Purple & White Small Garden Ideas

Purple and white small gardens are great for lovers of lavender and lilacpurple flower image by MichMac from Fotolia.com

Purple and white small gardens are popular design ideas for those who love the smell of herbs such as lavender and lilac. While those flowers are highly prized for their ability to grow as borders or in containers, you can use a variety of plants to contribute to the look. Give your garden splashes of purple and lavender by selecting the best flowers.

Ornamental grasses

Ornamental grasses can be grown in small areas to add different layers of texture in the yard. Plants such as the lilyturf give blossoms in the spring that range from purple to white. Other ornamental grasses that can be used are northern lights tufted hairgrass, June grass and variegatum grass. When planting these grasses to establish borders, be sure to plant them in containers so they won't spread to other plants. Choose containers that have half-inch draining holes in the bottom. Because these plants grow vigorously, keep an eye on them to insure they don't take over the yard. In addition, you can plant them in containers for breaking up the monotony of a yard.

Grow vegetables and fruits for an eye-catching purple-and-white yard that creates fresh produce. You can plant eggplant, white pumpkins, ornamental plum trees, turnips, grapes, white carrots and potatoes. While many people worry about having enough space for a vegetable and fruit garden, you can plant many vegetables on trellises and in containers. Grapes are typically grown on trellises or can be attached to the side wall of a home with netting. Create additional space by making stacking garden beds that allow you to amend the soil and have plenty of room for growing.

Perennials are plants that grow in the growing season and die back during the fall, then, when the soil is warm again, they either sprout or their seeds left over from the growing year begin to germinate. Annuals live throughout the growing season and die for good when the weather gets cool. To keep these plants alive, bring them in when temperatures drop in the fall. Some purple and white annuals are orchid bliss snapdragon, bellflowers, pansies and geraniums; perennials include fawn lily, clematis, foxglove and hollyhocks. Spread a six-inch layer of mulch on perennials in the fall to help protect their root systems during the winter months.