The magical thing about a white garden is the way that it glows in the evening light. As dusk falls, the plants become clearer and brighter. And a white garden need not be pure white - there are a huge range of colours that can be blended together to form the impression of whiteness - creams, greys, silvers, some blues, lilacs, as well as many shades of green from acidic to dark. In fact Vita Sackville West never called her 'white' garden white; she preferred to call it the 'Pale Garden'. So how do you go about creating a garden so beautiful?

Visit the National Trust for details of famous white gardens like the one at Sissinghurst or Hidcote Manor Garden (pictured) and check out the RHS for information on other suitable plants for your white garden.