1. The Rose. This is Rosa Handel. It's available as a climber and a shrub. I love how the petals seem to have been dipped in pink icing and the cream takes on a silvery glow at dusk. Don't plant it in tucked away places. It needs to be as near to where you relax in the garden as possible, where you can see it constantly.
2. Tulips. Any colour, all colours! They burst on to the scene like a showman, shouting that Spring is really here. And for some reason they always make me think nostalgically of my childhood. I wonder if it has anything to do with me eating the tulips in my great-uncle's garden when I was two years old! Just as well it wasn't the bulbs as they're poisonous and I wouldn't be here to tell the tale!
3. Fuchsia. This one is Fuchsia Bart Comperen, which we had in a hanging basket on the arch. Fuchsias are one of the most versatile flowers I know. There's one for every situation in the garden ..... hanging baskets, shrubs, hedging, ones that can be trained as bonsai, containers and there's even a climbing one now! You can get ones with single flowers, semi-double flowers and double flowers ~ spoilt for choice. :)
4. Sweet Pea. I don't think anyone could deny that the subtle scent of the Sweet Pea is heavenly. Easy to grow, comes in gorgeous shades and forms with pretty frilly petals and a scent that could never be bottled ~ a perfect flower!
5. The Lily. Where the Sweet Pea is subtle the Lily is truly sophisticated. The scent is overpowering, but irresistable and addictive! It is easy to imagine exotic far off places while sipping wine on the patio at dusk, surrounded by pots of lilies. A definite must.
These are my favourite five garden flowers. There are a host of wildflowers and even 'weeds' I wouldn't be without, but that needs a post of its own. What are your favourites?
