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Post by Tig on May 8, 2017 17:55:44 GMT
Gardeners World presenters have been nominating the plants they think have had the biggest impact on gardens over the last 50 years, and viewers will be able to vote for their favourite later in the year. So far I have not been that inspired by their chosen plants .... so Just for fun, share which plant which you think has had the biggest impact on the way our gardens look today compared to back in the late 1960s, and briefly say why you think this. Only one nominated plant per member of GWD, and once a plant has been nominated it should not be chosen again, as once we have a list of your nominations we will have our own, separate poll for you to vote for your favourite. Thinking caps on dear gardening friends  I will start us off with mine. Hellebores! Why - in my opinion it is the plant that has bridged the gap from the barren winter months to the arrival of the spring bulbs, and so many new varieties have been bred to enable a colourful display and provide early food sources for insects. |
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Post by Rosefriend on May 8, 2017 18:53:55 GMT
Great idea Tig! I like your choice, now to put my thinking cap on! |
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Post by andy on May 9, 2017 6:18:55 GMT
Blimey, this isn't easy. Not sure how long many of the plants have been around and exactly what impact they've had. I could pick my favourites....herbaceous perennials from the daisy family (Rudbeckia, Echinacea, Helenium etc) but that wouldn't be the point.
So i'm going to go for the Dahlia. I can't remember seeing a plant with so many wonderful flower types and colours, leaf shapes, heights etc etc.
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Post by Ladygardener on May 9, 2017 6:58:26 GMT
Good idea for a thread Tig. I'm going to go for Aquilegia, so many different varieties and colours, tall ones, short ones and they bloom for such a long time if dead headed. They're fairly easy to grow from seed and they'll help out by self seeding in the right conditions. For me, they bridge the gap between spring and summer when the perennials kick in. I would'nt be without them in the garden and add to mine every year. |
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Post by Ron on May 9, 2017 9:03:50 GMT
This is the first year that I haven't had many of them but roses have always been my essential plant. So much variety of scent, form and colour, and such a long season if you dead head them.
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Post by Barbara on May 9, 2017 10:08:49 GMT
Clematis, so many seasons are blessed with them, so many types, sizes and shapes, funnily enough I don't remember seeing any when I was young.
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Post by Rosefriend on May 9, 2017 14:50:03 GMT
I am going to go with Lilies. Fantastic varieties these days, including the Tree Lily varieties - Oriental and Asiatic Lilies. They have changed from being a "funeral flower" to a lovely centre piece of the garden.
I am not including Hemerocallis in this although the varieties have also become really lovely.
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Post by Jilly on May 11, 2017 8:22:23 GMT
I think most of my favourites have gone  , but thinking how gardens have changed over 50 years, I'm going to say Poppies and all of the other pollinating annuals. 50 years ago I'm sure my Dad and certainly my grandfather would have pulled them out or sprayed them, because there were so many in the fields and people used to pride themselves on their gardens being very regimented and weed free. Now we have to grow them in our gardens for the bees and the plant breeders have come up with so many new colours and varieties. |
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Post by Tig on May 19, 2017 23:16:27 GMT
Geranium, Jasmine, bagpuss, isabella, maggy, Amber, Auricula, maglonian, Spruance, Chuckles, anyone else want to make a nomination before I do the poll?
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Post by maggy on May 20, 2017 5:45:14 GMT
Well im going for the pansy that flowers its little head off for months also the primula with so many colors in both of these we can have color all over the Autumn Winter and Spring months.
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Post by Jasmine on May 20, 2017 6:59:14 GMT
I'm going for euphorbias - amazing colour range - really easy to take care of...and rabbits don't like them!
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Post by Auricula on May 20, 2017 11:50:20 GMT
penstemon
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Post by maglonian on May 21, 2017 18:40:36 GMT
Not sure if this has changed gardens per se but my choice would have to be Gaura ... so dainty, yet very robust and it just keeps giving
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Post by Tig on May 21, 2017 19:25:21 GMT
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Post by maglonian on May 21, 2017 19:35:03 GMT
Typical of me ... Always late to the party
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Post by Tig on May 22, 2017 9:34:28 GMT
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Post by Ron on May 28, 2017 6:55:32 GMT
It's interesting how tastes vary. Only two of our choices have been chosen by the Gardeners World presenters, dahlias and aquilegias. Some of theirs are much more general as well such as bedding plants and ornamental grasses. Except possibly for Acers which we didn't nominate, I much prefer the choices on GWD. |
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Post by Tig on May 28, 2017 23:39:05 GMT
We had roses in there too Ron  I also think our members choices were better than those nominated by the GW presenters - and the result cannot be duplicated by them |
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Post by Ron on May 29, 2017 5:31:22 GMT
We had roses in there too Ron I also think our members choices were better than those nominated by the GW presenters - and the result cannot be duplicated by them We should obviously be on telly  |
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Post by Auricula on May 29, 2017 8:37:39 GMT
I'm so glad the ubiquitous rose didn't win ( it seems to win every poll going ) I'm not keen on roses  |
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