What drives me crazy is when you find someone who likes gardening and you get all excited about talking about your favorite subject and they lead with something like, "I just picked up some petunias to plant" and/or "I just love those impatients" and you secretly think, well, maybe they just like to sprinkle these common annuals in with the rest of their perennials. Maybe there's still a chance at a good conversation? Then you mention the new clematis that you just bought and they say "what's that?" and you know it's over. I'm not knocking other gardeners and their tastes, but it doesn't seem like most people get very much past the surface in gardening and there's so much more!

My tastes have changed plenty over the years, so much so that I just recently ripped out most of my plantings (work on the house made it a good idea anyway) and redid everything. It was like a breath of fresh air. Trying to work from someone else's ideas and make it yours when you move into a house, sometimes its just better to start over. No more boxwoods! No more hostas! No more azaleas! So sick of these! I know some people, even pro-gardeners would fight me for these, but I am just so tired of seeing them in every single yard, I want something different.

On the few tried and true that I did keep, like Lantana, I chose a new variety that I never see around (like Chapel Hill Yellow) or verbena (Blue Princess instead of Homestead Purple). Some oldies but goodies you just can't get rid of!

Hi! I'm still new, but I'm already becoming a snob. I can appreciate impatients and the like, but I've moved into bigger and better things for my garden. How awfully snobby of me!
I love the catalogue and online shopping idea and I automatically gravitate towards the plants I've never heard of and/or those that look unique in shape or color. The crazy number of Dahlias and peonies come to mind. I'm planting some coral and yellow peonies this year. Not that the plants are particularly novel, but the colors are...to me at least.

After reading the horror stories of euphorbia sap related rashes, I am sadly shovel pruning mine tomorrow. I have a two year old who loves kicking the ball around the yard and mine is small enough that it will likely end in that plant.

Also getting rid of most of my roses. Real estate is too valuable and Japanese beetles too problematic.

Oh my, yes. Long, long ago. I do grow some common things because they work for the situation, or because I like them or because my wonderful husband wanted a few of something I could tolerate (iceberg roses). ;-) But I definitely check out the rarely offered, or previously unknown, nursery stock for potential. That is how I develop new favorites! And I don't hesitate to yank things out to make room. Although, I really wish I knew of some folks in my area that would adopt the poor rejects.

The ousted are those that do not make my heart sing when I look at them. They may be thriving, perfectly fine plants, but not my favorites. (Callistemon 'Little John') Or ones that wear me out with their care. (Acanthus and the tall Ruellia. I love their flowers, but they have to be kept in pots due to their invasive qualities. They require almost daily watering.) And the ones that fail to thrive, even after multiple tries in different locations (white-flowering loropetalum).

Perennials don't take up as much room, but I have been known to yank more than a few of those that disappointed, too. But if something does not require loppers and a shovel to get rid of, it falls under general garden maintenance / weeding, and I rarely bother to give it a second thought.

The "common" plants in my garden are here to stay. Please understand that what is common in your area may not be so common in other regions. And your so called "common" plants are reliable performers. They 'pretty' up our common homes and for most gardeners don't break the bank.

Many years ago while I was gardening in South Florida I decided to revamp my entire yard when some new fencing was installed. I hired someone to draw me up a plan that would help solve a few problems I could not get my head around. As we were going to lift and save all the plants I already had I gave her a list of them so she could incorporate them into the design. I also gave her a list of things I did not want and all of them were the old standards that everyone in Florida seemed to plant.
I so did not want a common yard!
So I got all the exotics and "newest and best" varieties and proceeded to fight with them for years to get them to adapt to my particular microclimate.
About three years in I found myself replacing some of the more rare cultivars with old standards, and you know why?
They are common because they work.

Now this is not to say that I do not buy new and improved cultivars and special plants that I baby. But in areas where I don't want to spend inordinate time the oldies but goodies work really well, are next to care free, and give me back some of my time. Plant 'em and forget 'em plants can be wonderfully useful along the back of the border where losing something or having a terrible problem would affect the look of the entire area. Nowadays I tend to save the special snowflakes for the highly visual areas where they give me more bang for my buck.
The special ones are for me- no one else knows or cares that they are new and rare and if I even attempt to explain why this particular plant is special my guest's eyes just glaze over. So I keep them where I will enjoy them.

Since I have moved to this climate I am enjoying a much larger property and have used plenty of more common varieties and natives to build the bones of the yard. I still spend plenty on newer varieties but I have learned to wait a few years and let other folks determine what is weak, what is useful, and what is worthy of my money and space.
I find it terribly hard to toss a living plant purely because I am tired of it- it feels as if I am abandoning an old friend. So I occasionally relocate things to make room for new things and I am grateful to be able to have the room to do so.

So my answer is both!
Yes, I still use common plants and yes, I go for pricey rare cultivars.
And the older I get the more I am drawn to heirloom and species plants whose gentle charm can be easily overlooked. I like looking at the same flowers my g-g-grandmother looked at- I find it calming and peaceful.

The issue for me now is more about continuing to design the ever expanding garden to accommodate all different sorts of plants so everyone can shine!

Not really. Although I'm only in year #2 here. I actually used to hate Hostas because I thought there were only solid green ones and green and white ones, and they were "boring" to me. Now I have a whole Hosta garden (which includes some solid greens and green/white ones, lol). I've got daisies, black eyed susans (the ditch growing variety), ditch lilies, day lilies, lilac and an old hydrangea. Plain purple echs even! I do tend to choose a few of the newer varieties of those (like Hot Papaya and Tiki Torch-Hot Papaya is back, I think Tiki Torch bit it over the winter), as well as the Rudbeckias like Cherry Brandy and Cherokee Sunset. My goal is to have a lovely garden that isn't terribly fussy so I have time to enjoy it rather than run about like a mad woman tending it so I figure the old stand bys are more likely to meet my needs than newer varieties that might not be as easy care or as likely to come back (like my MIA Tiki Torch). I have grabbed a few newer butterfly bushes and would probably replace some of the more blah lavender/purple ones with the more vibrant colors like Red Velvet though.

FYI for those that are shovel pruning, if it's just boring and not invasive, try posting it to your local craigslist or freecycle or seeing if there's a plant swap in your area. All have been invaluable for me as I try to build a garden from scratch (at this time, I have 6 separate beds I've created and one or two left to go). I don't know what I would have done without freebies and inexpensive bulk (annual) seeds from ebay as well as random plant sales people have at thier homes!! Which, actually, is another idea if you're so inclined-sell your "unwanted" if they are good quality plants at lower than nursery/box store prices. I've bought sedum, sea holly, etc for $1-2 a piece from roadside stands...and I'm especially inclined to check them out of the gardens at the home look great.

This post was edited by eclecticcottage on Tue, May 14, 13 at 8:48

My problem is that I LOVE EVERYTHING, almost! I moved into a new home a few years ago and I have lots of room to expand and try things. I think there are places for the tried and true and places for new and exciting. And a place to mix it all up.

A few things I have been doing is trying to grow things from seed. Then when it gets big enough, I plant it in my "nursery garden". Only after its been through one of our Michigan winters will it go into a permanent home. This helps to keep some of the cost down.

I have magazines and a book that I keep in the car, so when I happen to stop at a greenhouse to take a peak, I have a reference to look at if I see something interesting. This helps me from making purchases that will be a waste of money.

I also keep notes and diagrams of my gardens of what is planted and where and make notes of what I think I would like and what did not work. The diagram also helps when the markers of plants may faded or become lost.

Its a continual work in progress but most gardening is!!

Diane

"Yes, I still use common plants and yes, I go for pricey rare cultivars.
And the older I get the more I am drawn to heirloom and species plants whose gentle charm can be easily overlooked. I like looking at the same flowers my g-g-grandmother looked at- I find it calming and peaceful. "

I pretty much feel the same way, if it's common or rare doesn't seem to matter to me, if I like it, I like it :).

Annette

-fun, I was thinking along those same lines the other day. Once you find a plant that REALLY works well for a specific area then find as many different kinds as you can. I've been doing that with Geum lately...or so is the excuse I use to collect more of them ;-D

-cearb, that is what I've done lately too. Plant the tougher, more common stock as a background/filler and for very difficult locations and then save the rarities for the less harsh/closer to the eye locations.

-eclectic, I work at a nursery currently and have really zero time for anything as involved as a plant sale (which I have done before- very fun!). By the time I get home I'm ready for dinner and bed. I gotta take a shower too, but in all honesty oftentimes I would rather skip it and go straight to sleep, LOL.

-gazania, LOL. Who said they weren't reliable?? I'm not attacking anyone's personal tastes here, just asking why you have decided to keep or toss the plants that are used frequently by many...
CMK

When I started gardening, I wasn't interested in common perennials and I didn't anything to do with annuals. However, things change after a few years of gardening in Kansas clay. I might grow iris but mine are not the same color as any of my neighbor's. No one in my block even grows azaleas which is shame. I'm not crazy about groupings of the same color so I don't it but doesn't stop the plant from doing it anyway. The plants I no longer want or have to many of, are sold cheaply or given away on craigslist or freecycle. The economy is still bad and I like to do my part in coloring up a small area in someone yard.

Diane, Iike you I now research a plant before I buy it. I don't want to buy a plant and watch it die because it won't work in my zone. I started doing that when my favorite garden center closed. Before that I never worried if it was going to make it in my garden because the people there were so knowledgeable.

I think what CMK may be saying is that often our tastes change during our gardening career :-) I don't mean this in any disparaging way but as with many other hobbies/avocations, the more time we spend doing it the more knowledgeable we get and sometimes that bumps up our plant sophistication level as well.

I can confess to being a plant snob but I've been doing this both personally and professionally for a long time and my tolerance for the commonplace is often lacking. Typically because the commonplace is so due to its ability to proliferate freely........IOW, they are weedy :-) And as I and my garden matured, maintenance continued to be a pressing issue - too many plants, too little time and dwindling energies. So I eliminated a lot of perennials in favor of those that really sang for me or that offered multiple seasons of interest.

Today, my new gardening space is so limited that I've fined tuned that list down to my 'must-haves'. And there are very few commonplace plants in that selection. But if I had the energy, help and acreage, I might not be so strict or limited in my selection.

I also remember when in hort school the students sharing a list of plants they didn't like (mostly shrubs but a few perennials and trees as well) because they were so commonplace. While a few of them still make the list (tam and pfitzer junipers top it), most of us have relaxed that ban simply because - as noted above - these plants are workhorses and do the job with minimal attention. So common can equate to good :-) Depends on the plant!!

Yes, I have come full circle. The older ones often tolerate heat and drought better and are common because of their hardiness.
Often they smell better and aren't as susceptible to diseases. However, newer varieties of things greatly interest me as they are often much more showy. Just depends on what it is.
I like impatiens, they are a favorite colorful, cheap, shade annual, seed nicely and propagate supremely easily.

I bought quite a few coolwave pansies this year, they were pricey, but just one plant got huge and they were stunning, in pots and in the ground. But they have no fragrance and some of my favorite pansies are deeply scented.

I can't imagine life without masses of azaleas or camellias or hydrangeas...what on earth would be better than those?

Azaleas: I have lots of Encores and all the old favorites and Encores are nice but certainly different from the old which I will always love.

I think the garden world has room for new and old.

I tend to plant what works. I don't really care if it's common or unusual, If it fits with my vision of the mood and color scheme I want, I use it. I do tend to avoid the newest plants since they so often seem to not have been tested well enough for my long cold winters. I get rid of aggressive spreaders and seeders, and I have gotten rid of a few plants that just didn't thrive in my garden. I might be fussier if I had limited space, but I don't live in a typical suburban yard; I live in an old rural area where I don't have too many neighbors with whom I am trying to avoid similarity. So I have a huge forsythia and a variety of common day lilies along with unusual penstemons, Daphne, and Stewartia.

I did not throw away my Jeep Grand Cherokee because so many people have it. I have not stopped wearing jeans because everybody wears jeans. I am not going to throw away my workhorse plants because so many people have the same plant.

If it is a good plant and it makes the gardens pretty new or old it makes no difference to me. My goal is a pretty garden. Someone else may have the same plant but they do not have the same yard or design because everybody's garden is different.

Once you find a plant that REALLY works well for a specific area then find as many different kinds as you can. I've been doing that with Geum lately...or so is the excuse I use to collect more of them

And for me I make the mistake that after discovering a plant looks outstanding in my garden I proceed to buy too many more of this *exact same cultivar* to put in other locations on my property. Most recently I have done this with Veronica "Royal Candles" and Persicaria "Golden Arrow".

I'm more likely to stay with old common plants than I am to fall for some new improved wonder plant, in fact for some I prefer not to trade mine in for some dumpy-dwarf, non fragrant, over-doubled "improved" version. Also as far as the common part goes, seeing it in every other yard is good enough for some plants, but for others I can always make room. I always find a spot for zinnias and bearded iris, but Stella d'oro is close enough when it's across the street.

um, I get bored and curious - a terrible combination. I do have trajectories of plant styles and planting ethics and some years, the dry gravel gardens are more relevant to me than the veggie beds or the late summer borders but could slip into obscurity the following year. As the vast majority of my plants are grown from seed and cuttings, it is a mix of eclectic and ubiquitous - but mostly, plants get changed out fairly frequently because of space and whims. I do make it a rule to grow a couple of plants I have never heard of every year - this year, hermannia stricta and iliamna rivularis.....along with others which I do know, but have never grown before ( campanula sibirica, epilobium angustifolium album, cenolophium denudata).
I don't really care whether a plant is common or not, even if everyone else has it......if I like it and it is suitable, I grow it.

I know the excitement of meeting someone who 'likes to garden'...in particular roses! Then, they say they have 20 roses they just put in, and come to find out they are all knockouts, or likewise, they see gardening as masses of annuals from big box stores. Such a bummer!

But I keep looking and have found one, who gave me a few starts of holly hocks she grabbed seeds from in new zealand! and that keeps me looking for more, though, completely satisfied for this to be a solitary sport. We trade interesting plants, and that sure is fun for both of us!

I keep a few common plants, walkers low catmint comes to mind. They are there 'because I like them'. And I suppose, if i liked the golden yellow of 'stella d'oro' I would plant those, but i don't. Nor the style and colors of knockout roses.

So for me, it is more a decision if i like it or not, rather than common or not. But, I tend to NOT like those plants that come in six packs/annuals.

interesting topic.