What's Your Favorite Plant You Own?
Mark McDonough (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/