wedding pressi

[Nicos]

I need you help on this one folks!
Our next door neighbours are getting married this weekend and as they plan to re-do their 2 beds (the garden type!) entirely in white and purple, we thought it might be a nice gift to buy them a selection of shrubs which are very low maintanence and produce white flowers.
I can think of white buddlia, mock orange and not much more! A scented bush would be even better. As we have only just thought up this gift, we don't have long to hunt around,so your help would be v. much appreciated! Ta.

[sewer rat]

White Shrubs

Hi Nicos
You don't say what size of shrubs you are looking for but some I can suggest from personal experience are
Hebe "White Gem" - early summer flowering
Potentilla "Abbotswood" - summer autumn flowering
Spirea "Snowmound"
There are also Olearia's, most of which have white flowers in profusion
Hope this helps a bit
Rat

[nick the grief]

Hi Nicos, how about some roses. I used to have one called the prince, its an english rose and has deep purple flowers and a stunning scent.

http://www.davidaustinroses.com/amer...asp?showr=1161

For white, there must be loads try looking at the rest of David Austins site. You don't have to buy them from him as they are avilable from most garden centres.

[Jaxom]

Azaleas come in white and purple. They will all be in flower in just a few weeks. Lavender is purple. Snowdrops are now on sale in the green so would also be in flower for their first anniversary next year. Forget-me-not is purple blue and flower every May. Alliums come with big purple pom pom flowers. Delphiniums come in white and purple. Lupins come in white and purple.
I have only listed perennials, as I hate having to buy new every year.
I will try to think of some more for you Nicos.
What you are doing sounds wonderful.
Jax

[Lesley Jay]

For roses go to Fryers Roses in Knutsford. My husband turned the back garden into a rose garden last summer and we got all the roses from there.www.fryers-roses.co.uk

[sewer rat]

If you wanna go for perennials, you won't beat llies, iris or varieties of campanula. BothCampanula persicifolia and Campanula latifolia are available in both a white and a blue/purple form.
Back to shrubs - for a different approach you could buy a Ceanothus (Californian Lilac) and once this is established and grown on a bit, buy them Clematis montana alba to scramble through it - could be an anniversary present !
Rat

[Berr]

Nicos,
Suggest: viburnums for scented, white Spring flowers, and the old moss rose "William Lobb". The latter has never been surpassed, IMO, and is guaranteed to delight. You can get WL from Austin's and various other suppliers. Another is the rhododendron "Snow Lady", easy, and reliably prolific in an acid/neutral soil.

[poultrychat]

You can get white and purple lavender, try Norfolk Lavender, or I have a tree in one of my beds, I'm not sure on the spelling but it's something like 'Snowy Melipolis' and it is stunning when in flower early in the year, white flowers

[Nicos]

This is great! My list is getting longer so there must be some chance the local garden centres will have at least some of these plants. Starting to wish It was my garden now!!! At least I'll be able to peep over the fence with a smile. Any more suggestions? I'll print out your ideas and give them the list too. I have tended to keep away from white flowers in the past as they seem to go brown with heavy rain and late frost - have I just been unlucky?

[andrewo]

Lavender

I'd go with lavender, you can get white and purple (remind your neighbours to keep the white regimented from the purple lavender or it tends to regress). This is good plant to have at the edge of the border to act as a small hedge and you can get it relatively cheap and in high quantities.

Andrewo

[nick the grief]

if you've got time (or should that be thyme ) you could grow some lavender from seed, much more personal than just buying them and you can tell them how difficult it was and they'll be even more imressed. I did this for Christmas, I gave some friends (and my mother in law) some home grown Cyclamen and went on about it being a 2 year job to get nice plants - big tick, loads of brownie points

[Nicos]

Well....was all set to go and buy a selection of whites when the neighbour's friend told me that they have decided to do just one border in the white and purple plants and in the border next to ours plant plum trees instead. 'How lovely' was my 1st reaction and then....
It's our north facing side, but if they plant trees grown on typical rootstock the trees could grow 15-20ft high and put the whole of our garden into shade As they are not gardeners, they would probably pick up the first 2 or 3 trees they find. Oh dear. Feel guilty now .
So I did some research on plum trees and found a mail order company who sell plums on pixy rootstock - 7 to choose from- so promptly ordered 3!!! They only grow 6ft high and 6ft wide and are all self pollinating. Thought some of you with small plots/gardens would be interested in the site.(got about 60 apples to choose from too!)...www.blackmoor.co.uk
Will still give them the list of plants you have all recommended!