Philadelphia Flower Show - White Plants

 
I always like to find the plants with white foliage at the Philadelphia Flower Show. The choices go way beyond dusty miller and lamb's ear!

There were more than this, but a lot weren't labeled. The huge succulent garden in the entrance had few labels, but I think this is some kind of agave.



This is a border plant that looks a bit like lamb's ear. It's a Senecio. There's a genus with an incredible amount of variation. This is Senecio candidans, Angel Wings



Centaurea are knapweeds, yes like the invasive spotted knapweed. But many are beautiful ornamentals that aren't a problem. Centaurea cineraria 'Colchester White' has really white foliage.


This is a near-white succulent. This is a gasteraloe, a cross between a gasteria and an aloe. Variety 'Green Ice.'



And finally, for today at least, is an Aloe, 'White Fox.'



In other news: Busy day. I made yogurt, refrigerator soup (which turned out yummy), and whole wheat soda bread. I packaged and mailed books. I wrote a newspaper article.

See Meijer Gardens- White Plants

Meijer Gardens - Succulents 2 - White Plants

 
I love white plants. Not necessarily white flowers, but plants that are all or mostly white. Here are three from the visit to Meijer Garden last week.

First is the fairly well known Cocoon Plant, Senecio haworthii. It comes from South Africa, but is very often used in containers or indoor succulent gardens because of its stunning color and big puffy cocoon-like leaves. This one is nice and healthy.



The next two are both cacti in the Mammilaria genus, from Mexico. This one has red spines, Silken Pincushion Cactus, Mammilaria bombycina



This one is even whiter, because the spines are white too, but look at the beautiful magenta flowers! Mammilaria geminispina, Twin Spined Cactus. My guess is there are two spines in each follicle. You think?


I think I can eke one more post out of the Meijer Gardens visit if nothing exciting at home comes along.

In other news: I did moderately well at the show. It was well-organized and I made some new friends. Of course several people wanted to look at my cute little trailer. The roads were clear coming home, so that was a much nicer drive. And... can you believe? I know a small handful of people in all of Baldwin, but as I was driving through town, who should be standing beside the street waving to me but hiking buddy, Sue!

	See From Dark to White
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From Dark to White

 
There are so many things I can show you from the Philadelphia Flower Show, and some fun things have shown up at home too. It's hard to choose what to blog about next. But it's an easy transition from dark plants to white and near-white plants, so that's what you get today.

In fact, there was a garden that was created specifically as a White Garden. Here it is.



At least this garden had all the plants nicely labeled. On both outside edges is Scotch Broom, Cytisus 'Moonlight.' The plant left center with large leaves is 'Looking Glass' Begonia. Right in the center is a Dusty Miller, Centauria cineraria, and behind that with the white puffballs is a dwarf Fothergilla, Fothergilla gardenii.

There were a couple other white plants that weren't in this display, but they would fit well.



This one is Helichrysum thianschanicum 'Icicles' Licorice Plant. And I think the one below, the African Blue-eyed Daisy, Osteospermum sp. would work well, too.



I'm not sure that I would want a garden with all pale flowers, but it has a certain beauty to it. How about you? Would you use all the white plants together for a dramatic swath, or mix them with brighter colors?

See Philadelphia Flower Show 2010 - Textures for a couple more pale plants