What's Your Favorite Plant You Own?

Mark McDonough antennaria@charter.net
Fri, 13 Aug 2010 07:19:21 PDT
Josh, don't be put off by us older cranky types, once we're past 50 we 
develop a crust, like a fine cheese ;-)  I actually think this question, 
and the other recent question about "how did you get here", to be 
refreshing... makes one stand back and think a bit.

Of course, most of you probably know what my favorite plant is (well, at 
least in terms of bulbs), and that is Allium.  With now over 900 taxa, 
possibly more, it's a fascinating group that'll provide a lifetime of 
interest and enjoyment.  And in my northern New England garden, I know 
of no other hardy geophyte that can provide this degree of species 
interest and continuous bloom from spring straight through until the 
last days of autumn.

But of course, there are other plants to enjoy, and after gardening for 
48 years (started when I was 8.... oops, just revealed my age), I have 
other deep seated interests.  Often this surprises  gardeners who only 
think of me as "The Onion Man".  So, genera like Crocus, Fritillaria, 
Tulipa, Triteleia/Brodiaea, Iris (some sections), are also favorites.

And then there are the non-geophytes too, Penstemons, Eriogonums, 
Sempervivum, woodland genera, trees and shrubs... all occupy much of my 
interest.  Of the past 7-8 years, I've been amassing a collection of 
Epimedium (because I dearly love them, never have enough), and now I'm 
hybridizing with them... this is an interest nearly eclipsing Allium if 
there could be such a thing.

I recently posted photos on the Scottish Rock Garden Society online 
Forum on my favorite tree... actually I have narrowed it down to two 
trees... if I moved and was only allowed to grow two trees, which two 
would they be?  I gain confort in knowing which two they are.... here's 
one:
http://srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php/…

Cheers,

Mark McDonough
Massachusetts, USA, near the New Hampshire border, USDA Zone 5
antennaria@charter.net
http://www.plantbuzz.com/


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