FRUIT & VEGETABLE GARDENING If you could grow just three flowers what would they be?

[queenofthehivemomof5]

So the question for all you flower gardeners is: If you could grow just three flowers in your garden what would they be? Why would you choose those three flowers?





My answer:

1.) Salvia - Because once it is established you can pretty much forget it and it shows off with pretty purple spikes of colors all spring/summer/autumn long. I never water it other than what it gets from rain or watering the lawn. I grow it in partial shade in the front yard to full sun in the back yard and even in containers and frankly you just can't kill it. My husband has mowed over it a few times and it came right back up. LOL

2.) Iris - Again with the purple flowers. These are again easy to grow once established and impossible to kill. I transplanted some over from my mother in laws garden a few years ago and been off and running with them ever since. I have divided up a few of the large clumps and put them elseware in the garden. The blooms are short lived but the green spiky leaves last full on in color till winter (and in fact don't really die down till they are burried in a few feet of snow.

3.) Peony - I love the lush romantic light pink peony varieties. I am a romantic at heart and these make beautiful indoor cut flowers. They look like old fashioned roses but for me at least, are easier to grow. I have not had a whole lot of luck with the roses here where I live. Although I have my peony planted in partial shade and they really prefer more sun, so mine get a bit leggy they are still really pretty and easy to grow.

All three above are perennials so they come back year after year, which is great because that saves me money!

[jtjohns]

Only 3?? Here's my top picks:

1. Daylillies: A sturdy perennial that's as low maintenance as it gets. I've got about a dozen different varieties throughout the garden, and the flowering is staggered throughout the summer. The foliage starts to come up in late spring, which makes them the perfect companion for my #2 pick:

2. Daffodils: All they really need is a spot with good drainage and some sun and they'll naturalize over just a few seasons. When I see the daffodils pop at the end of March/beginning of April I can actually believe that winter is almost over...

3. Hydrangea: Not as low maintenance as my other picks (it takes some serious pruning in the spring), but the hydrangea in my yard puts out gorgeous blue flowers in late summer through fall.

~JJ

[IFALLSMICHELLE]

What a great ideas for a thread. I have lived in Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin for the past 14 years, one place with sandy dry soil and now with richer moister soil. I transplanted flowers when we moved and the my three favorites that have done great in both locations are:

1. Bee Balm is my absoluste favorite (Red, and Purple are my favorite colors - it also comes in pink). It can be aggressive, so only plant it where you have planty of room for it to spread. I love that is attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and bees. It almost never needs watering either, it is tough. In a month without rain at the old house I did have to water it once or twice. Easily starts from seed or divisions. Transplants well.

2. Coneflowers for the same reasons as Bee Balm except they are not aggressive and do not spread like Bee Balm where I live. The pink ones are my favorite. Easily starts from seed, transplants well. I have never had enough to divide. Pairs great with black eyed susans.

3. Anise Hyssop REALLY attracts bees, but also hummingbirds and butterflies. Plus in the fall, the seeds are a favorite of goldfinches, so don't trim off the brown flower spikes. It is a purple flower that pairs well with coneflowers and black eyed susans as here it blooms at the same time. The flower is not as impressive as others, but it pairs well with other flowers in the garden. I love it for what it attracts. It starts easily from seed, spreads from seed naturally in the garden. It transplants well. I don't think you can divide it, but the self seeding aspect makes it easy to dig up and give to others if you want to share. The foliage is pretty too. My mom has it coming up all over in her garden, so another great filler.

[purplemoon2008]

I'm with JJ ~ only 3?? lol!

Okay, here are mine:

Shasta Daisies ~ they are dh's favorite flower <awwww>, they are long lasting (both as cut flowers and in the garden).

Echinacea (purple cone flower) ~ they multiply rather quickly, divide easily and again, long lasting.

Liatris (grape) ~ LOVE the tall, spiky flowers!

Bees, humming birds and butterflies are attracted to all of these flowers, which is the best aspect of them. However, they are all pretty much maintenance free, once established and are excellent as cut flowers!

[Foggy]

I'd choose medicinal herbs that flower such as:

enchinacea or other coneflowers

calendula

nasturium -- also the blooms are edible


I have grown all the above and the echinacea died out on me for some weird reason so I'm going to replant in a different area as the herb garden I had it in may be too acidic for it.

The calendula and nasturium usually get re-planted every year but I didn't plant them this year and the self-seeding of them never produced anything this year.

[kristen.c]

I don't do a lot of flower gardening, but my favorites are tulips, gerbera daisies, and pansies. I'm hoping to put a lot of effort into landscaping next Spring, and that includes putting in some gorgeous flowers!

[purplemoon2008]

I have grown all the above and the echinacea died out on me for some weird reason so I'm going to replant in a different area as the herb garden I had it in may be too acidic for it

.

Laura, I have soil that's pretty acidic and my echinacea does well. What type of soil was in your herb garden? It might not have liked it. Just a thought. Oh, I also agree about trying it in another location.

I have had the worst luck with my lavender in this house (I could grow it no problem at any of the other homes I lived at before). Here...I have no clue. I'm getting tired of watching it die:(

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by purplemoon2008

.

Laura, I have soil that's pretty acidic and my echinacea does well. What type of soil was in your herb garden? It might not have liked it. Just a thought. Oh, I also agree about trying it in another location.

I have had the worst luck with my lavender in this house (I could grow it no problem at any of the other homes I lived at before). Here...I have no clue. I'm getting tired of watching it die:(

The herb garden was a flower garden when we moved here. I ripped everything out to discover the previous owners had put down black plastic as well as a bunch of sand and then dirt mixed in. After we pulled out the plastic, we mixed in compost. Everything else is thriving in it... the lavender, oregano, sage, rosemary, various mints, bee balm, yarrow, thyme and others.

Just the echinacea is what has died out.

So I thought it was because of the dirt issue. It was in the first year after we redid that flower bed.

I am going to try in another location though to see how it does.

[OHeather]

What a great idea for a thread!

My three would be...
1. Bee Balm: We get so many bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies coming to this plant that I feel it is so beneficial to my garden. It has taken over my garden, and I have to separate it every year to keep it under control. It is so worth it though.

2. Sunflowers: Not only are they beautiful, but you can collect the seeds and eat them, or feed the birds in the winter. The deer ate all of ours this year, so I'll be buying bird food again this year. Also, last year I planted conventional seeds that I received from the sunflower project--none of them grew. This year I sought out organic, and they all took root and looked very healthy.

3. Stonecrop: This is a type of sedum, and there are many varieties. The greenery is nice in the summer, and then it flowers once the air gets cooler. It's nice to have something other than mums growing in the fall when everything else has died back.