and plant them in rustic pots for homegrown festive gifts.
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