I have always loved a green and white flower bed. They are beautiful in the early morning and just as the sun sets. Plus, the simplified color palette emphasizes the shapes and forms of the plants. “Structure is the most important component in a successful planting; colour is important too, but it is a secondary consideration,” wrote Piet Oudolf and Noel Kingsbury in Designing with Plants. A green and white bed celebrates this idea. If you have a patio where you do some alfresco dining, this is a beautiful way to accent a patio. A busy array of contrasting colors isn’t something I’d want on my dining room walls, and it’s not something I’d like around a patio. A calming neutral palette that emphasizes relaxation and structure makes the right backdrop for patio living.
This native plant combination is based on a 10 square foot area, so multiply or divide based on your space. The common rule is 70% forbs and 30% grasses, but in this combination, I’ve leaned towards the flowers.
Rattlesnake master is a unique native forb that has the look of a yucca, but it’s co-evolved with our pollinators. At my house, it’s a flower fly favorite. It doesn’t spread as aggressively as the other, so I’ve included four. It does have deep roots, so if you need to hold the soil down, this is a plant to think about.
Clustered mountain mint is an all-around pollinator favorite. Who needs yellow and purple flowers when you can watch dozens of insect species alight on these blooms with their subtle white/lavender/pink flowers. At my house, the wasps – many different species – are attracted to this plant. I’ve never been stung or felt threatened by them. Not only does this plant live by my patio, I’m constantly sticking my camera in the face of a wasp. This plant will spread though, so I’ve only suggested two plugs. In three to five years, you’ll probably find yourself digging plugs for friends.
Frost aster blooms late into the fall, making it a great forb for those late pollinators and a great backdrop for your fall dining. The flowers are white with yellow centers. This is one that will sometimes show up without you having planted it. It moves about. During the winter, you’ll find nuthatches and cardinals, as well as others, snacking on the seeds.
Side oats grama is the larval host for the skippers, plus the birds will enjoy the winter seeds. While it’s green most of the time, it has a more noticeable bloom than most grasses – a delicate purple and orange.
The picture shows river oats grass with the clustered mountain mint. It’s another grass option that highlights structure over color. You just can't beat the seed heads for interest.
With this combination, you’ll have some subtle colors, but, from afar, this is a white and green bed. The delicate, subtle, and unusual nature of the blooms will be conversation starter for you and your dinner guests.
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is a perfect bush addition to this combination if all you’re thinking about is structure and the green and white theme. However, buttonbush requires lots of water. I grow one in a pot on my patio, but it won’t grow well in the ground with this combination of plants, because these plants prefer lean and dry soil.
Notice too that the blooms happen from late summer through the fall. For your spring dining, there’s much to love about the varying leaf structure in the combination.
Comentarios