7 great ideas for pairing green flowers.

Green and white flowers: 3 scenes from winter to summer.

Green flowers may pair best with the whiteness of their neighbours. It’s a fail-safe pairing, creating a clear harmony in the ornamental garden. Here are three examples to convince you:

Green in winter

Do you have a striking white or green bark in your garden? Consider green flowers to create a very elegant setting around it. For a beautiful winter scene in green and white, rely on the pure white bark of a Jacquemontii birch or the mottled green of David’s maple. Plant a few divine hellebores nearby that will provide the green backdrop: the Helleborus argutifolius (Corsican hellebore) or the Helleborus x sternii which will display its pale green flowers for a long time, between January and April, but also green Oriental hellebores as refined as those with anemone-like flowers or the double-flowered cultivars. Add to this tableau a few fragrance-bearing shrubs with white flowers, perfect in this kind of scene: Sarcococca, Lonicera fragrantissima, or an Abeliophyllum distichum (white forsythia) to herald spring! On the border, a few Snowdrops ‘Flore Pleno’ or ‘Dionysus’ with green centres will also make their mark in the winter cold.

Helleborus argutifolius, Sarcococca confusa, green-flowered double hellebore ‘Guttatus’, Acer davidii and green Oriental hellebore.

… in spring

The winter tableau above continues with the delicacy of spring green blooms, more abundant and utterly charming.
There really is plenty of choice, from sunny, bright spots to shadier areas. Gather in a partly shaded area, for example, a very original Skimmia confusa ‘Kew green’, a Daphne laureola ‘Philippi’ and a few plants of Euphorbia amygdaloides var. Robbiae. A little more in the sun, the subtle green speckling on the petals of Leucojum aestivum will echo the extraordinary green of Chaenomeles speciosa ‘Kinshiden’. Sustain this green enchantment with Clematis armandii, green tulips and Allium such as ‘Ivory Queen’.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Phantom’, white hydrangeas, white lupins, Clematis florida ‘Alba Plena’ and Echinacea ‘Green Jewel’.

… and in summer!

Summer also lends itself to very beautiful compositions incorporating green flowers. They again provide an unrivalled link in this season, and when paired with the whiteness of other blooms, a great delicacy. Here is one option for a border that receives plenty of sun. It is based on a strong presence of Hydrangea paniculata ‘Phantom’, but other Asian hydrangeas would be just as advantageous, such as an Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’ which also takes on a lovely green hue at the start of flowering, or the tangy shade of the Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Green Velvet’, to be planted a little more in the shade. We have surrounded them with a variety of inflorescences to enhance these pale tones: pure white Agapanthus, some white lupins, a very original Clematis florida that can climb a small arch, Clematis florida ‘Alba Plena‘, as well as the green-flowered Echinacea ‘Green Jewel’.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Phantom’, Agapanthus white, white lupins, Clematis florida ‘Alba Plena’ and Echinacea ‘Green Jewel’.

The romantic duo of green and pink flowers

Craft an ultra-romantic border with green flowers: they provide the essential link and blend seamlessly with pale-pink flowering : we are aiming here to achieve a great deal of freshness in the colour palette! Those from spring roses, from pink tulips or late camellias for the candy-pink touch, and for the green flowers, go for a striking tree peony ‘Lu Mu Ying Yu’ (also known as ‘Green Jade’) and a Euphorbia characias ‘Emmer Green’ with greyed-cream variegated foliage and small chartreuse flowers. Here too the delightful Japanese quince ‘Kishinden’ can complete the pretty palette with a gentle touch. Some golden foliage will also highlight the green of the flowering displays, such as Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’, a small grass that takes a long time to establish, but which will be essential to the display with its fountain of linear leaves trailing on the ground. All these plants will thrive in slightly acidic soil.

Cornus kousa “Satomi’, Euphorbia characias ‘Emmer Green’, Paeonia ‘Lu Mu Ying Yu’, Camellia japonica, Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’, Japanese quince ‘Kishinden’.

In a naturalistic garden.

Cottage-style or natural gardens can also welcome some green flowering displays. They will blend very easily with other robust, perennial plants, transporting us to a thriving, nature-connected world. In this case we choose local species with a very wild appearance, such as Smyrnium olusatrum (or perfoliatum), hops and its soft-green cones, and a plant perfect for this context bringing architecture and pistachio-green colour: angelica or Angelica archangelica. To accompany them, a few red yarrow such as Achillea millefolium ‘Red Velvet’ to bring a vibrant energy, wild fennel with yellow flowering, growing tall to match the angelica’s stature, blue flowering displays such as Agastache or a Buddleja davidii ‘Adonis Blue’, and a wild grass such as Melica or Schizachyrium.

Angelica archangelica, Melica ciliata, Humulus lupulus, Achillea millefolium ‘Red Velvet’, Foeniculum vulgare, Smyrnium olusatrum and Agastache ‘Blue Boa’.

Green flowers, purple and beautiful foliage: an endless grace.

Green flowering blends beautifully with all shades of purple. To keep the overall effect fairly bright, however, you should combine some white flowering or opt for green and white flowers. This yields an original, almost sophisticated, border that will be enhanced in partial shade. Astrantias can take centre stage in this display, by choosing among the finest white- and green-flowering varieties such as Astrantia major ‘Princess Sturdza’ and the tall Astrantia ‘Superstar’, and by pairing one with purplish tones such as ‘Moulin Rouge’. The lovely Astrantias will be set against the green backdrop by a ravishing Clematis, the Clematis ‘Green Passion’, and accompanied by light and timeless flowering in colours from bright pink to burgundy: Geranium phaeum, Lysimachia atropurpurea ‘Beaujolais’, and rose ‘Charles de Mills’.

Don’t forget the foliage, including hostas, perfect in a partly shaded space, such as Hosta ‘Neptune’ with undulate leaves, or a Hosta plantaginea ‘Venus’ with a powerful fragrance, which tolerates sun well. Alchemillas will complete this border by bringing the anise-yellow of their flowering and their finely cut foliage.

Astrantia major ‘Princess Sturdza’, Lysimachia atropurpurea ‘Beaujolais’, Hosta ‘Neptune’, Geranium phaeum ‘Samobor’, Clematis ‘Green Passion’, rose ‘Charles de Mills’ and Astrantia major ‘Roma’.

Green flowers on an exotic terrace.

Exoticism loves green flowers. A great many flowering displays bring a healthy dose of escapism in cream and green tones, for example with the very beautiful white Bougainvillea spectabilis ‘Alba’ (Bougainvillea spectabilis ‘Alba’), blazing with whiteness nuanced by green veining, or in the nascent flowering of the Yucca filamentosa. Here, we offer a special terrace setting to feel as if you were on the other side of the world in the middle of the summer holidays! A few Eucomis thriving well in pots join in, deliberately chosen in a purplish shade to provide a touch of contrast, but we could just as well have leaned on the green of the species Eucomis bicolor. Finally, handsome compact cannas such as the Canna ‘Lucifer’, in a distinctly summery orange, as well as a Crassula ovata (jade plant) brought indoors from the apartment or living room complete the decor.

Other options are possible for the terrace or a large balcony, such as the Hydrangea paniculata ‘Little Lime’ displaying its panicles lime-green and thriving in a large pot, or white and green arums ‘Green Goddess’ that flower a little earlier in the season, accompanied by pot-grown agaves or Alstroemerias to choose from among the many varieties, more or less vivid, to suit your taste.

Yucca filamentosa, Eucomis ‘Sparkling Burgundy’, Crassula ovata, Bougainvillea white and Canna ‘Lucifer’.