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my top 9 of 2017

15 comments


Like many of you cutting it down to just 9 is really hard.

Snowdrops and hellebores are in many others lists so I will cheat and leave them out of mine. So Spring has to have the crocus and my favourite is ‘Pickwick’ which I am trying to establish in the grass.

I love all Cyclamen and this is C. hederfolium. It thrives under the beech tree and brings me joy every autumn. Along with its spring cousin C. coum.

This snowflake starts flowering now [Jan 3rd] and is often still throwing flowers out in June.

This Hesperanthus starts in late summer and goes on through the winter and is still doing well. I have several different colours now.

The lilies are a lovely genus and I do like L. martagon as it does very well in partial shade and as I have a lot of that it is a must have plant.

My mum had this rose in her garden and when she died I took a couple of stems. One took and this is grown against the wall of the house. It has Clematis ‘Victoria’ growing with it too.

Paonies were also a firm favourite with my mum. This one which I think is P.lactifolra ‘Sarah Bernhart’ was bought by my brother and me from Woolies back in the mid 70’s. Another plant that was lifted from her garden when she died and given a home with me. There are at least another 4 Paeona species in my garden too.

I love this photo as it has 2 of my favourite shrubs. The Ribes is the fuchsia flowered form. Flowers in spring, loses its leaves during the summer and produces beautiful dark green leaves in the autumn. Thorns are vicious though. The one in the back ground is Skimmia japonica. A good all round shrub. evergreen, scented flowers and berries. Actually thinking about it, it was also a favourite of my mum’s too.

Lots of other plants I could chose from but this was the best in my mind today. Lots of iris, daylilies and many others.

I’ll finish with an annual that was yes mum’s favourite annual for a vase. Nigella. I have always loved it and grew it from seed ten years ago and haven’t had to re-sow since.

Hope you like my selection.

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Comments

 

What a super selection SBG. Your mum would be thrilled with Victoria.

5 Jan, 2018

 

It's plants that have associations with a loved one that can be so special, even if they are often seen. Love the Turkscap Lily.

5 Jan, 2018

 

Its a great selection and its specially nice to have an emphasis on the colder seasons when we need cheering up.

5 Jan, 2018

 

I loved these...that ribes sounds lovely! Im surprised your Hesperanthus is still flowering, mine finished early November when the frosts came. Thar Lilium martagon is just heavenly! I must try to find some of that colour. One of my favourite plants.

5 Jan, 2018

 

Loving your selection, I do appreciate it was difficult to narrow down to just 9! !the Lillie's are beautiful, such colour! we bought the Ribes this year, was rather worried when it lost all its leaves in the summer, but looks very happy now! the Crocus are particularly pretty...many thanks for taking the time to write this blog.

5 Jan, 2018

 

I really enjoyed doing it dd2.
All the Hesperanthus are still in flower but they are looking a little forlorn now. but any splash of colour is worth it at this time of year.
I have many plants with family links be it the name such as Clematis montana 'Elizabeth' and C 'Victoria' [my daughters.

I often wonder what my mum would have made of my girls. Elizabeth has vague memories as she was 3 when my mum died. But photos and stories of her are probably the true memories.

it was so difficult doing this but I tried to chose from different seasons otherwise it could have been all spring etc. I didn't include any ferns or hostas either but don't they make your heart sing when the croziers start to unfurl and the hosta buds start to swell?

5 Jan, 2018

 

A lovely, loving selection.

5 Jan, 2018

 

A very nice selection Seaburngirl, especially the Snowflake which seems to earn its keep well.
Your Ribes is unusual.

5 Jan, 2018

 

SBG, could I ask do you cut your Hesperanthus back in spring? I'm never quite sure what to do with mine when it's finished flowering.

5 Jan, 2018

 

Really gorgeous photos of you favourites, lovely to see.

5 Jan, 2018

 

A really nice selection you have made, SB! ? I'd also be very hard pushed to make a list of my 10 favourite plants as well!

5 Jan, 2018

 

Waddy I just cut the flowering stems back and pull off any dead leaves. I pot up any bits that pull off and they root really easily.

5 Jan, 2018

 

Thank you!

6 Jan, 2018

 

Lovely selection Seaburn, it is hard to choose, I did like the reference to your mum's favourites and family names, I think we do tend to choose plants we remember growing up with, they can have very special memories for us, its always nice to think back, I always wonder if mum is watching me, she loved her garden and mine and I know I have been influenced a lot by what I can picture in my old home especially the perennials...

7 Jan, 2018

 

Lovely selection Sbg. My mum was a rosaholic if that can be a word. Unfortunately I do not know the names of any of them. She grew annuals like asters and pansies but her garden was her time out from the family. When I started gardening I could not wait to share with my children. She did not approve of cutting flowers for the house but made an exception for what she called 'friendship flowers', sweet peas. We were always delivering fragrant bouquets to neighbours or anyone she felt needed a boost.

7 Jan, 2018

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