Purity and beauty

Peter Dowdall says the simplicity of a white flower is a calming contrast in the garden to an excess of colour.

THE colour white is pure — in all walks of life — but particularly so in the garden. With the riot of colour in the herbaceous borders and bedding, white flowers are refresingly calming. Colour combinations are an obvious consideration when planning a new garden or a new bed, but it can be very effective to concentrate on one colour, in particular white. A white flower border is fresh and calm, enticing the viewer with its purity.

It’s hydrangea time and gardens and hedgerows all over the country are decorated now with large, abundant blooms of blues, pinks, reds and purples, and all shades thereof. I change my mind every day as to which is my favourite; I love all of them. ‘Snowball’ is a beautiful, white mophead variety and ‘White Spirit’ is a lacecap that opens up like the purest work of art, the pale green of the foliage fabulously complementing the intricate white flowers.