Favourite 2017 flowers :)

Lovely selection Hywel, especially the beautiful blue of the Hibiscus. Stunning!!

I agree this is a lovely selection and C. coum and snowdrop would be on mine too.

Thats wonderful, how plants and flowers remind you of people who have passed on. Every spring they grow again, and the memory lives on.
My favourite are Water Buttercups which grew in a swampy woodland marked on maps as The Ozier Bed near a farmhouse I knew as a child of 9.
They are still there, and I dread the developers of the new estate bull dozing them.
I have a root in my garden, keep it well watered in the hot weather.
One of the great joys of gardening.

Thanks Hywel

with the weather we have had past couple of days your pictures have encouraged me on to get my seed ordering sorted out ....

Gg

Great blog. Such lovely clear bright photos, nice to have plants as memories of your family.

A great selection Hywel. So many of your favourites are mine too!

Thanks for your comments.

I hope they save the water buttercups Diane. They grow near here in wet ditches and are a lovely rich colour.

Glad to have inspired you Gg.

All very lovely and special Hywel!

All so beautiful Hywel. Impossible to choose favourites...

Hywel would give me 0 out of 10 for that memory lapse,
although they have several country names, I should have
written 'Marsh Marigolds.'

The brook has flooded in the recent storms , causing great consternation in the village 2 miles north, everyone rushing about with sand bags. The brook is not deep enough with a build up of soil and plant material, so it could not take the sudden influx of water away downstream onto the Osier Bed which lies at the junction into the main stream going east. The Parish Council needs to get the whole system inspected by the D.of E. with a view to getting it dredged when Grant Money available. Hasnt been done for all the years that I can remember.
People think these pretty villages are safe, they are not !
Insurance claims for flood damage to property eventually arrive on our payments.

Water Buttercups/Marsh Marigolds also known as Kingcups ... Caltha palustris.
They live in marshy places. "Palustris" means marshy. Several plants have that word in their botanical names.
Sometimes I see them in ditches or wet fields around here.

I've got a photo I took of them. I will try to find it and post it on GoY ...

Another spelling mistake. Marsh Marigolds or Marsh
Marybuds around here. I still love them because when we have a cold spring they are cheerful and bright in wild places. Havent seen any in the Osier Bed for years. Treasure the plant I have, think originally it was by my pond that is no more. Gardeners are important conservationists of wild life. There is no harm in taking a poly bag and small trowel in the pocket on walks, just take up part of a plant to reintroduce at home. Always providing you remember the geology/ shade of the area where the parent plant was !

There was a nice clump in the stream in the village but it has disappeared. I fear its gone to someone with a trowel...I miss it in the Spring.

I knew you would not stick to nine plants Hywel such a rebel!! lol
And what a smashing selection, love how the majority of your plants remind you of your family.....number11 I particularly like....also the Campanula... thanks so much for participating, lovely choice all 15!!

you do know it is illegal to dig up wild plants [Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981] Diane. Take a small amount of seed by all means but never dig up the plant.

The native orchards near us have been decimated by gardeners? thinking they were not doing any harm.

Thanks for all your comments :)

Dd I've tried to include reasons for selecting them as you suggested. I know I've got too many but I dwindled them down from 25 lol :D

I have loved looking through your photos Hywel ... a really cheering sight on this grey and dismal evening. Your final photo just says 'Summer' to me!

Such lovely choices and really lovely photos too.
Isn't there something magical about the early flowers like cyclamen, hellebores, snowdrops and daffodils?
Thank you Hywel, enjoyed this lots.

Thank you both :)

My cuttings did so well last year Shirley, I had to include them as one of the things that did best :)

I think it's such a relief to see the spring flowers after the long dark winter Chris, and they look so delicate :)

Hywel, I can see why ... they really performed last year didn't they?

Absolutely lovely selection Hywel, you have chosen well but I do know that would have only been a few of many, gosh you'd be busy all winter with all of yours, you couldn't possibly not include a cactus or a fuschia, lol, I liked the recall of memories you have associated with them and thank you for sharing those with us, lovely photo's Hywel...

I didn't include Cyclamen coum and Salvia in my choices, I feel guilty now as they did me proud!

Thanks for all your comments :)

I left out lots of things too Dawn. Dottydaisy only suggested 9 but I had 25, then dwindled it down to 15 :)

I know Hywel, so many special plants.

Wonderful choices and what lovely memories they bring back to you Hywel that Cactus is stunning.

Enjoyed viewing your collection. It's very inspiring.

Thank you all :)

I'm a bit late in commenting on your blog, Hywel, but you did yourself proud - not only by choosing such lovely plants, & giving a reason for your choice, but also limiting yourself to just 15! I must make up my own blog of favourite plants as well but, like you, I shall have a great deal of difficulty in reducing it to only 9 - or 15! ?

A smashing blog! ?

Thanks Balcony ... Don't worry about being late. I only look when I get a chance myself.

It was difficult dwindling my list down to 15. I started off with 25 and that was difficult enough lol

Great photos...as I sit looking at a snow capped mountain, your blog is a life saver. A whole pack... Now I see a deer eating my favorite bush! Your plants are beautiful, so crisp and perfect. Thanks for posting.

Thank you. I hope your snow doesn't last too long and the deer don't damage your plants too much :)