That's a very difficult question. My initial thought was shrubby salvias, but on a more practical level l think l'd agree with @LG_ and say hardy geraniums.
If we can talk about plant groups rather than one species/variety, ornamental grasses. You could actually make a border with height variation and texture and a very long season of interest with grasses.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
A very difficult question and can be answered in so many different ways.
A plant I couldn’t be without for sentimental reasons so would take with me whenever I moved would be a dark red scented rose which was my Mums. No idea of the variety it’s just Mums rose for me.
A plant that always gives me absolute joy when it’s in flower, and we have lots of them in this garden, is the simple native ox-eye daisy.
Thinking back over the gardens I have had, I can’t imagine not having a tree - quite often they’ve been cherry trees (inherited mainly) but I think a tree would be a must have. But I will cheat and not specify a species.
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
Cyclamen neapolitaneum and Cyclamen coum. Wonderful leaf markings most of the year, no need to cultivate, just plant and they seed everywhere but easy to pull out, flowers from July/August until Jan. and mice love the seeds in the exquisite curly seed pods.
My hornbeam hedge - as it gives me privacy, and filters my neighbours' noise and the fumes from their vehicles.
But I don't think that is the sort of thing you mean, so I will say evergreen ferns, particularly Polystichum varieties. They grow really well in shade with little or no attention, and I just love their growth forms - so beautiful. If I didn't have a sunny south-facing garden I would have lots more.
Heuchera because of the huge range of year-round colour, bee-attracting flowers, easy propagation and general shade tolerance (my main borders are all east-facing.)
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
Heuchera because of the huge range of year-round colour, bee-attracting flowers, easy propagation and general shade tolerance (my main borders are all east-facing.)
I'd probably go for Heuchera (and Tiarella) too. They are perfect for my shady yard.
My very bog standard Purple Loosestrife. It was one of the first plants I planted when I moved into my house, it was planted in completely the wrong place (through ignorance), and according to all the info planted in the wrong growing medium (a free draining topsoil compost mix), yet it thrives, giving me a magnificent display of purple/pink flowers every year which the bees love. It's also disease free and stands up to anything mother nature throws at it.
Daffodils will always feature in my garden. If my next garden could only have one plant that this one has it would have to be daffodils. There are so many others to choose for the rest of the planting. Though I'd be sad about no roses nor hydrangeas.
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A plant I couldn’t be without for sentimental reasons so would take with me whenever I moved would be a dark red scented rose which was my Mums. No idea of the variety it’s just Mums rose for me.
A plant that always gives me absolute joy when it’s in flower, and we have lots of them in this garden, is the simple native ox-eye daisy.
East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
But I don't think that is the sort of thing you mean, so I will say evergreen ferns, particularly Polystichum varieties. They grow really well in shade with little or no attention, and I just love their growth forms - so beautiful. If I didn't have a sunny south-facing garden I would have lots more.