IN THE GARDEN MAY ALL YOUR GROUND COVERS BE WHITE.

Byline: JOSHUA SISKIN

Even though it does not snow in Los Angeles, there is one ground cover that produces lots of white flowers this time of year, giving you tantalizing, sentimental illusions of winter.

This ground cover is white lantana, currently sparkling with clusters of flowery snowflakes under pine and cedar trees at the Getty Center in Brentwood. Frequently, I am asked what ground cover is suitable for planting under pines and cedars and now I have an answer: white lantana.

To be fair, the pines and cedars at the Getty are young, and the pines have been pruned bare on the bottom half of their trunks. In other words, plenty of sunlight reaches the lantana, which is a sun-loving species; once these trees have matured, and less light is available underneath them, a more shade-loving ground cover will no doubt come into play.

Not to fear; the Getty landscapers have also provided a solution for the common conundrum of selecting species suitable for planting under mature trees. Four species capable of handling a fair amount of shade are planted under mature trees at the Getty: India hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis), mock orange (Pittosporum Tobira), star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides), and Asian jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum).

Asian jasmine is a dark green, diamond-leafed ground cover with a formal look; it also grows slowly and is much easier to control than its more widely planted star jasmine cousin. Speaking of star jasmine, the 'Tricolor' variety of this plant is on display at the top of the central garden. New leaves appear pink and white before turning green.

It should be noted that all the Getty trees are well-pruned, a fact that should not be lost on the average homeowner. Mature trees really should be pruned annually, both to prevent breakage of crowded branches and to allow adequate light to reach the shrubs, perennials, ground covers, and lawns below.

On the steps leading up to the museum entrance, the problem of large container planting has been solved with the simple combination of trailing rosemary and sweet alyssum. Inside, some containers feature 'Limelight' and gray-leafed helichrysum varieties together with gray-leafed, burgundy-flowered Geranium sidoides, while still other containers have white Sasanqua camellias surrounded by needlepoint ivy.

The central Getty garden consists of two parts: a stream garden, which contains a series of beds on either side of water running downhill, and a bowl garden, composed of circular beds surrounding a pool that contains a maze of azaleas.

Considering that December is just a few days away, it is remarkable how much color is on display in the Getty garden, including 'Red Cupido' roses, purple heliotrope, glorious angel trumpets (Brugmansia), blue forget-me-nots (Myosotis), golden orchid vine (Stigmaphyllon), black-eyed- Susan vine (Thunbergia), and purple-leafed, lavender-flowered grand crinum (Crinum asiaticum cuprafolium).

A few plants owe their prominence to the dazzling colors of their stems. 'Yellowtwig' and 'Redtwig' dogwood (Cornus stolonifera cultivars) are in a completely leafless state, which only enhances their barks' brilliance; the stems of one 'Redtwig' rise up to meet the similarly colored clusters of pendant 'Gardenmaster' fuchsia blooms. Euphorbia tirucalli 'Sticks on Fire' is a succulent known as pencil tree on account of it being nothing but a series of jointed stems; here, the so-called pencils have pink, yellow and orange coloration.

TIP OF THE WEEK: If you have container plants that are cold sensitive, move them next to the walls of your house and/or under a porch or patio roof. Such measures will increase the night temperature around your plants by several degrees, enough to prevent damage on freezing nights.