This Month's Color in the Garden: January 2017-White for Moon Garden

White Flowers for Moon Garden 

The color white is considered neutral in the garden and often radiates a sense of peace, romance and elegance. White blooms and foliage offer contrast in the daytime garden and make other colors "pop", but as darkness approaches they take on yet another role. Plants with white blooms or silvery-white foliage have a tendency to become more prominent during the early dawn and evening hours, and have become quite popular in the design of moon, or night gardens. Moon gardens are designed with plants whose foliage and blooms cause them to stand out at night and can be planned to create a peaceful oasis. Many night-blooming plants, such as Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) have blooms that are white and extremely fragrant, while some blooms, such as petunia, release their fragrance at night. When using foliage plants such as such as Stachys (Lamb's Ear), Dusty Miller or Artemeisia in a moon garden, their silvery-white leaves appears to "glow" in the moonlight.

Moon gate Blithewood Mansion Rhode Island

Hardscape elements can also be added to highlight a moon garden. This rounded structure is known as a moon gate, named for its shape, but would look lovely as an entrance to your night time garden. White gravel paths and lighting can also enhance your space for viewing in darkness. When it comes to selecting plants, Spring blooming flowers with white blooms include Allium 'Mount Everest', Crocus, Hyacinth, Tulip, Lilly of the Valley, Candytuft and Snowdrops. Summer blooming white blooms include Cerastium tomentosum (Snow in Summer), Astilbe 'Visions White', Aruncus (Goat's Beard) and Oriental Lily Cassablanca. Late summer blooms include Dahlia, Montauk Daisy, Echinacea 'White Swan' and Clematis 'Sweet Autumn'. Shrubs with beautiful white blooms include Azalea 'Autumn Angel', Hydrangea 'Pee Gee', 'Limelight', 'Annabelle' and 'Blushing Bride', Viburnum 'Summer Snowflake' and Butterfly Bush 'White Profusion'. For silvery-white to white foliage try Dusty Miller, Lamb's Ear, Artemeisia or variegated plants such as 'Patriot' Hosta, with green and white variegated leaves. There are numerous plants to choose from. Here are some suggested plants with their descriptions. 

Allium Mount Everest Old Westbury Gardens, Long Island, N.Y. 
Plant Type: Bulb, Perennial

Hardiness Zones:  5-9

Height: 3-4' Tall

Lighting: Full Sun-Part Shade
Bloom Time: Late Spring

White Crocus Jeanne D'Arc 

Plant Type: Bulb, Perennial 
Hardiness Zones: 3-8 
Height: 4-6" Tall 
Lighting: Full Sun-Part Shade
Bloom Time: Late Spring

Cerastium tomentosum (Snow in Summer) 

Plant Type: Perennial 
Hardiness Zone: 3-7 
Height: 4-8" Tall 
Lighting:  Full Sun-Part Shade
Bloom Time: Late Spring-Early Summer

Aruncus dioicus (Goat's Beard)

Plant Type: Perennial

Hardiness Zones:  3-7

Height: 4-6' Tall

Lighting: Full Sun-Part Shade

Bloom Time: Early-Mid SummerOriental Lilly Casablanca

Plant Type: Bulb, Perennial 

Hardiness Zones:  4-9

Height: 3-4' Tall

Lighting: Full Sun

Bloom Time: Mid-Late SummerDahlia Garden Planting Fields Arboretum Long Island, N.Y.

Plant Type: Bulb (Variety: Brookside Snowball)

Hardiness Zones:  8-10

Height: 4-6' Tall

Lighting: Full Sun

Bloom Time: Late Summer

Nipponanthemum nipponicum (Montauk Daisy)

Plant Type: Perennial

Hardiness Zones:  5-9

Height: 24-36" Tall

Lighting: Full Sun-Part Shade

Bloom Time: Late Summer-Fall

Hosta 'Patriot'

Plant Type: Perennial

Hardiness Zones:  4-8

Height: 14-24" Tall
Lighting: Part-Full Shade

Bloom Time: Mid-Summer (Light Lavender Flowers)

Dusty Miller

Plant Type: Annual

Hardiness Zones:  8-10

Height: 12-24" Tall

Lighting: Full Sun-Part Shade

Bloom Time: None-Foliage Silvery-White

Stachys (Lamb's Ear)

Plant Type: Perennial

Hardiness Zones: 4-9

Height: 8-12" Tall

Lighting:  Full Sun-Part Shade 

Bloom Time: Early Summer (Purplish-Pink Blooms)

 Summer Snowflake Viburnum

Plant Type: Deciduous Flowering Shrub
Hardiness Zones:  5-8
Height: 6-8' Tall
Lighting: Full Sun-Part Shade
Bloom Time: Late Spring-Summer

 Annabelle Hydrangea

Plant Type: Deciduous Flowering Shrub
Hardiness Zones:  4-9
Height: 3-5' Tall
Lighting: Part Shade
Bloom Time: Late Spring-Fall

Pee Gee Hydrangea

Plant Type: Deciduous Flowering Shrub
Hardiness Zones:  3-8 
Height: 10-25' Tall 
Lighting:  Full Sun-Part Shade
  Bloom Time:  Mid-Late Summer

Old Westbury Gardens, Long Island, N.Y, Springtime White Azalea Blooms

Any combination of plants with the characteristics discussed can be used to help plan your moon garden and bring another dimension to your space. I hope you enjoyed This Month's Color in the Garden. Next up is Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up on the 15th. and Color Our World Round Up on the 30th.

Have you read my book, A Guide to Northeastern Gardening: Journeys of a Garden Designer Zones 3-9, covering plants hardy in a range of zones from 3-9 and gardening techniques? Learn about landscape design principles, butterfly gardening, deer resistant plants, long blooming perennials, globe and weeping evergreens, flowering trees and shrubs, native plantings, shade gardening and more.  Come along on my journey into the world of gardening! To check out the preview at Amazon, simply click on the image or links for details! Also, watch for my second book, soon to be officially announced!

It's official as of January 13th! Read about the launching of my new book: Landscape Design Combinations

As Always...Happy Gardening! 

Author: Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2017. All rights reserved

Hydrangea in Landscape Design

Hydrangea Varieties, Requirements & Pruning 

The next welcome addition to your landscape could be one of the many show-stopping varieties of hydrangea. Hydrangea produces a display of voluminous blooms on large deep green foliage throughout the summer months adding ongoing color and interest to your garden.  There are different varieties of hydrangea that you can choose from that differ slightly in lighting and soil requirements and time frame for pruning.

'Nikko  Blue'  Flower Head

The Mopheads (Hydrangea macrophylla) are the most widely planted hydrangea in home landscapes and are usually blue or pink in color with large leaves.Hydrangea ‘Nikko Blue’ is very well known in the landscape for its large blue ball-shaped flowers that bloom towards the later part of the summer and deepen in color as they mature. ‘Nikko Blue’ Hydrangea does bloom on old wood, which means that if you are looking to prune your plant it needs to be done immediately after flowering before the fall. Hydrangea ‘Nikko Blue’ grows best in moist, well-drained soil in partial shade. It reaches 3-5 feet in height and is hardy to USDA Zone 5. 

Hydrangea 'Endless Summer'

An alternative to Hydrangea ‘Nikko Blue’ is the new culitvar Hydrangea ‘Endless Summer’ which blooms on both old and new wood and ‘All Summer Beauty’ that blooms on the new growth of the season. Both of the later mentioned also have a much longer bloom time and repeatedly bloom throughout the summer. Each of these plants grows to approximately 3-5 feet in height, each grows best in partially shaded conditions (afternoon shade) and moist well drained soil and are hardy to USDA Zone 5. Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Blushing Bride’ in the Endless Summer Collection displays white blooms that turn pink with age.  

 French Miniature Hydrangea macrophylla Pia 'Pink Elf''

Hydrangea ‘Pia’ is a miniature French hybrid with broad pink flowers growing only to 2 to 3 feet in height, a good candidate for small spaces in zones 5-9. ‘Pia’ grows best in partial sun with afternoon shade and prefers a rich organic soil. Pia hydrangea bloom on old wood and generally need little to no pruning; however, if needed, prune immediately after flowering by cutting back flowering stems to a point of healthy buds. 

Hydrangea 'Tokyo Delight'

Another variety of Hydrangea ‘macrophylla’ is the Lacecap Hydrangea that displays a smaller inner circle of lace-like flowers surrounded by a ring of larger showier flowers. A favorite is Hydrangea ‘Tokyo Delight’ that displays beautiful cobalt blue flowers with an inner ring of delicate white flowers, grows to 4-6 feet and blooms late July through August, prefers afternoon shade, moist well drained soil and is hardy to USDA Zone 6. Prune Hydrangea ‘Tokyo Delight’ immediately after bloom since new buds form on the older wood from the previous season.

Hydrangea 'Twist & Shout'

If you like Lacecap hydrangea, new to the Endless Summer Collection is Hydrangea 'Twist & Shout'. Introduced in 2010 this show stopper is the first lacecap variety in this collection and blooms on old and new wood like the others. Lacy deep-pink centers are surrounded by larger blossoms of pink or periwinkle blue depending on pH of the soil. Leaves turn red-burgundy in fall to offer year-round interest in the garden. Hydrangea 'Twist & Shout is hardy to zone 4 and grows to a height of 3-4 feet.

Peegee Hydrangea Tree Form

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’ or the ‘Peegee' Hydrangea is a personal favorite of mine for extremely large pyramidal white blooms in July throughout fall and abundant fragrance in the garden. Hydrangea ‘Peegee’ can be grown as a shrub or tree form and can serve as either a group planting or as a single specimen in a landscape design. Hydrangea ‘Grandiflora’ also grows 3-5 feet or higher in its tree form. This particular hydrangea can grow well in full to partial sun and blooms on new wood. Sent to the US from Japan in 1861 this beauty is a showpiece in the garden

and is hardy in Zones 4-8.

Panicle Hydrangea 'Tardivia'

Panicle hydrangea are known for being the most cold hardy and are very tolerant of pruning.  They can reach a height of ten to fifteen feet or can be pruned to keep more compact.  For a similar look to ‘Peegee’ with creamy-white panicle-shaped blooms and a more open look is Hydrangea ‘Tardivia’. Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ is a newer introduction with beautiful elongated lime colored panicles that bloom in late summer and last through fall. Hydrangea 'Tardivia' and ‘Limelight’ both do best in full to partial sun and bloom on new wood. 

Hydrangea 'Annabelle'

Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’, a native of the U.S., is a more shade tolerant hydrangea that produces showy ball shaped white blooms in summer, grows 3-5 feet in height and is hardy to USDA Zone 3. ‘Annabelle’ blooms on new wood and can be severely pruned in winter in order to restore shape. 

Hydrangea 'Bella Anna' (Endless Summer Collection)

Hydrangea 'Bella Anna' is the first variety of Hydrangea arborescens to be introduced into the Endless Summer Collection.  Bella Anna prefers to be grown in a moist, well-drained soil  in full sun to partial shade.  It is hardy in zones 4-9, grows 3-5 feet in height and is a repeat bloomer. Its strong stalks support huge magenta-pink flower heads and it blooms on new and old wood.

Oakleaf Hydrangea

The last two varieties of hydrangea are Hydrangea quercifolia or ‘Oakleaf ‘Hydrangea and Climbing Hydrangea. The Oakleaf hydrangea serves as an excellent plant for massing in a woodland setting.  The name ‘Oakleaf’ comes from the oak-shaped leaves that turn a bright mahogany red in fall for a brilliant display. The upright panicles of large white flowers appear in June and the plant has a rounded habit, grows 4-6 feet in height and is hardy to USDA Zone 5. Hydrangea quercifolia does well in partial shade in a well drained most soil. This hydrangea blooms on old wood and should be pruned immediately after flowering. Climbing Hydrangea (H. anomala petiolaris) is an upcoming variety becoming more popular in the landscape. As the name implies this hydrangea once established produces vigorous vines and a profusion of lightly scented blooms. 

H. anomala petiolaris-Climbing Hydrangea

 Hydrangea are deciduous and can be complemented nicely by a backdrop of evergreens that serve as a "foundation" for the planting to maintain all year interest in the garden. Arborvitae, Skip Laurel, Cherry Laurel, Holly and Yew are good companions that can serve this purpose. Other companion plants for hydrangea are perennials such as hosta, heuchera (coral bells), astilbe and rudbeckia which can add extra color and interest throughout the summer months.

Endless Summer Collection

Hydrangea has been a favorite plant of gardeners for centuries and will continue to show off their beauty in the landscape. There are selections for every taste and with the new cultivars that bloom on new and old wood pruning is now made easier. Hydrangea can fit into a variety of landscape styles and serve as an excellent addition for color in a partially shaded area. Give this plant a chance to shine in your garden and you will be happy you did!

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My Books on Amazon:

A Guide to Northeastern Gardening: Journeys of a Garden Designer Zones 3-9
Landscape Design Combinations

Author: Lee@A Guide To Northeastern Gardening Copyright 2011. All Rights Reserved.