On my first day working at Valley View, my new boss, Retail Greenhouse Manager Carrie Engel, called a meeting and asked
each of us to name our favorite plant. Favorite plant? Singular?
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| Angelonia in a local plant trial |
Panicked, I chose Angelonia, a pretty yet sturdy annual I’ve
used in containers for years. When a co-worker chose ferns, I thought, “Dang!
Can I change my answer?” How could I have forgotten ferns? They’ve been
around since dinosaurs for good reason. They’re perfect. Why change?
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| Boston Fern...traditional |
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| Staghorns and more |
Having been at Valley View for a couple of months now, my
favorite plant changes daily (sometimes hourly). One day it might be showy Crossandra,
the firecracker flower, or the dainty white Vinca with the hot-pink center, or Gartenmeister, a cheery upright Fuchsia that I’m ashamed to admit I bought the last of.
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| Soiree Kawaii Peppermint Vinca |
By the end of a week, I’ll have fallen in love with a fat-leafed
begonia or the Caladium imaginatively
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| Shade combo: begonia, caladium, torenia |
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| Euphorbia Diamond Frost |
named “Frog in a Blender.” (Green leaves,
red flecks.) And what about Euphorbia, with its cluster of white buds like a handful of stars, or Torenia--those little trumpets‑-or any of the inventive petunia
hybrids, NightSky, Blue Stardust, Bee’s Knees? Then
there’s the classic Geranium, with its vibrant, peppery scent. Speaking of
scents, don’t forget the herb section, where scent reigns supreme and the
plants are edible to boot.
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| Crossandra Orange Marmalade |
As Carrie surely knows (I think the question was a test!),
asking plant people to choose a favorite is like asking a mother to choose
among her children, if she had a thousand of them. At Valley View, we pretty
much do.
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| Fragrant Heliotrope Marine |
Editor's note: Today's guest blogger is Lisa Beyer. Stop in to see her for some great ideas for your garden!
