Botanist's Lens: Moon Gardens

Adding alba, blanca and leuc blossoms for respite after a mundane day.

Magnolia

White flowers are spectacular choices to enjoy during the daylight as they bounce off deep green leaves and other loud colors. But viewing white flowers around twilight or dark is a serene experience of its own. Especially if they are fragrant like Lilium ‘Casa blanca’ or David Austin Tea roses, then walking by them after twilight will make any ordinary late evening aromatically extraordinary!

Lilium 'Casa Blanca' (Superbly fragrant)

Alba, blanca in a Latin name (leuc in Greek) indicates a 'white' color on some plant part. For eg., Quercus alba (White Oak) wherein, 'alba' as in white refers to the silvery white bark striations. Now white Oaks would look great in any yard, but not even closely stunning as some of the Moon garden flowers.

London Town has quite a few swaths of white blossoms. A select few include: Magnolias, Oak leaf hydrangea ‘Gastby Moon’, Lilium ‘Casa Blanca’, Hybrid tea roses, Clematis, Comos, Deutzia, Limelight Hydrangea and many more.

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