Rainbow, Rainbow, Rainbow

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?

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?

Boston Fern...traditional

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.

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

Shade combo: begonia, caladium, torenia

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.  

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.  

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!