Whenever someone asks me, what is my favourite plant, I stumble. As an admitted plant addict, there are so many I love, that I find it hard to choose.
Early in the year come snowdrops, the harbingers of Spring. I particularly love Galanthus ‘Ophelia’, a dainty double (i.e., more than one row of petals). Following soon after are the diminutive delights of spring, colourful crocuses, elegant dwarf irises, pretty Anemones and striking blue Scilla. Then comes the spring smash hit, daffodils. There are countless daffodil varieties, but I have a particular fondness for Narcissus ‘Jetfire’, with its yellow petals and bright orange trumpet that happily grows in a shadier border. It’s worth planting some early season bulbs into pots to sit on an outside table; much easier to view than getting onto your knees and the muddy ground.
As Spring hits its stride, I have countless favourites. The soft tactile Pasque flower, Pulsatilla, the often loud yet elegant tulips, the simple beauty of the common primrose. Blue Hepaticas make me weak at the knees. Sigh. Then it’s Fritillaries, a field of ‘snakes heads’ will bring a squee of delight. Take a deep breath in a woodland filled with bluebells. It’s the only time you really can take in the gentle fragrance a large group of bluebells offer. And let’s not forget alpines that I’ve mentioned previously, a large majority of which flower mid-late Spring. Gosh, I’m spoiled for choice.
By summer I’m all about Alliums (flowering onions). Or sweet peas. Maybe Crocosmia. Geums would like to have a word – don’t forget us! Ok, a special mention for Heleniums, which bring warmth and colour to a border for months on end. Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ is a star, flowering from the beginning of June to the frosts of Autumn, particularly if you dead head (remove) spent flowers. It makes a great cut flower too, and you can give bunches as gifts.
centre Salvia ‘Amistad’, right Salvia ‘Nachtvlinder’.
As summer moves into Autumn, the changing light brings us Japanese Anemones, Passionflowers, and Salvias (sage). I favour blue and purple Salvias. There is the popular tall purple Salvia ‘Amistad’. Popular for a reason, as it blooms for months, though take cuttings as it doesn’t always survive winter. Hardy Salvia ‘Nachtvlinder’ with a mint scented foliage that you note as you brush past it. Angelic Salvia patens ‘Blue Angel’, free and long flowering Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’, and the impossibly gorgeous Salvia guaranitica ‘Blue Enigma’ which I grow in a pot so I can move it back to the greenhouse before the first frosts hit. And we must not forget autumn leaves, offering brilliant colours and a last hurrah as winter nips at its heels.
Winter offers more flowers, colour and fragrance than you might expect. The colours are more muted, but no less delightful. I adore Helleborus ‘Painted Bunting’, its nodding flowers lifting a border as autumn flowers die back. Cut back the old leaves of the Hellebore so you can see the flowers more easily; fresh leaves will grow next season. There are Clematis that flower in winter, including Clematis cirrhosa ‘Freckles’ (because the flower is speckled with pink freckles) which I have in a large planter and loosely trained along some wire on a fence.
For fragrance, sweet box, Sarcococca, or honeysuckle Lonicera fragrantissima, both pack an amazing punch. If you are wandering down a street in winter and something smells delicious, it’s probably one of these two. And if it’s too cold out, you can grow Christmas cactus, Schlumbergera, and Amaryllis, Hippeastrum, inside.
There are just so many plants, how do I choose my most favourite?! Then it comes to me. There is a joke amongst cat people, that the best cat is the one in front of you. There it is. The best plant is the one bringing a smile to my face, at that moment in time.
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*The article title is meant to be ‘the best plant’, not plants. A slight mistake was made somewhere and the extra s was added!