A Canada Day garden

I have travelled across the country a couple of times over the past 3 months. This is what I do come spring - meet and greet, public speak and visit with so-called ordinary Canadians who love to garden. This is my 'season of learning' - when I have the greatest opportunity to get in touch with the people that I love most of all -outside of family and immediate friends.

One thing that I have learned through my travels is that our tastes in garden design vary from region to region.
Take the 'red and white' Canadian garden.
Chances are, you won't find a lot of the bold, patriotic statements in colour and fashion in the tony neighbourhoods of Toronto or Montreal where landscape architects are the professional 'garden designers of choice'.

In any case, why bother demonstrating your patriotic fervor by planting red petunias among some pumpkin sized rocks that have been painted white? The answer may have less to do with design concepts found in glossy magazines and upscale coffee table books and more to do with your idea of fun.

Yea - fun.

My late father was good at mixing a sense of whimsy and even humour using plants and 'stuff' that he had stored in the barn or the garage. He enjoyed planting up an old horse drawn carriage each spring with marigolds. When he first started Cullen Gardens (the public 'show garden' in Ontario that is now owned by the town of Whitby) he alternated red and white petunias up the lane ... over 1,200 linear feet of the things!!

Whether you like the idea of celebrating Canada Day by planting red and white flowers is beside the point, as far as I am concerned. Truth is, there are a few reasons why you should consider planting either or both red and white flowering plants.

Why 'red' plants?

- Red plants fit into the 'hot' side of the colour wheel and therefore are great for punching up an otherwise dull or unnoticed corner of the garden.

- Red coloured flowers attract hummingbirds. They love this colour - which is why most hummingbird feeders and liquid feed is coloured red. Where flowers are concerned look, for annual petunias, salvia, impatiens, perennial salvia cardinalis, day lilies, and oriental lilies. Tumpet Vine, while more orange than red, is also a good choice. 

- Red is the most dominant colour in the rose world. In other words, if you are looking for a rose that is as reliable a bloomer as they come, look over the selection of red varieties at your local retailer. I still find 'Improved Blaze' one of the best and most reliable climbing roses on the market. (btw - it is still a good time to plant roses and expect a decent show of colour this season).

Why plant WHITE flowers?

- First of all, if you plant white flowers at the back of your yard, it will look bigger.
White has this habit of 'punching up' the colours around it. When cooking, salt will do much the same thing. So, 'white' in the garden is what salt is to the cook.

- Secondly, white is clean and bright.
You would plant white flowering annuals, perennials and shrubs in a garden that may otherwise be in the shade, or on the east side of the house. It is no mistake that Vida Sackville West planted her famous 'white' garden on the east side of the Sissinghurst estate in England. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-sissinghurstcastlegarden/

In the fashion world white is used to give an outfit energy and liveliness. Think of white in the garden much the same way.

White annuals that I recommend you consider for your garden:
Impatiens, petunias, salvia (though some varieties can look washed out) and of course marigolds and zinnias.

White perennials: David Summer Phlox, Gaura, Oriental Lily, Baby's breath.

White flowering shrubs:
Iceberg rose, Moonlight Japanese Climbing Hydrangea, Summer Snowflake Viburnum and Emerald Gaiety Euonymus.

Think that a 'Canada Day' garden is hokey?

I would urge you to reconsider.

Keep your knees dirty this long weekend!!

Mark
www.markcullen.com