Here we are in year 12 of this annual award. This totally subjective, non-scientific and no pretense of objectivity award is not even slightly competed for by the plants in my garden. The criteria is made up and there is no distinguishable judging process - its my award, my rules - get over it.
So where do we start this year..... oh I know....
Chrysanthemum Mavis Smith. A fabulous name for a fabulous large-flowered chrysanth. She's relatively new in the garden yet made a big impact on me so a good runner up.
Rose Sweet Honey is also a worthy runner-up. This rose was Rose of the Year 2020 and has been in my garden since, well, 2020. I always really liked her and thought from the get-go she is very pretty with a great form. Over the last couple of years she has really settled in and she has become my 'late season rose' delight. Slower to start flowering than many of the other roses in my garden, but flowering well the late summer and autumn. She has become a very special rose and also a reminder that plants need to settle in and mature. With each passing year she is a bit more special.
I am going to include Clematis cirrhosa var: Freckles in here because I completely under-rate and overlook this plant. To make amends for this I made it my first
Plant of the Month the other day, and maybe guilt still makes me want to make amends. This is a plant I would not be without, it just keeps going and flowers when most other plants do not. What is not to love!
We get closer to our winner, but first we have to go through the third and second runners up.
Third runner up (bronze??) is .....
Viola Bunny Ears. I love this plant just a little too much. From when I first saw it I wanted to grow it. I tried growing it from seed and failed spectacularly. I um and arr over buying it as plugs far too often and this year I took the plunge and bought plugs. Now I will always buy plugs. I say this as if buying plugs is not my usual habit, which is far far from the truth. I think this was more a case of it was a newly introduced plant and the plugs were a bit a pricey. Now a few years later this is a reasonable buy for me. This is a pot of vibrant happiness and what more could I want!
Runner up Second place (silver)
Mad about Mangrave 'Praying Hands' (not mad about the name....) but this little love feeds my succulent habit well. She is growing well and loves her summers outdoors and winters in the conservatory. She is easy as easy to grow and that suits me fine.
Drumroll please.... we are at the winner.....
Althaea cannabina. I have been growing this plant for years. I have three or four in the garden now and she just delights. I have propagated her by seed and division and she also self seeds very gently too.
She is wafty and tall, a good seven foot tall I reckon. She plays nicely with her neighbours, does not swamp and does not need staking. The foliage is quite fine and as the name would suggest, looks a bit like another plant I will not mention for fear of what it might do to the search results for my blog (!!)
Nothing phases her. If she does encroach over the lawn too much I just cut her back and she shrugs and carries on. She bends in the wind but rarely breaks. This year, when my gardening time has been short and motivation shorter, having plants like her I can rely on have been a godsend.
Althaea cannabina I celebrate you with this award. Congratulations.
I do like that Rose, I might have to seek one out for my garden. I’ve got lot’s of gaps after last year’s lack of rain.
ReplyDeleteI have lost a few things too last summer so will have to fill gaps (Oh no !! )
ReplyDeleteFun! I understand why Althaea cannabina is your winner for the reasons you mention and for its beauty. They are all lovely, but my dreamy head keeps going back to 'Sweet Honey'--that's a stunning rose!
ReplyDelete