I can't just pick one. Too hard. This year I'm obsessed with conifers & evergreens, hydrangeas and hostas.

oh, great idea for a thread! I think my answer would change every couple of years, but this year it’s irises because I adore their flowers even though their bloom period is very short. But I’m always tempted to add more hydrangeas (this year I’ll add Bobo and Vanilla Strawberry if I can find them), dwarf conifers and peonies, especially Itohs. Most of my garden is full sun because all trees were removed by the previous owner, but once I have more shade, lookout hostas!! :-)

My most enduring love has always been species roses...but, even with careful selection - banksias, r.primula, hugonis and ecae early in the year with moschata, helenae and wichurana stretching out the season, 10months without flowers is too much of a lack to consider wildlings as my sole choice (so tulips are out too). Leaving me with tricky primula (in my less than damp soil) which just edge the apiaceae out of contention by their sheer variety.

(this year I’ll add Bobo and Vanilla Strawberryif I can find them)

mazerolm, you should have no problem sourcing these hydrangea.

I have a few peonies and a few bearded iris. They are low maintenance, deer resistant and drought resistant. I don't need to fuss over them so I can easily maintain large numbers of each. Peak bloom is usually on Mother's Day.

somewhat to my surprise - geraniums. There seems to be one to suit every place I’m planting, natives for woodland edges, ground covers in pale shades, bright neat carpets, scampering stems growing through shrubs adding color as they go.

Gosh, I can't say I have a collection of anything in particular other than great ideas unsupported by adequate funding.

I focus on roses with perennials to fill in. This year I am adding phlox. Any suggestions for phlox with no mildew would be appreciated! I think they add so much. Ive enjoyed David, Laura,Minnie Pearl, but looking for more.

'Lesley', I have had good success with "Blue Paradise" phlox.

Lesley I have white eye flame in front of roses and no mildew.

If I have to pick a collection I would say roses but the hostas are still under ground so that might change...

This year,..... weeds, I mean native wildflowers

After the dismal effect of the drought last year on my summer garden, I’m focusing on adding cast-iron tough perennials and annuals to cover the aching chasms in my flower beds. Determined to do better this coming year and actually have a garden worth looking at, instead of running away from.

So my “collection” this year will be late summer color with a focus on drought tolerance. Wintersowing agastache, penstemon, agrostemma, verbascum, echinacea and dwarf cosmos, among others.

If I was doing the collection I would like, in some dream climate, it would be foxgloves and hydrangeas.

I keep getting new obessions and the start of a collection dropped for the next greatest thing. I can't remember my original vision for my garden but various collections were attempted with hosta, Iris, peonies, etc. Deer ate the hostas and some grub ate my Iris. The peonies are taking years to bulk up from bare roots....sigh.

I do have a mild obsession with old fashioned bleeding hearts. I have obtained many seedlings from generous friends at plant swaps and now have quite a few. I really like the wild look of ones that have been established a while and are bush-like. There's space for more in the back....

The one thing I have actually stuck with is Spring bulbs. I have had my ups and downs, but every year I buy more and experiment with new to me ones. Sometimes, it works out.

I did foxgloves, Dilly. They are usually easy to source from seed and there are some cool varieties - d.obscura, a less hardy slightly shrubby Spanish one is my fave...and the polka dot perennials are extremely good value for the long bloom cycle...but, to my utter frustration, I STILL have not managed a decent cluster of the yellow grandifloras (lutea is a tad disappoint).

maisie - I'd be interested in seeing photos of your geraniums. I have a few, and would like to add more, but I'd like to see them in the landscape more.

Lesley McClave - I just bought Phlox 'Glamour Girl' last fall, specifically because it is reported to be very mildew resistant. I haven't gone through a growing season with it yet, so I can't report on that.

posierosie - I have done that too. I get very excited about some plant I love and want to grow more of them and then have trouble growing them or keeping them and move on to the next thing in some cases. I love a lot of plants that don't grow well for me. I have limited full sun, so naturally, I love full sun plants. [g]. I love Iris, but not enough sun and too much moist clay soil. I still have a couple. I also found the process of having to lift and divide them too much work for me. There are so many beautiful varieties, you could definitely collect them.

I also love bleeding hearts and would buy one every chance I got and keep adding more to the garden. Some had gotten huge and I loved to see the foliage come up through the ground in the spring. Then last season most of them disappeared. I'm guessing it might have been a vole or a mole? But I will continue to buy more and keep adding them back in. I read an article by a gardener, who found growing 'Music' garlic around her bleeding hearts, kept the critters away. So I may try that.

What I do try to collect, as others here do, are bullet proof, low care plants of any stripe. [g]

Prairemoon, it good to know I am in good company! I try to stick with plants that "like" my methods and conditions although finding out which plants those are require a learning curve. Often a plant will do well in the first year and then the pest population will discover them or build up a population to impact growth and then....

I'm sorry to hear about your bleeding hearts! i will keep a close eye on mine.

Hallo, your buying method closely resembles mine! Why temper joy?

My favorites are Gaillardia I've grown them for many years usually from seed. They are short lived but drop their seeds or you can collect them for an earlier start. They bloom the first year from seed if started a few weeks early. There are so many varieties from dark red to yellow, peach and bicolors. I love Capucchimo. It grows about 2 feet tall and has large flowers that have a large brown button. The petals are an orangy brown in the center and gold on the tips. Mesa Red is pure red and grows to about 18 inches with 3 inch flowers. Goblin is 12 inches and the petals are a redish with gold tips. There is another red one that only grows 10 inches but I can't remember the name. I have cross-pollinated them and got some interesting combinations

@dowlinggram, when do you suggest starting gaillardia from seed? Ant tips? I have ‘burgundy’ that I haves sowed just yet but plan to shortly!

Maggic-Ontario---I start them about 10 to 12 weeks before the time to plant outside because I want blooms by midsummer but if you don't mind a bloom time in August-September they can be started later. It takes 7 to 20 days for germination but mine tend to take the shorter time because I try to keep the seeds at room temperature around 21 degrees C that's about 72F. I use a heat mat but set the flat of seeds on an upside down mesh tray to elevate them and keep them warm but not too hot. When to start them depends on whether or not you have room inside or in a greenhouse for the pots. I transfer them from flats into solo cups when they are big enough and that takes up room but fortunately I have a greenhouse. I get about 95% germination.

HalloBlondie wrote:

I buy & plant everything I see & like!