What do you love, but would never grow

[andy]

There are several plants which are absolutely gorgeous to look at....but in my humble opinion, are a total waste of time and space for what they give you in return.

I appreciate that most shrubs and herbaceous don't flower for very long but i have 3 plants that i just love the look of when in flower but don't last for very long at all

1) Gladioli. All the work that goes into producing a stunning spike of flowers that lasts for two weeks....they don't even put a second flush of flowers up.

2) Peoney. Gorgeous gaurdy massive flowers, last a week or two...less if the weather's bad (which it usually is)

3) Lupins. An incredible array of stunning colours which do have the advantage of a second flush after the main. Maybe it's a bit unfair to include this because the leaves can also look nice but not in my garden they won't

Discuss

[Tig]

I agree on the glads, but they are pretty. I have planted loads of gladiolus callianthus this year and very few have flowered so they are crossed off my list now! Lupins always get those huge greenfly in my garden, so I gave up on them. Eccremocarpus Tresco Cream, not a lot of reward for a long wait!

I like growing things which I find attractive, even if they are short lived - I still look forward to them coming out, provided that they perform year after year

[Weeterrier]

Well, Andy, I DO grow my first nominee, but only because I cannot manage to get rid of them.
Opium poppies. Utterly gorgeous, then there is the choice of a scabby mess or a great bare patch.
Fancy flowering Cherries. Again, gorgeous till the first gust of wind, which is usually straight away.
Crocus. Too wet up here, they are flattened as soon as they peek out of the soil.
And my latest one, tomatoes. Especially this summer. They just take up too much space in the greenhouse, for too little return. If next summer is the same as this one. Rain, rain and more rain, I will stop growing anything under glass, for eating anyway. I'd rather fill the greenhouse with tender flowers.

[Chuckles]

Peoney is on my list too although I do have them in the garden, Mmmm bit of a contradiction to the thread title I know but I would not plant new ones. I have about 4 dotted about but can't bring myslef to get rid

Oriental Poppies, again I have them but wouldn't plant more because of the short life they have, usually due to rotten weather. They also take up loads of space with leaves. I have dug up a couple of clumps this year to make room for plants with a better return.

I love to see Perrywinkles, evergreen and lovely trumpety flowers but they are sooooo invasive. Now have a small variety in a pot and it drapes over the side beautifully.

I'm sure I have more plants I love but would never grow, will have to pop back when they spring to mind

[Barbara]

oxalis, because the one i planted takes over, and i would never again plant kaffir lillies for the same reason.

[bagpuss]

I love gentians but after have no success with keeping them going, I can't bring myself to try again. The same with lithospermum.

[Weeterrier]

Isn't it strange? I have just pulled out a Lithospermum, because it was growing a meter in every direction Life ain't fair

[bagpuss]

So true WeeT

[Ruthie]

I won't grow delphiniums, because of slugs and my poor soil, much as I love them. I also won't grow Phlox 'cos they just sit and look veeeery sad!! Must be loads of other things but that's all I can think about at the mo.

[Weeterrier]

I'm with you on the Delphiniums. They are so lovely

[purplejulia]

I planted several gladioli and never had any leaves let alone flowers. Delphiniums don't last and the ones I had last year looked sad and manky so won't try them again. I also planted some phlox this year and nothing appeared so I really don't know what is going on!

PJ

[beanie]

I love to see the japonese anemomes. but I won't spend anymore money, as every time I plant one it never comes up the following year. also I'm thinking of pulling out my trandescantia, with all the rain they've just flopped over

[Cheerypeabrain]

Anything that takes up too much room in our small garden is a no-no reeeeeeally.... the echium pininana's day's are numbered as we speak. Like Chuckles I won't grow oriental poppies because they're thugs. Hollyhocks are another plant I can't accommodate...last year we had to pull out Hollyhock 'Magic' despite it being beautiful...it swamped everything else.

I really love trees....but apart from a small container grown dwarf apple, we just haven't got the space.

[Ladygardener]

I've had a think about this one,I love the big plants like the hollyhocks giant delphinium and those thistle like plants (forgotten the names). Also like the look of brugs and the banana plants oh and big ferns, I would'nt have room for any of these in my garden but I think they're all smashing.
On a smaller scale I really like the calendula but this is the 2nd year growing them and yet again they've gone mouldy. I'm not sure if I will perservere next year.

[Weeterrier]

LIDL had banana plants today, beauties, for £1.74 . I didn't buy one though.

[4pygmies]

I really love all the tender exotics like Musas etc but I can't have them in my garden a) because they don't really look right in a native garden, especially one as tatty as mine ;D, and b) because I just haven't anywhere to overwinter them successfully......Cheery gave me a beeeoootiful red Musa which I slowly murdered..eeh the guilt.... And I keep on trying with carniverous plants because I love them too but they never look as if they are enjoying my tender care...sigh...

[Ruthie]

Aug 12, 2008 23:07:54 GMT Weeterrier said:

LIDL had banana plants today, beauties, for £1.74 . I didn't buy one though.

Well done WT. There's hope for you yet!! ;D ;D

[Weeterrier]

I had to go again for milk, Ruthie, and I wasn't tempted AGAIN

[JennyWrenn]

Aug 11, 2008 21:41:47 GMT Weeterrier said:

I'm with you on the Delphiniums. They are so lovely

I have one in a pot - a bright blue one - that comes up year after year - protected from slugs

I would love to grow Lupins, tried once, slugs got them
Just a stalk left standing in the garden but I did see it in flower the night before

Peonies - beautiful delicate flowers - soon over tho

Glads - love them but all that staking - I have some Green Glads not come up this year cos of my Witch Hazel overhanging them

[Amo]

I'm sure I'll eventually have things to add to this list but at the moment I'm on a learning curve. This garden is almost opposite of any other I have gardened and I'm finding things I had loved and given up on doing well and things I took for granted having to struggle.

C'est la vie.

[Auricula]

I won't grow the big poppies even though I love them.They don't flower for long and then leave a big mess behind and a hole in the border.I love lupins as they were the first flower I learned to recognise - but I know I would lose them to slugs/snails - likewise delphiniums.
One flower I do grow, which I dislike is dicentra - but OH likes them ( waste of space in my book )

[borderbabe]

I love lillies - the perfumne is wonderful on a warm summer's evening (remember those!) but as I've got cats I wont take the risk as they are poisonous to cats.

[Jasmine]

I never sem to have much luck with Gaura. If I buy one it looks beautiful for the first summer but it never comes back up the next year. I bought one for a friend as a thank you about 5 years ago and it comes back each year looking stunning and she doesn't do anything to it! Perhaps that is where I am going wrong!

[Weeterrier]

I wouldn't risk buying another Gaura either. Don't think Global Warming is working enough yet. ;D

[Ruthie]

Gaura's OK WT but it needs it's own space, without being encroached on by other plants. That's why I don't grow it anymore. Haven't got room for Prima Donnas!!!!

[Weeterrier]

No hope for anything that needs space in my garden either. Not even me, at the moment. ;D