Planting a thought

[Flo]

Hi and Happy Easter for those who celebrate.

I am planning to refresh a few pots in my garden. I am lucky to have a living room that looks out onto my back garden. Many of my plants remind me of people, and I want to add a plant that represents us...

I am thinking it should be resilient, not too overstated, multi sensory...

Any ideas, and why have you made your choice?

Thanks in advance xx

[susieq]

Geraniums - they withstand neglect and drought but still bounce back with their lovely cheerful blooms ! Plus some varieties are also scented.

Rosemary - for remembrance; despite their pretty blue flowers, delicate looking green leaves and light scent they are hardy and shake off all that the weather can throw at them.

[Albert_1604]

Stinging Nettles.
Because carers are always being stung by
care homes/LA/Govt etc

[bowlingbun]

A hydrangea, there are lots of different varieties and don't need any attention apart drom watering. In hot weather use a pot saucer, and occasionally put in a bucket full of water and soak overnight. Think about seasonal pots, one with spring bulbs, one with summer plants, one with winter pansies. As they come into flower put them in front of the window.

[Flo]

Ooh, some great ideas here!

Albert, stinging nettles also because they are a breeding ground for beautiful butterflies!

Plans are afoot!

[Henrietta]

Camelias, they keep going all year come rain or shine, doesn't matter what the whether does- resilient and shining whatever. Flexible in adapting to low light and dull moments but add a bit of cheer when they come into flower. Hardy souls all round.

[MrsAverage]

The carers plant should be evergreen ( as it is 24/7 never stopping), prickly (as we need to fight), hardy (we need to be strong), variegated (for year round interest) flower occasionally (even carers can blossom), not too big (as we are hardly noticed), need little, if any, maintenance (we doint have time for ourselves)

Therefore I recommend a variegated form of Osmanthus
https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/Search-Re ... erophyllus

[Flo]

Oh, I used to have one of those in my last house, and I never knew it’s name!

[Sajehar]

Hi Flo
I recommend Pinks for pots. These are basically old fashioned carnations with smaller flowers, but much stronger perfume and are hardier than carnations. As the name suggests they only come in shades of pink. But what a range of pink – from almost white blush pink through to deep dried blood red, with all shades in between including bubble gum pink, hot pink and shades of fuchsia and magenta. Their smell is heavenly.
We planted a load my dad bought via one of his mail order catalogues in both pots and hanging baskets. They come up year after year being perennials and, apart from a bit of dead heading, practically look after themselves.
An easy to look after treat for both the eyes and the nose, and they flower all summer and autumn long too provided you dead head them as and when. In fact some of our Pinks kept flowering right into January this year. They gave up the ghost when the snows hit.

Here are a couple of photos of Anubis our guard dog with Pinks behind him. The first one was taken last year in spring. The second was taken late summer last year. I think those white flowers in the background on the RHS in the 2nd photo are the almost white Pinks. Or maybe white geraniums. Can’t tell as the photo’s too small.

[Sajehar]

P.S.
I've now viewed the second photo enlarged (you do this by left clicking with your mouse on a forum photo. It will pop up as a photo on it's own with a magnifying glass cursor. You then move the magnifying glass to where you want to enlarge and left click to enlarge. You can then scroll up/down and side-to-side. Took me ages to discover that!) Actually, I think those white flowers in the window box are geraniums and not whitish pinks after all. But we do have those too, and some that are so blindingly pink they're practically florescent. Or should that be Flo-rescent... Boom,boom, as Basil Brush would say