Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
christinmk

Your Favorite Plant of 2010

A brand new year for brand new plants!!!! ;-) Thought it would be interesting to share what our favorite plants of last year were (2010 if anyone forgot, lol!). It can be annual, perennial, shrub, anything.

Here was our "Favorite Plants of 2009" thread in case anyone wanted to take a look back.

For some reason it was really hard for me to pick out a favorite this year. There were so many great ones.

OK! Here it is Corydalis 'Berry Exciting' (in background). SO impressed with this plant. It held is bright golden foliage all the growing season. Planted it in early spring and it kept blooming until frost! It may not bloom as much once it "settles in" next year, but you never know.

{{gwi:194526}}

Honorable mention goes to Geum rivale 'Flames of Passion'. Aint' she a beauty?!

{{gwi:194527}}

Geranium yoshini 'Confetti' and G. renardii were amazing plants- though I better make sure they make it thru the winter before saying how much I liked them, lol.

How about you guys? What was your favorite plant of last year? Pics very welcome.

Any major duds? For me that would be Anemone multifida 'Anabella Deep Rose'. Think it needed a bit more drainage- it died out not long after planting.

Also didn't care for Heuchera 'Miracle'. It grew wonderfully large, but was kind of ugly. You know how you make too much guacamole for a party and the next day you go to get some and see it is a nasty brown/green color? For some reason that is what this Coral-bell reminded me of, a big bowl of bad guacamole. At least the summer foliage looked like that, don't know if it is nicer in spring. Another negative about 'Miracle' was it got rust on the undersides of the foliage. Maybe moving it to a sunnier site next year would improve that...

CMK

Comments (14)

  • gardenweed_z6a
    13 years ago

    Gaura lindheimeri 'The Bride' hands down the most spectacular bloomer in the garden. By happy accident, I planted it with Russian sage and they made a stunning combo. The gaura bloomed non-stop right through the worst drought I can recall and all the way to Thanksgiving.

    {{gwi:194528}}

    {{gwi:194529}}

    {{gwi:194530}}

    I submitted that first picture to Botanical Interests and they posted it on their website page for Gaura lindheimeri 'The Bride.'

  • audrey_gw
    13 years ago

    I really liked the leaves of lunaria Rosemary Verey, which I think is a biennial rather than a perennial. As I just started it from seed in 2010, it hasn't bloomed yet. But it would be worth growing just for the foliage alone. About the only problem with it is that those hairy leaves tend to catch any straws floating past.

    {{gwi:194531}}

  • christinmk z5b eastern WA
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    -gardenweeed, your gaura is lovely. How long have you had it? I've always loved the look of Gaura, but have never been able to get it to make it thru our wet winters ;-(

    -audrey, that really is a nice foliage color. And I thought Lunaria was annual!! Very neat.
    CMK

  • Thyme2dig NH Zone 5
    13 years ago

    CMK-that leaf/flower color combo on the Corydalis is very cool! I just WS that Geum (thanks for the seeds!!) Now I'll really be hopeful for sprouts.

    Gardenweed, don't you love those happy accidents. That combination really is beautiful.

    Audrey, did you pair that interesting foliage with any other plants in particular?

    I got a plant mis-labeled as Aruncus from a nursery and it was definitely a Ligularia. I think it was on the Name that Plant forum that they said it looked like 'Cafe Noir'. I wish I had bought 3 of them since I was immediately drawn to it at the nursery. Hoping to get some plants from seed this year. The underside of the leaf has such great color.

    {{gwi:194533}}

    {{gwi:194534}}

    And I really can't say enough about butterfly bush 'Lo and Behold'. These shrubs bloomed their heads off well into Oct. This photo was from Oct 23. The shrubs really did stay nice and small. Very nice to use in a mixed perennial border.
    {{gwi:194535}}

  • christinmk z5b eastern WA
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    -Susan, let me know how that Geum does. A seedling from my Geum 'Cooky' came true, so it will be interesting to see if that one does too. If not I will send you a chunk- it matured very fast and Geum like to be divided often anyhow ;-)

    Love your Ligularia (and thank you for those seeds ;-) Did yours have that golden/bronze coloration in spring that so many sites show? Or are they exaggerating again?

    Great pics!
    CMK

  • arbo_retum
    13 years ago

    thank heavens for google, which enabled me to find my original GW post for this plant. Unfortunately, GW does not spend money to provide us chronological or searchable listing of our posts.

    Anyway, Heartthrob Viola was my heartthrob of the year!
    best,
    mindy
    www.cottonarboretum.com/

    Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:194520}}

  • hostaholic2 z 4, MN
    13 years ago

    For some reason I neglected to get a picture of it but I really loved my angelica gigas last summer. It's biennial here so last summer was the first time bloom in my garden. I'm hoping for lots of seedlings this spring.

  • whaas_5a
    13 years ago

    Not sure if Cool Splash was 2009 or 2010 for its mainstream release. This pic is from late in the season...situated in full sun.

    {{gwi:194536}}

    Here is a link that might be useful: My 2010 Winner

  • spazzycat_1
    13 years ago

    Here's a few. I've always had problems growing Heuchera until the new H. villosa hybrids were introduced. These are rapidly becoming one of my favorite plants for the shady garden. Here's Heuchera 'Pistache' with Eurybia divaricata (formerly Aster divaricata).
    {{gwi:194537}}

    Here's another, Buddliea 'Miss Ruby'. It was free-flowering all summer, only requiring a bit of a snip here and there. Butterfly magnet and got no larger than 4'.
    {{gwi:194538}}

  • mnwsgal
    13 years ago

    How can one choose a favorite? My favorite is the one that catches my eye at the moment. I don't have many photos from last year as my camera broke but DH took a few.

    From spring

    Allium and Salvia 'Caradonna'
    {{gwi:194541}}

    Gooseneck loosestrife Mindful of the propensity of running amok in the garden, this plant is in a pot sunk in the garden.
    {{gwi:194543}}

    Geum 'Blazing Sunset' a bright spot in my red bed
    {{gwi:194544}}

    Clematis 'Bushy Blue Bell' this is a shrub clematis that is more blue than the photo indicates and blooms from spring until frost.
    {{gwi:194545}}

    Brugmansia
    {{gwi:194547}}

    Through the fall

    Miscanthus 'Purpuresance'

    {{gwi:194549}}

  • arbo_retum
    13 years ago

    hmmmm mnws, i'm going to look for that bushy blue bell. YUMM!!
    th you,
    mindy

  • Campanula UK Z8
    13 years ago

    Rehmannia angulata was one of the plants of the season for me - on and on. Also, mimulus aurianticus, Linum Gemmell's Hybrid and the amazing and huge althea cannabina - just off the top of my head since my memory is rapidly being eclipsed by anticipation of this season. Oh yes, Nicotiana suaveolens.

  • christinmk z5b eastern WA
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    -mnwsgal, nice pics. Love that allium/salvia combo. Have to say that 'Caradonna' is a favorite of mine too. So much nicer than 'May Night'. Nice Geum too ;o) I tried that one years ago and it died out over a wet winter. How long have you had yours?

    -campanula, that Althea cannabina looks interesting- don't think I have seen it before. Nice delicate texture too!
    CMK

  • mnwsgal
    13 years ago

    Geum 'Blazing Sunset' was started from seed spring 2009. Last year was first year of bloom.

Sponsored
Landscape Concepts of Fairfax, Inc.
Average rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars17 Reviews
Northern VA's Creative Team of Landscape Designers & Horticulturists