For me, clematis (mostly group 2). Scraggly, half-dead looking branches, often damaged to the point that you can't believe that something is still growing above them, not being able to support its weight, looking like a mess without good training (and often despite it). But then having huge, beautiful blooms.
Sweet peas. Pretty flowers climbing up a trellis with dead crispy leaves further down. I don't find the scent unpleasant but it's not by any means my favourite. The flowers aren't worth the mess at the bottom.
Some roses have ‘bush beauty’, good shape and well clothed in attractive, healthy foliage. OTOH, there are a lot of stiff, thorny, disease ridden hybrid tea roses that are pug ugly to my eyes, so it does depend on the rose and indeed how you look after it.
I second Mahonias, foliage and flowers both!
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
@WhereAreMySecateurs I love Jane Austen but I don't think there is a plant by that name or maybe a Rose. I am finding this a challenge I can't think of many ugly plants
Variegated leaves with blossom, particularly pink Khaki leaves with pink or orange flowers ( zinnia springs to mind) Many, but not all ,heuchera offend. Hellebores that have gone slushy hard yellows veering towards orange. ( peachy or true orange is often ok ) Dark green leaves with blue blossom ( you know the one I mean)
Hibiscus . Looks half died majority of the time it takes ages to for the leaves to come on which doesn't really make it look much better it just an ugly sod . But the flowers are beautiful
I like cistus! They do very well here; coping with drought and all, so I'm about to add to my collection when I find the ones I want.
This year we had a very wet February and all the days I had free to prune my roses were too wet. Then, in March, all the days I had free to prune them were frosty or had frost forecast overnight so I ended up not pruning any of my roses after deciding to let them grow at will and I'd prune them after the first flush of flowers.
I have ended up with the most beautiful and generous display of fabulous rose flowers held on healthy foliage with no ugly bare or thorny stems and that goes for climbers, ramblers and shrub roses. It is so much better than the usual display that I shall probably repeat the experiment next year.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
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I second Mahonias, foliage and flowers both!
@gardenersuze There is an Emma Woodhouse rose, apparently (https://prideofjane.com/?page_id=99) and a Lizzie Bennet rose (https://www.landhaus-ettenbuehl.de/leshop/rosen/moderne-rosen/beetrosen/4903/miss-elizabeth-bennet), too... apparently Jane Austen is more admired by continental rose-growers?
And of course Jayne Austin rose (https://www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/products/jayne-austin) if you are willing to fudge a bit. 😉
Khaki leaves with pink or orange flowers ( zinnia springs to mind)
Many, but not all ,heuchera offend.
Hellebores that have gone slushy
hard yellows veering towards orange. ( peachy or true orange is often ok )
Dark green leaves with blue blossom ( you know the one I mean)
This year we had a very wet February and all the days I had free to prune my roses were too wet. Then, in March, all the days I had free to prune them were frosty or had frost forecast overnight so I ended up not pruning any of my roses after deciding to let them grow at will and I'd prune them after the first flush of flowers.
I have ended up with the most beautiful and generous display of fabulous rose flowers held on healthy foliage with no ugly bare or thorny stems and that goes for climbers, ramblers and shrub roses. It is so much better than the usual display that I shall probably repeat the experiment next year.