Change of Attitude

I was looking through an old garden diary of mine and had to smile at my naivety regarding gardening and what I was going to do with my little plot.

The ground rules were: - no orange flowers, no green flowers and nothing that smelled bad (to my sense of smell).

Now I look out of my window at the colourful display punctuated by orange cosmos and dahlias and think how lucky I am that the plants are happy and healthy. I still draw a line a green flowers and pungent smelly plants which to my mind are just wrong,

Does anyone else have pet plant/colour hates?

 

Crocosmia, bluebells and anything with large 'blousey' flowers. Ironically I've been trying to eradicate the first two from my gardens since I moved in nine years ago. Issues with colour depends on the plant in question.

 

I've always hated pansies, although to be honest some of the latest breeds appearing in the catalogues do make me think about that one though.

I don't go for anything that looks artificial. That would include those bright orange lillies B&Q are so fond of selling in late spring.

"Biddy flowers" (sorry ) which would be some of the older style roses, hydrangeas, or the 'pom pom' style double marigolds etc.

I used to hate daftodils, just because I judged there to be far too many of them about. I'm changing my mind on that one though.

 

Now come on Clueless! Biddy flowers? Hydrangeas are making a comeback, time to update yourself and buy one! I haven't got any because I don't like the big 'flowers' on them but might go for a lace cap at some point.

 

Potentilla.

Ok, the predictable... "when I was a kid"... we had Potentillas as low hedge on a slope. Kids were not allowed even to walk through the shrubs, let alone build a sledging obstacle track because the stems were so brittle. The best feature of Potentillas for under 10s was their attractiveness to greenfly which meant a good supply of ladybirds for ladybird circus, ladybird pet and ladybird flying training purposes.

Potentillas look dead for 9 moths a year and in spite of looking "poorly" at the best (with the pale flowers and tiny leaves), are impossible to kill.

I sincerely did my best to kill 3 ancient potentillas in my Nan's garden, pruned them to old wood, encouraged the dog to dig a den in the roots and so on, but the spiteful old hags just enjoyed the torture.






I was quite surprised this spring when I found myself admiring the new plants in the office car park... yes, they are Potentillas all right but the new flower colours are actually not so bad. And to be honest, it does have kind of old- fashioned charm.

Nowadays when plants are expected to be super- performers, giving at least 3 seasons of interest, showy flowers plus edible superfood crops, perhaps the modest Potentilla will have a place in my heart one day. Or, then again, maybe not. I just don't like them

 

sacrilege!

 

"Biddy flowers"......

 

Geraniums, my wife HATES geraniums! So naturally, I planted a few! They are according to my wife, biddy flowers, but there is just something about them! Hydrangeas are a classic, but I don't like the blue or pink myself, but I love the white. Also plants like million bells and petunias, sooooo right in hanging baskets and tall planters. Biddy flowers?? They certainly get my vote!

 

I hated geraniums as well , my mum used to grow them on her windowsill. Now I love them
As other things flowers flit in and out of fashion. One year they are naff , a couple of years later they are uber cool . The flowers don't actually change its just our flighty fashion / style sense.
(PS I really do not like hydrangeas )

 

I think hydrangas are biddy flowers too but my OH bought two last year because they brought back childhood memories
A plant that gives me the creeps is hypericum which tends to find it's way into my garden and I can't stand that blue climber with the yellow eye. Next door have one that creeps its way over the fence.
Marigolds, alyssum and bright red bedding salvias are biddy plants but no doubt if they are featured in a gardening programme they will make a resurgence.

 

i've never been a big fan of red on any flowers or anything thats really flashy, i much prefer whites, yellows, lilacs, baby pinks...well anything pastel really

never saw the point in green flowers either...what is the point? they have leaves for that

 

Anything with blue flowers.

Don't like green flowers either - especially the Euphorbias which keep popping up in the front garden

 

Great thread, I've just started my first garden diary (to go with my first garden ), can't wait to read it in a few years time! I'm more of a foliage/veg girl than a flower girl and I like little dainty flowers. I don't like anything with big waxy looking leaves and I'm not a fan of pink! Oh and I don't like roses, apart from maybe patio/climbing varieties. I love ground cover and alpine type plants and plants with red and green leaves.

 

Oh lordy! Here is where I offend everyone on the forum!!

Pansies (although I really do like the black one), Petunias, big blousy Fuchsia (especially anything that's a combo of white and another colour), pink flowers (with a few exceptions), Sunflowers, double flowers, pom pom flowers (although Sue was recently given a Clematis cutting that has pendulous green pom pom flowers that looks outstanding), Clematis (with a few exceptions), Roses, run o the mil Daffs, variegated foliage and chimeras (just look diseased to me), lawns, Bizzie Lizzies, most self seeded Aqueliga (tend to have insipid colours), Bamboo, Japanese Anenome, Ivy and so on.
Since moving here I have also developed an intense loathing of Teasel, Forget me Nots, Primroses, Golden Rod and Lemon Mint.

 

Haha! I LOVE most of these biddy flowers listed (and i'm 33, not quite a biddy) Didn't think much either way of hydrangea but since I moved into a house with some great blues I've got a lot more keen. Roses? How can you not like roses?

I don't much care for marigolds and fuchsia. And I like flowers, less interested in foliage!