When it comes to flower color, is there such a thing as a true gray? Imagine our excitement to learn the answer is yes.
The other day our Old Bulbs Gazette newsletter from rare-bulbs supplier, Old House Gardens landed in our Inbox with this bulletin: “Gray is Cool.” The image of a gray flower garden is powerful. Silvery, shimmery, full of the palest blues, dirtiest whites, and duskiest lavenders—I want gray flowers in my garden. We’ve rounded up 10 favorites below.
Iris ‘Florentina’
‘Florentina’ is more widely available in the UK, where a pot of Iris Florentina is £6.99 from Kelways.
Iris ‘Low Ho’
Another silver iris is ‘Low Ho,’ a bearded iris classified as white. It is available from Schreiner’s Gardens, where Low Ho Silver is $7 apiece.
Salvia ‘White Sage’
Above: A 4-inch pot of Salvia Apiana ‘White Sage’ is drought-tolerant and loves hot sun; it’s $8.95 from Annie’s Annuals.
Lily ‘Silver Scheherazade’
Above: Classified as a white flower “with crimson-spotted blooms, Lilium Silver Scheherazade has large, fragrant flowers and is $14.95 apiece from White Flower Farm. A Lilium Scheherazade Fragrant Oriental Trumpet Bulb (as shown) is $23 from Ecrater.
Allium ‘Silver Spring’
Above: Each tiny, whitish flower sports a “distinctive maroon ‘eye’ ” and Allium ‘Silver Spring’ grows to a height of 3 feet; £11 for a pack of three bulbs from Rose Cottage Plants.
Rose ‘Silver Shadows’
Cushion Bush
With flowers that look like tiny silvery, white pompoms, a 4-inch pot of Leucophyta Brownii is $7.95 from Annie’s Annuals.
Agapanthus ‘Silver Baby’
Above: Photograph courtesy of Easy to Grow Bulbs (currently sold out).
Classified as a white flower, Agapanthus Silver Baby is a dwarf variety with tinges of blue-gray on the edges of its petals; available for $9.99 from Kiefer Nursry.
Moon Carrot
A 4-inch pot of low-growing Seseli Gummiferum ‘Moon Carrot’ is $7.95 from Annie’s Annuals.
Silver Brunia
Above: Photograph by Justine Hand for Gardenista.
Native to South Africa, Brunia produces silvery berries after it blooms. A package of 10 Coffee-Scented Seeds is $2.50 from Exotic Plants via Amazon.
Planting a serene color palette? See more of our favorite calm-colored flowers:
- Expert Advice: 10 White Garden Ideas from Petersham Nurseries.
- Garden Visit: Lady Cholmeley’s Modern White Landscape in Lincolnshire.
- Color Story: 9 Favorite White-on-White Garden Palettes.
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