Favourite Perenials?

I've got a new-build house with a boring garden, so this year I would like to fill it with lots of lovely colourful flowers.
So I bought some delphinium, mirabilis and echinacea tubers hoping that these would be suitable for a beginner like me. Does anyone else have any favourites they could reccommend please? Oh I can't have anything toxic as I have a 2 year old who puts everything in his mouth.

If anyone has grown Mirabilis before, I'd love to hear from you as these look so fabulous!

 

I love lillies, never fail to come back year on year,having said that,I recently moved and all my container plants have gone into the ground including the lillies,hope they come again this year

 

I never thought about Lillies! Any particular ones? (IKeeping my fingers crossed for you!)

 

The asiatic variety are my favourite simply because they only grow to about 18 ins high and they are such vivid colours. There are larger scented ones which I also grow but I don`t have too many because they can get up to 36 ins high and they(in my opinion)do look rather untidy but some of the scents are absoloutly gorgeous.

Although I do have a few larger scented ones, I can only think of one variety name and that is the `stargazer`. No doubt if you put the question out to the forum you will get all sorts of variety names thrown back at you along with tips on where best to plant them and how to get the best out of them.

If you go to the members gallery forum and click the drop banner to show the topics from the last year and go to page three you will find some of the members lilly pictures from last year.

 

Tracy, Mirabils jalapa are beautiful but are not that hardy. I would certainly lift the and treat them like Dahlias in your area. I would also grow Canna`s, again, need to have winter protection. But well worth trying for the bright colouring. Another plant I would use would be Agapanthus.Again, in your area, give it some winter protection.

 

pip. Is your avator from the island of Santorini?

 

Ethansmum asiatic lillies are fantastic as 3 years ago i planted them bearing in mind i had a 2 year old girl at the time and not a problem in fact she had a tendancy to stand in the area that they were planted and once they grew they doubled cost around �£5.
the other plant i would recommed is phlox you can see a picture of these back looking at the posts for front and back garden makeover v hardy

 

Carnations/Pinks, they're not toxic. We use them as decoration on meals

 

Hi Tracy sadly most plants are toxic in one way or another but if you have a problem with your little one putting things in his mouth you could try herbs.

Not only do they smell wonderful after the rain or when you brush against them most can be eaten straight off the plant. I have two little neices 2 and 4 both love picking the herbs and smelling them although I do have to watch the 2 year old from pulling my flowers heads off my other plants! :eek:

I agree with Cajary carnations/pinks are lovely to look at and so very easy to grow also they have the bonus of keeping their silver like foliage throughout winter.
Helen.xxx.

 

Phlox and Day Lilies are my favourite 'easy' plants although the latter can become a nuisance by spreading itself. Would also reccomend Cannas and Pinks/Carnations.

 

Wow, how to choose ?

Off the top of my head...

Hostas and Ligularia

 

Hi cajary, my avatar is a picture taken in Protaras,Cyprus, last year.

 

Oh, thank you all very much for the suggestions. That'll keep me busy for a while, looking for all these plants I like the herb garden idea too

I did giggle to myself about the Cannas and Agapanthus. I grew up in Zimbabwe and South Africa and I have fond memories of our gardens filled to the brim with both of these flowers- they grew like weeds! I guess I always thought that it was too cold for them here, but I'm glad to hear that they will grow.

 

Thanks, pip. It looks so much like the buildings in OIA ( that's actually a name) on the island of Santorini. Incredibly picturesque town.

 

Definitely hardy geraniums - easy and amazing flower-power. Two excellent newish hybrids are "Rozanne" (blueish) and "Patricia" (shocking magenta pink) - both flower for months on end.


What about nastustiums? not a perennial I know but will self-seed if they are happy. Look out for the tall type which can climb (up to 6 or 8') or will scramble about - edible flowers and leaves. They will "do" in sun or shade, and go on for ages. I always think if they were harder to grow we would treasure them more - as beautiful as orchids to my mind.