THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 23, 1996 TAG: 9606210102
SECTION: HOME & GARDEN PAGE: G1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Robert Stiffler
LENGTH: 61 lines
THE WHITE GARDEN at Sissinghurst Castle is among the most beautiful in England, perhaps the world. It has inspired many other white gardens, including one at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C.
When construction began on Biltmore's 250 rooms in 1890, George Washington Vanderbilt employed Frederick Law Olmsted, this country's premier landscape architect at that time, to provide landscaping befitting the mansion.
Olmsted designed an English-styled four acre garden to produce fruits, vegetables and flowers for the home. At Vanderbilt's request, the Walled Garden, easily visible from the mansion, was to be a ``garden of ornament rather than utility.''
In 1993, a decision was made to add a white border to the east wall of the Walled Garden. Garden Supervisor Suzanne Habel said: ``There are lots of white plants on the market now, and there are really no rules on how to use them. The most important goal is to have plants that will start early and bloom until the first killing frost. Be sure to include shasta daisy, candytuft and butterfly bush. White and silver foliage plants also qualify.''
Habel and her staff include Darwin hybrid tulips, double narcissus and hyacinth for spring blooms. Silvery dusty miller and delicate dianthus provide the next color and return each year in more profusion.
``If you have shaded areas, the visual experience of a white border garden is amazing, especially its cooling effect on a hot, summer day,'' Habel said.
Ellen Blair, Biltmore's garden crew leader, offers these guidelines for successfully creating a white border garden:
Select a shady or semi-shady location. Whites appear more vivid in shade, and a combination of shade and sun allows for a wider choice of plants.
Take a soil sample to know whether you need lime. Be sure to correct the texture of the soil by adding compost or peat moss. Good drainage is mandatory for good flower growing. Spread a generous amount of 8-8-8, 10-10-10 or flower food over the garden and spade in before planting.
The side of a house, fence or wall makes a good backdrop. Place taller plants to the back of the border, reducing plant height toward the front. Grass can serve as a natural border or create an edge of bricks, rocks, steel or timber.
Choose plants that bloom white or have variegated or silvery foliage. Include bulbs, annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees. Plant white-blooming bulbs this fall for early color next spring.
Check the flowering time of plants to ensure continuous blooms. Dianthus, candytuft, woodland phlox and foamflower are good for spring. Perennials like garden phlox, butterfly bush, baby's breath (difficult to grow in this area) shasta daisy and dusty miller are reliable for summer. Add white caladiums, salvia and impatiens in masses for highlights. Use Japanese anemone, chrysanthemum and asters for fall.
Follow planting directions precisely. Plants can be very small when planted, but they will grow into the size shown on their label. Crowded plants will suffer and will often have to be thinned. Be prepared to thin all perennials every two to three years.
Water and fertilize regularly.
Check weekly or more often for bugs and diseases.
Within a few weeks you should have a white garden that, with a little attention, will last for years. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by the Biltmore Company by CNB