There is something magical about a white garden. It has a freshness and purity that is difficult to achieve with other colours.
White planting schemes look chic and elegant without being boring. There is no risk of clashing colours or plants that don’t ‘go’.
This simplicity allows you to achieve more complex design ideas and structure by incorporating plants with different shapes and leaf texture, emphasising height, to bring your white garden to life.
Do bear in mind though that, even though the flower colour throughout is white, all the different leaf shapes and sizes will create a stimulating atmosphere rather than a restful vibe. If peace is what you’re looking for, choose fewer different plants and repeat in large numbers the ones you do choose. Repeat planting a few different plants throughout the whole border will cause the eye to gently roam over them, creating tranquility and restfulness.
Dynamic design
Plan out a new border on a piece of paper before you start planting. It will help you see how much space your plants need to ensure you fill the space without overcrowding.
Here are ten of my favourite varieties you could include:
Orlaya grandiflora (white laceflower)
This delicate variety is a hardy annual that flowers between June and September reaching a height of between 75cm and 1 metre making it an ideal choice for mid border. The pretty flower heads resemble umbellifers.
• Sun – Full sun
• Position – South facing
• Exposure – Exposed or sheltered
• Moisture – Well-drained
• Soil – Sand, chalk or loam
Rhododendron ‘Cunningham’s White’
An evergreen shrub that will add all-year-round colour with funnel shaped flowers appearing in late spring. Growing to over 2 metres tall and around 4 metres wide, this is sure to add some structure and volume.
• Sun – Partial shade or full sun
• Position – South, West, North or East facing
• Exposure – Sheltered or exposed
• Moisture – Moist but well-drained
• Soil – Sand, clay or loam
Delphinium ‘Guardia White’ (Larkspur)
Spires of flowers like delphinium and lupins are great for adding height and vertical accent to borders. This variety has clear, pure-white flowers that appear in early to mid-summer and again late autumn if the spent flower heads are removed immediately after flowering.
• Sun – Full sun
• Position – South or West facing
• Exposure – Sheltered
• Moisture – Moist but well-drained
• Soil – Sand, chalk or loam
Viburnum x burkwoodii ‘Park Farm Hybrid’ (Arrowwood)
This is a hardy woody shrub that produces dense balls of tiny white, scented flowers, resembling snowballs followed in autumn by red fruit, which later turns black.
• Sun – Full sun, partial shade or full shade
• Position – South, North, East or West facing
• Exposure – Sheltered or exposed
• Moisture – Well-drained
• Soil – Clay, loam, sand or chalk
Cytisus x praecox ‘Albus’ (Broom)
A good bushy shrub with slender green stems bearing delicate white flowers in spring. The small flower size provides an exciting contrast to the larger, wider flowerheads of Orlaya.
• Sun – Full sun
• Position – South or West facing
• Exposure – Exposed or sheltered
• Moisture – Well-drained
• Soil – Loam, sand, chalk
Silene alpestris ‘Flore Pleno’ (Alpine catchfly)
A delicate alpine perennial that thrives at the front of borders. It’s evergreen and produces sprays of white button-like flowers throughout the summer.
• Sun – Full sun or partial shade
• Position – South, North, West or East facing
• Exposure – Exposed or sheltered
• Moisture – Well-drained
• Soil – Sand, chalk or loam
Lunaria annua ‘Alba Variegata’ (Honesty)
This spring-flowering biennial produces lovely white flowers and large, patterned leaves. Once happily established it will self-seed freely around the border. In addition, they’re a popular plant for pollinators.
• Sun – Full sun or partial shade
• Position – South, West or East facing
• Exposure – Exposed or sheltered
• Moisture – Well-drained
• Soil – Sand, chalk or loam
Convolvulus cneorum (Silver bush)
This relatively low growing, evergreen shrub has silver leaves and white trumpet shaped flowers throughout spring and summer.
• Sun – Full sun
• Position – South or West facing
• Exposure – Sheltered
• Moisture – Well-drained
• Soil – Sand, chalk or loam
Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Wirral Supreme’ (Shasta daisy)
These gorgeous, sturdy plants, with glossy green leaves and white flowers will attract plenty of pollinators.
• Sun – Full sun or partial shade
• Position – South, East or West facing
• Exposure – Sheltered
• Moisture – Moist but well-drained
• Soil – Sand, chalk, loam or clay
Anthriscus sylvestris ‘Ravenswing’ (Cow parsley)
To provide a darker contrast, add this cow parsley with deep purple-black foliage and flower stems. It’s light, airy, see-through structure and frothy, white flowers, makes it a great choice for repeat planting throughout the border for unity whilst allowing you to still see the other plants.
• Sun – Full sun or partial shade
• Position – South, East or West facing
• Exposure – Sheltered or exposed
• Moisture – Well-drained
• Soil – Sand, chalk, clay or loam
Try white varieties of rose, primula and foxglove for a more cottage garden style. For late summer blooms, plant phlox, dahlias and echinacea. Add spring height with white tulips and alliums.
Border backdrop
To make your white border sing, the white flowers will need a rich green backdrop. The success to a white garden comes from complementing them with foliage plants.
Many people use the classic box plant, Buxus, for a formal garden look but due to major problems with box blight and box caterpillar it’s best to steer clear of planting box at the moment. Fortunately there are many other different choices such as Ilex crenata and Pittosporum which can also be planted in part shade.
For tree height, the silver-white stems of birch add an extra white element, especially B. jacquemontii which has a super-white colour trunk.
The silvery-green leafed Elaeaganus ‘Quicksilver’ is a stunning tree for a small garden. Whilst Stachys byzantina (lamb’s ear) and Centaurea cineraria (dusty miller) both have great pale silver leaves.
Plants with variegated foliage will provide some extra colour and charm too. Ivy, Cornus, Brunnera and Calamagrostis grasses all have lovely patterned leaves.
I like to plant from front to back, starting with the lowest growing varieties at the front and get taller as you go back.
Let me know which white plants are your favourite in the comments or over on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
For more great gardening advice, make sure you head to my YouTube Channel. Make sure you’re subscribed with notifications on so you don’t miss any of my new videos.
Frequently Asked Questoins
1 – How do I start planning a white border?
Begin by sketching the layout of your border to avoid overcrowding and to consider plant spacing, heights, and bloom times. Start with lower-growing plants at the front and build up to taller varieties at the back, using foliage and structure to maintain year-round interest.
2 – What are the best white flowering plants for year-round interest?
Try combining early spring bloomers like white tulips and Orlaya grandiflora, with summer performers such as Delphinium ‘Guardia White’ and Shasta daisies. Add evergreen structure with Convolvulus cneorum or Rhododendron ‘Cunningham’s White’ to maintain appeal in all seasons.
3 – Which white plants are good for pollinators?
Many white varieties are nectar-rich and pollinator-friendly, including Lunaria annua ‘Alba Variegata’, Leucanthemum x superbum, and Anthriscus sylvestris ‘Ravenswing’. These support bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects, adding biodiversity to your border.
4 – Will a white border suit a cottage garden style?
Absolutely. Combine white foxgloves, honesty, primulas, and roses for that quintessential cottage garden charm. White flowers soften the look and tie together different plant types, while self-seeders like Lunaria add a relaxed, naturalistic touch.
5 – What’s the key to a tranquil white garden design?
Simplicity and repetition are key. Choose a limited number of plant varieties and repeat them in swathes across the border. This helps the eye move gently across the space, creating a restful and peaceful garden atmosphere.
David Domoney is a Chartered Horticulturalist, Broadcaster, and Author. David has worked with a number of the UK’s leading garden retailers as a plant buyer and strategic consultant. With more than 30 years experience, in horticulture, David is as passionate about plants now as he was when he bought his first plant at a village fete.
Great pics….inspiring layouts.Liked Viburnum and Ravenswing the most.
In addition to the plants here, I like lirope Muscat ‘Monroe White’, Galanthus nivalis ‘flore pleno’, Hydrangea ‘blushing bride’ and Buddleja ‘free petite snow white’ – also Philadelphia ‘virginal’. I also love the rose ‘Claire Austin’.
Love your ideas for a white border which I really would like to achieve the border I have in mind is east facing and we have clay soil that I have treated with lots of compost and horticultural grit do you think any of the plants you have recommended will work in this border, I already grow ravenswing but in a south east sheltered border
Hi Marnie,
Thanks for your comment. As well as Ravenswing, your garden will also be suitable for Rhododendron ‘Cunningham’s White’, Delphinium grandiflorum ‘Guardian White’ and Viburnum burkwoodii ‘Park Farm Hybrid’. You may be able to plant the others too and the addition of sand or an organic matter may help those less suited to clay to become established. I hope this helps!