totp
Assistant Gardener
Posts: 128
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Post by totp on Jan 4, 2013 13:41:15 GMT
We've had the top ten fave plants so how about the most disappointing plants. I thought about least favourite plants but I think it would be more interesting to think about plants we have or had, that looked good in the catalogues/ garden centre but have let us down:
1 clematis - nice for a month, the rest of the time a straggly mess
2 philadelphus what orange smell? blackfly
3 cotinus purple plants are overrated
4 berberis see above
5 verbena bonariensis lovely plant but doesn't co-operate in my garden
6 cotoneaster car parks
7 hollyhocks flowers look lovely in photos- but the rust...
8 penstemons too much foliage per flower
9 colchicum unnaturally pale
10 bergenia horrible foliage
what do you think? Too harsh?
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Post by Barbara on Jan 4, 2013 14:10:13 GMT
I agree with you on the bergina and the penstamons, and the mock orange I can't smell it either nor does the chocolate plant smell of chocolate, and berberis are not my cup of tea, and like you verbena isn't happy in my garden. but my clem are fine and so are my hollyhocks but my roses always get rust.
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Post by Rosefriend on Jan 4, 2013 15:05:23 GMT
I have to say that my dwarf Philadelphus 'Sybille' has the most wonderful smell - it permeates the whole of the terrace when flowering...I even bought another one as I love it so much, plus it stays small and doesn't go rampant..
It also got the Award of Garden Merit from the RHS..
Clems - prefer 2/3 groups so that they can be cut back and don't get too ratty..
My hollyhocks get a lot of rust but I do like them...
Basically I tend to agree with your list totp...I do see what is disappointing in them..
RF
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Post by Tig on Jan 4, 2013 15:20:40 GMT
I'm quite lucky with clems, most of the ones I've got flower when they should, and a lot will do a repeat flowering later in the season.... they always get fed in February. My penstemons never stopped flowering last year, in fact some are still in bud now. Cut back in spring, but not too hard, and remove spent flowers. I have cotinus coggygria Royal Purple in a west facing border, it is a wonderful contrast with the emerald 'n gold euonymus which is next to it. I agree with you on philadelphus, I can smell the flowers but sometimes it smells more like cat wee than anything else, and always a blackfly magnet, as it the sambucus nigra in my garden. I quite like bergenia in the right place, under a deciduous shrubbery. You see the flowers in spring and the plants are hidden for the rest of the summer. Love seeing other peoples hollyhocks, but like you I always get rust if I grow them. I grew colchicum waterlily this year, loved it! Verbena bonariensis does fine in well drained poor soil here. I've given up on gauras - they don't do well for me. Bearded iris, they are only in flower for a very brief period, but I do love the flowers  . I dislike any plants which are mega-invasive, like the variegated periwinkle and achilleas. Plants sold as hardy which aren't, like callistemons, 'hardy' gerbera and many others which may well be hardy somewhere, just not here. x Tig |
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Post by andy on Jan 4, 2013 17:34:38 GMT
This is more difficult than the 10 faves. There are lots of plants which just don't "float my boat" but i'll have a good think about this one.
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Post by Auricula on Jan 4, 2013 18:23:44 GMT
Roses and clematis just don't like me  |
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Post by Jasmine on Jan 4, 2013 18:30:37 GMT
It tends to be specific plants for me.
I love clematis but really don't like Clematis Josephine - the flowers are very strange, Rosa Alan Titchmarsh is a useless rose for any country that has lots of rain as it balls up and goes mouldy.
We all love and dislike such a range of plants so I guess that's a good thing.
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Post by Geranium on Jan 5, 2013 10:27:52 GMT
I really dislike Leycesteria formosa - we inherited three of them and although they're long gone, I still find odd seedlings. I don't like Iris foetidissima - the flowers are a 'dirty' colour and again - seedlings pop up everywhere. I can't bear the scent of Tagetes, and those scarlet bedding Salvias are a real no-no, although there are some rather pretty purple ones. I've tried growing an Inkarho Rhododendron but it died after one season. The other shrubs that die on me are variegated Pittosporums, although the plain green ones thrive. I've also given up trying to get Tropaeolum speciosum to get going. They just fizzle out. i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/sad.gif Tig is right about Vincas - bad mistake to plant them! i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/rolleyes.gif |
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Post by Ladygardener on Jan 9, 2013 18:30:53 GMT
Gosh Geranium, Leycesteria Formosa is on my wish list. What did you not like about it I wonder.
Hellibores have never really floated my boat. I've given in and bought one last year but I'm still not sure I like them.
There's a tallish spiky yellow plant that I grew once but it was very invasive, not good in a small garden. I would'nt ever grow it again although Jenny likes it in her garden.
I do like the Cotinus Coggygria and most purple plants.
I agree about the Philadelphus but will look out for Sybille and give it a go if I find it.
I'll have to have a think about what other plants I don't like.
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Post by Auricula on Jan 9, 2013 19:02:29 GMT
I don't like... grasses,hostas, heucheras and am not keen on hellebores either. Gauras and verbena bonariensis irritate me cos they always flop over in my garden
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Post by Geranium on Jan 9, 2013 19:08:54 GMT
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Post by Rosefriend on Jan 9, 2013 19:11:44 GMT
Love Leycesteria - had the variegated one and the "normal" one and our winters have killed both..
RF
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Post by Geranium on Jan 9, 2013 19:45:24 GMT
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Post by Rosefriend on Jan 9, 2013 19:48:52 GMT
I think it is marvellous that we are all different, in all walks of life, - we wouldn't have so many choices if we were all the same.
RF
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Post by Tig on Jan 9, 2013 20:08:20 GMT
I have three leycesterias in the garden, and I really like the flowers because they are a bit different. They can get a bit floppy, but I just cut them back. LG shame I didn't know you wanted one, I pulled a young seedling out last year and binned it  They rarely self seed here, too cold most years! It's a good job we don't all like the same plant, there wouldn't be enough to go round ;D x Tig |
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Post by Auricula on Jan 10, 2013 9:13:22 GMT
I love it too - if mine ( a self seeded) has any babies, I'll send you one LG  |
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Post by carolann on Jan 10, 2013 10:51:47 GMT
Everything I planted last year was disapointing for me I blame the horrid weather which we are still getting now its neither one thing or the other everything is in limbo and not sure what to do poor things, but I did do Hollyhocks and rust is a right old problem plus they never get higher than 3' if that in my garden, most clems do well for me except Crystal fountain which just upped and died after a few months, Verbina Bony whatsit is a waste of time in my garden not sure why but I have to treat it like an annual as it never comes back the following year, Viola's grow way to high and flop all over the place but I do like them, at the moment I'm having better luck with houseplants especially Spider Plants which are throwing babies all over the house right now and I just keep chopping them off and throwing them away as there are just too many.
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Post by Ladygardener on Jan 10, 2013 16:06:57 GMT
Thanks Tig and Auricula.  |
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Feb 3, 2013 19:30:45 GMT
Goodo....I do like a good grumble...I will not grow these plants altho I admire them in other peoples' gardens.
1. mahohias
2. busy lizzies (they go slimy at the drop of a hat even without downy mildew)
3. berkheyas (nice enough flowers...horrid prickly foliage)
4. asters...they always seem so wimpy..
5. French 'butterfly' lavender...a bit like gilding the lily...give me bog-basic hardy English lavender anyday.
6. viola labradorica I bought one plant 15 years ago MISTAKE! it seeds everywhere and I've been digging it out of the paving, flower beds, veg beds, the pots and GH border ever since.
7. Oriental poppies...look fabulous for about 3 days...take up too much room and seed everywhere..absolute devils to dig out too.
8. Painted heathers that are sold in GC in winter.
9. roses...pretty in other peoples' gardens but not in mine.
10. anything that's been 'overbred'you know the sort of thing...either massive unnatural looking flowers or strange colour combinations
mind you....I reserve the right to change my mind and grow anything I like. I used to loathe bulbs...but last year I had pot of lilies in the garden and this year I have tiny 'persian pearl' tulips, mini-daffs and grape hyacinths growing in pots.
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Post by Geranium on Feb 3, 2013 19:40:10 GMT
Ooooh, I do agree with you about painted heathers! They should be banned.  |
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. I dislike any plants which are mega-invasive, like the variegated periwinkle and achilleas. Plants sold as hardy which aren't, like callistemons, 'hardy' gerbera and many others which may well be hardy somewhere, just not here.
