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Talkback: Most loved plants

Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
in Talkback
I love all the plants you mention and find it hard to have a favourite but I do love the good old michaelmas daisy.
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  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    My chaenomeles with its dark red rose like flowers well before the leaves never ceases to disappoint me. It is late this year because of the bad weather but the buds are about to burst. I also love snowdrops in their infinite variety and scrutinise my promiscuous spread every year for a good new one. We usually love whoever or whatever needs us so I expect many peoples' favourites will be the ones that needed them most.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I garden in South Eastern US in Georgia. Solid red clay on Granite. You know I am a garden junkie as I get Gardeners World programs sent to me and I subscribe (at vast expense) to the magazine. My most loved plants are those that survive the ghastly soil and weird weather which alternates between drought and flood and 100 degF and 15 degF. My current, absolute #1 is Elaeagnus pungens 'Clemson Variegated' Variegated Silverberry, Silverthorn. Overwhelmingly sweet perfume in October/November. Great food and shelter for birds and small mammals. Evergreen/grey/yellow and 15ft x 15ft. (I left UK before metrication!) Best "plant it and leave it" shrub ever invented.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    our snowdrops then daffs bluebells cowslips lovely all under trees take some beating in spring.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    our snowdrops then daffs bluebells cowslips lovely all under trees take some beating in spring.
    Btw, awesome post. Waiting for the next post!
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I'm not sure if I'm a true gardener as I don't know all the botanical names for things, but I love sweetpeas (possibly because of a story I read in a Brownie Annual around 42 years ago!), then lavender and it's many varieties. I also love freesias for their awesome aroma but have never grown any and I love anemone de caen for their bright colours.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I think the reason we all find it difficult to name a favourite plant is because they are all favourites for different reasons whereas with plants we hate we generally hate them for the same reason.Plants that herald a new season like snowdrops,tulips, roses, callicarpa, holly give us something to look forward to.Scented plants like freesia, honeysuckle, lavender, lilies often come with memories.Other plants we love just because they survive and grow for us no matter what we or the weather throw at them - daffodils, peonies, hardy geraniums and trees that shower us in blossom, shade and leaves year in year out.Fashion and taste also affect our choice - dahlias, gladioli, chrysanthemum, pinks have all ridden the rollercoaster.
    At the moment my favourite plant would be Fremontredendron 'California Glory'as I look forward to seeing it's swelling buds before it bursts into flower in May and stays in flower until November covering my neighbour's garage wall beautifully.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Its not that bad. Likes are transitory whereas dislikes are permenent. Put the same question to food and it becomes obvious. I love a Mozzerella Basil salad, but not in the snow, but i hate brussel sprouts all year round.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I just love mesembryanthemums, (hope I've spelt it right)! I always do my seeds every year, missed them one year and truly missed them, they are so beautiful and never fail to get a comment from visitors to my patch.
    I also love nicotiana for their fragrance and the milklady always commented on there fragrance early morning. Oooh can't wait for spring/summer!!!
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I love any plants that are in flower for a long time and as you can tell by my blog name I love Dahlia's, not the big blousy ones, but the daisy flowered type like Bishop of Llandaf. Although I have well drained soil I dig mine up in November and store them in pots in the greenhouse. Then in March I bring them back to life ready to plant out in May after the frosts. Two years ago I bought four plants and took cuttings from them and now have twenty. I have also grown Dahlia's from seed, which germinate very well and although they are supposed to be annuals, they still develop a tuber, so I treat these in the same way. Growing from seed you get a varied colour selection of both flowers and foliage from one packet. I now have over forty plants and because I bring them on in the greenhouse they flower from June until the frost comes, usually in November here in the south.

    I can also recommend Gaillardia Goblin, I grew these for the first time last year from seed and they flowered profusely from June until the snow squashed them in Decemmber, even the frost didn't stop them. Every time I looked at the garden they made me smile with their bright yellow and red flowers.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I agree with daintiness and wixy - I love lots of different plants for different reasons - the early spring flowers for hope after the winter, the fragrant flowers for sticking my nose in, the foliage plants like fatsia for interesting shapes,the fruit for being SO much better straight off the plant, the veg for surviving my incompetence and the onslaught of a million welsh slugs, the list goes on.... The ones I love most are those that were presents and remind me of the lovely people who gave them to me. But if i was only allowed one favourite plant it would be alliums - I think I will be eligible for a national collection soon.
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