Plants of the Month: The Whites! (July 2025)

My garden is looking past its best now, as the heat-waves and lack of rain having taken their toll, but these three plants are looking stunning and all worthy of the status of Plant of Month for July 2025.

Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangea)

I remember purchasing this shrub five years ago when lockdown ceased and it was a magnificent specimen at the time. It’s a tough shrub, growing on the north side and under the umbrella canopy of Euphorbia mellifera and completely left to its own devices. I admit to having to cut it back, though, to allow more light to Clematis ‘Betty Corning’ and Clematis ‘Rising Star’. Some white-flowering plants really do suit being in the shade and this is one of them, as the luminous whiteness of the conical, creamy-white flower clusters glow amongst its handsome foliage. In full sun, they could look a bit ‘washed out’. So do get up close and soak up the heavenly honey-fragrance while you can.

Clematis ‘Kaiu’ (V) (a Texensis-Viorna hybrid from Kaiu, Estonia)

Scrambling in and over half my pergola, two vigorous Clematis ‘Kaiu’ (planted for impact), are enjoying the sun whilst stems cascade down over the garden table, their delicate-looking white-blush-mauve, bell-shaped flowers illuminating the shadier areas as miniature candelabras. Simply gorgeous.

Mandevilla laxa (Chilean jasmine)

One of our own, very green-fingered CABAHS members grew my vine from seed a few years ago! I am relieved to say that it’s extremely happy in my garden and just loves its south-facing, sheltered and sun-baked location. Like many vines, it was slow to get going and slow to flower, originally with only two or three flower clusters appearing two years ago (a poor summer) then several more last year (another poor summer) but this year there are simply dozens and dozens of clusters, with up to ten pure-white, perfumed, frilly-edged, flower heads per cluster! It is obviously just loving the summer heat of 2025 (and, I suspect, having the tap close by!). Last autumn, for the first time, several very long, brown seed pods appeared. I collected the seeds!!!

Anna L