Talkback: Most loved plants - Talkback

Gardeners' World Web User

11/02/2010 at 18:53

I love all the plants you mention and find it hard to have a favourite but I do love the good old michaelmas daisy.

Gardeners' World Web User

11/02/2010 at 19:21

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 User

11/02/2010 at 19:36

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 User

11/02/2010 at 21:55

our snowdrops then daffs bluebells cowslips lovely all under trees take some beating in spring.

Gardeners' World Web User

12/02/2010 at 03:56

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 User

12/02/2010 at 06:34

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 User

12/02/2010 at 10:45

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 User

12/02/2010 at 11:33

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 User

12/02/2010 at 11:46

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 User

12/02/2010 at 12:19

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 User

12/02/2010 at 12:19

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.

Gardeners' World Web User

12/02/2010 at 16:51

I adore the bright yellow crocus which opened for the 1st time today, I was so pleased to see it against the cold brown mud I nearly cried. Spring is coming at last!

Gardeners' World Web User

12/02/2010 at 19:56

I love to see the snowdrops growing up through the soil. My favourite plant is the himalayan poppy, but so far i have been very unsucsessful in trying to grow it.

Gardeners' World Web User

13/02/2010 at 15:26

I love the spire growing plants;hyssop, veronica, veronicastrum, foxgloves. I love the smellies; mock orange, phlox, sarcococca.I love the troublefree plants like euphorbia. I love my ivy bush because my robin lives in it.I love the cheerful coloured stems of the dogwoods in winter.I love my quince tree because of the fruit.

Gardeners' World Web User

13/02/2010 at 20:27

I love ferns, in particular the way they unferl there fronds - beautiful. A new favourite of mine is Scabious - Butterfly Blue as I bought 3 last June and they have flowered non-stop ever since, even through the snow! There flowers seem to glow in the late evening summer sun.

Gardeners' World Web User

13/02/2010 at 20:42

Dahlias in all their variety,lavendar for it's perfume,snowdrops as they come through along with the crocus to prove nature really is wonderful, camelia, we have two bushes outside our bedroom window which provide shelter for dozens of roosting sparrows who start chattering as soon as the sun heaves up over the horizon. The only thing I miss out here in France is the 2foot thick stone wall which my greenhouse leant against, my geraniums went on the top shelf until Spring, I've lost them all again this Winter, ah-well back to the drawing board.

Gardeners' World Web User

13/02/2010 at 23:41

My absolute favorite since I was a child gardening, is Godetia grandiflora.I once grew a 20ft border was just those in it.Stunning! I agree with you about Callicarpa bodinieri.var.giraldii,the berries on it very beautiful.I am not a lover of purple colour in the garden but these,and iris,I make an exception for.Also I adore aquilegia.The more the better in the garden!

Gardeners' World Web User

13/02/2010 at 23:45

also, I have a great love of Dicentra spectibilis(Bleeding Heart). Very delicate and pretty growing under my Prunus amanogawa tree.

Gardeners' World Web User

14/02/2010 at 02:51

My Favourites would Have To Be Alliums and the sword lily. :)

Gardeners' World Web User

14/02/2010 at 08:36

I love most plants but especially Roses Peonies,Dicentra Spectabilis Alba, Hellebores,Tete a Tete,Clematis etc etc I absolutely hate "Elephants Ears" and cannot stand the smell of Sweet Peas and you will not find any red flowers in my garden