Being such a plantaholic I have a difficult time choosing one plant over another -- I like 'em all, pretty much. But the first ones that came to mind are Foxglove, and the second is Hollyhock. My grandma had both in her garden in Skaneateles, NY when I was a kid, and I thought they were just magical.

Marty

I wouldn't say it's my favorite plant, but right now I'm into Sansevieria (Mother-in-law tongue). On vacation I visited a botanical garden that had around 50 different varieties of this plant. It impressed me enough that I decided to try to catch up with them. So far I have 5 types so I'm working on it. (-:

Another thing that caught my attention at the same place was their collection of English Ivy. There were probably 70 different types. I would have guessed there were something like 5 types before I saw that collection.

Brandon, noooooo not another succulent obsession lol, isn't one enough ? You'll have to tell me where this garden is, did they have sedums ?

It was the Buffalo Botanical Garden in NY. They did have hundreds of succulents of all types, but the Sansevieria and English Ivy was where they seemed world class. I took around 6 to 8 rolls of film while there (a lot of individual shots of cacti and succulents).

I adore foxgloves, but I have nearly no success growing them. Of the plants that actually survive in my yard, I'm very fond of cleomes and French hollyhocks. And old roses, of course. :-)

I'm with Marty and amazin' on this one. I love foxgloves, hollyhock, and old roses, but I also have a special affection to old fashioned "touch-me-nots". I can remember my grandmother showing me how the seed pods popped if you touched them and really don't mind pulling up all the resulting seedlings. And shrubs - my favorites are the old-fashioned ones... Bridal Wreath Spirea, Mock Orange, Flowering Quince, Forsythia, Abelia, and luckily we live in an older home that has all of them. I only added the Mock Orange.

Ya'll are reminding me of all the old-fashioned plants I love. I love Hollyhocks, but I don't have many in my garden. I remember stopping at a garage sale in Maryville one day a couple of summers ago and ended up in the lady's yard which was full of Hollyhocks. She said she just took the seeds every Spring and threw them all across her yard. It was amazing ! Virginia, this is my first year growing touch me nots, and I have taught Catie and almost every neighborhood kid that wanted to know how they got their name. Isn't it amazing how certain plants connect with memories and events in our lives .

I really don't have an old fashion favorite, but I would say an old flower that is my favorite.

My favorite is my Grandmother's yellow iris. She lived in southern Indiana and we would visit her every summer, and she had a bed full of them in bloom. My Mother has divisions in her beds. Now that we have gardens, I have some divisions too. Everytime they bloom, I think of my Grandmother. They are in bloom here the same time as when she passed in 1992.

Would you believe I didn't even know what a touch me not was til meeting them in Regina's yard just a few weeks ago?? Ya lurn sumthin new ever day!

And I gotta add votes for both japonica (quince) and bridal wreath spirea. The very name "japonica" is so evocative of old Southern culture to me, and I used to pick bridal wreaths when I was little. :-)

The mention of japonica reminded me - what about Camellias? You don't see many of those in new subdivisions.

I love Deptford Pink, Catchfly, and Forget-Me-Nots. Touch-me-nots were new to me this year, Ione. I'd never seen this type, only the wild kind, which are tall, have yellow or orange blossoms that hang under the leaves, and live only in shady, damp areas.

I like so many plants that are considered old-fashioned. When I moved 5 1/2 years ago I made sure I had plenty of room for flowering shrubs--lilac, bridal wreath spirea, flowering almond, forsythia, hydrangeas, etc. In terms of flowers, I happen to love dame's rocket (yes, I know it reseeds everywhere), malva, hollyhocks, the old-fashioned cockscomb...well I love about everything that blooms. I also enjoy the old-fashioned mums and get tired of seeing just the cushion mums one usually finds locally.

Regina -- I'm familiar with the wild ones, but not under the name touch-me-nots. I know them as jewelweed. Now, whatintheheck is Deptford Pink?

Virginia -- I also love camellias. I have seven now, I think. But somehow I don't think of them as old-fashioned -- even though they are true southern classics! (Incidentally, I've got a lovely white-and-blush-pink one blooming right now. It's called Asakura. Beautiful thing!)

Dang Bec! Great story. I wish I had some flowers from either of my Grandparents homes. I miss them and the flowers.
That's an awesome Iris and you got me a little misty there too.

Deptford Pink is a plant I associate with my grandmother, who spent her life in western Massachusetts. She always had Deptford Pink growing next to the porch door. Apparently it's an annual mostly seen in the north:

(from Dave's Garden)
flamingonut reported it grows in New Milford, NJ
Ladyfern reported it grows in Jeffersonville, IN
lizzyanthus reported it grows in Massena, NY
Marzar reported it grows in Milford, PA
Moda127 reported it grows in Morristown, NJ
WeaselFairy reported it grows in White Lake, MI
wetdogfarm reported it grows in Eveleth, MN

When I first saw Catchfly, I thought it was Deptford Pink. That's why I like Catchfly, too.

I also associate Lilacs with my grandmother and great-grandmother, but I'm allergic to them I think so I didn't list them in my "favorites".

Deptford pink grows in TN in my garden. Reseeds a lot, but has very dainty deep pink blossoms.

Ohhhh, one of the dianthus. Thanks for the info!

Great thread! Are four-o-clocks old fashioned? They remind me of my mom's garden as a kid, as do hollyhocks and lilacs--the house I grew up in had *giant*, old, lilacs. I love hydrangeas too, and peonies.

I think 4 o'clocks are old fashioned. I remember gathering the seeds from my mom's plants when I was little and making a "pot of soup" with them on the back patio lol. Rebecca that is a beautiful picture !

Oh, I do have a favorite. Morning Glory! Doug won't let me grow anymore because of the reseeding :(. Maybe someday one will be developed that is a perennial and has no seed. I do manage to sneak one in somewhere every year :).

Rebecca

Rebecca -- grow Heavenly Blue. It doesn't set seed! :-)

Yet you start it from seeds... Monsanto at work? Hmmmmm...

-Regina

I love this thread! My favorite is daffodils! When I was a little girl there was an abandoned old home site next door to the church down the street from our house. Huge rows of daffodils lined the property and each spring I would go every day the daffs were blooming and pick bouquets. I would pass them out to all our neighbors between the churchyard and our house.It became a ritual I would do every spring. When my daughter was very small I started taking her down to see the daffodils. Of course I love lilacs too-they also remind me of growing up - we had a beautiful lilac in our yard. I would always take a bouquet to school to my teacher when it was blooming.
What memories!
Marianne

HMMMMmmmmmm....maybe it's an F1 hybrid. I'll have to look it up!

Ione, when I grew Heavenly Blue Morning Glories several years ago, they did set seed - lots of them - and they came true to seed the next year, so they're probably not F1's. That was in Austin, lots of miles away and with a much longer, hotter, summer. There are plants that are invasive further south of us but aren't here because they don't set seed in our climate. Maybe Heavenly Blue behaves like that.

I'll have to look it up. That's just one of those things that "I read somewhere". Let's see if it's true!

Okay, here's a coupla sites referring to Heavenly Blue as a sterile hybrid. And the two years I planted it, it didn't return -- while other morning glories certainly did, and still do! This doesn't prove anything, of course -- wish I had time for a more thorough search!

Perhaps yours was a "faux" HB? Or maybe HB isn't self-fertile, but becomes fertile if another variety is close enough for cross-pollination?

http://www.fenwayvictorygardens.com/plantingguide.html
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050505/LIFESTYLE/505050319

Okay, here's a coupla sites referring to Heavenly Blue as a sterile hybrid. And the two years I planted it, it didn't return -- while other morning glories certainly did, and still do! This doesn't prove anything, of course -- wish I had time for a more thorough search!

Perhaps yours was a "faux" HB? Maybe HB isn't self-fertile, but becomes fertile if another variety is close enough for cross-pollination?

http://www.fenwayvictorygardens.com/plantingguide.html
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050505/LIFESTYLE/505050319

It's been more than 10 years since I grew those, and I sure thought they were Heavenly Blue, but time must have done a number on my memory. They were probably another blue variety, not "Heavenly".

Speaking of Heavenly....when I was looking up those sites, I noticed that there are tons and tons of sites referring to HB -- as a source of hallucinogenic compounds! It seems that the HB variety is the first choice of morning-glory-stoners......LOL.

Ione, in your search did you find any other sterile hybrids? I love the look of morning glories in flower, but I don't plant them because I have had the same experience as the rest of you with babies sprouting everywhere for years. I'm gonna look for this and other hybrids next year.

BTW, I have some beautiful field bind weed if anyone wants some. (EG)

Brandon -- I *think* the Japanese double-flowered varieties are supposed to be sterile, but don't quote me! I was looking specifically for HB info last night, so I didn't see lists of other sterile types or anything like that.