Enough of the sturm und drang, I'm done whining, Frances! It's time to answer the gardening question posed by Tina of In the Garden: what is your signature plant? I just can't decide. As if I could limit myself to just one. As should be abundantly clear by now, I'm about as minimalist as a Victorian parlor.
A signature plant should be something intimately associated with a particular garden, blog and gardener, so that, on seeing this plant, that gardener immediately comes to mind. Plants used in a blog's header might be considered "signature plants." My first photo header was of Symphyotricum leave var. purpuratum/Aster laevis 'Bluebird.'
This is a fitting signature plant, as it is a prominent feature of the front garden, and I have raved about it repeatedly. It is also purple, the dominant color of my garden.
The second photo header was of the native Wild Ginger, Asarum canadense.
This makes an excellent signature plant, as it is the main groundcover of the Woodland garden, is scattered throughout the gardens and has even shown up in the faux-prairie front garden. It is a constant presence until covered by the snow.
A better choice of signature plant than either of these two is my late summer header photo subject, Anemone x hybrida 'Andrea Atkinson.'
The bold foliage is a prominent player in the Woodland garden from late spring until it is dwarfed by the exuberant, towering blooms, which are the central feature of that garden from August until November. I've ranted about 'Andrea Atkinson' and I've raved. It also is an uncommon cultivar, which makes it more readily identifiable with me, my blog and my garden.
I just can't decide, especially when I recall the prominence of and emphasis given to all of the Hellebores. They are the stars of the garden from the time the snow melts in early spring until the start of summer. One even made an encore appearance. Their architectural foliage sets off other plants all season long and provides winter interest in the absence of snow. I took so many photos of all the different blooms last year.
I had intended to do an all-Hellebore post.
Maybe my signature plant is the yellow-foliaged Columbine that I'm breeding (Aquilegia vulgaris species).
Its bright foliage reappears throughout the back borders and the Woodland garden. I use it in foliage combinations with so many different plants. It combines my two favorite plant attributes: chartreuse foliage and purple flowers.
I just can't decide. I'm leaving it up to you to tell me which is my signature plant. Or is there some other plant instead?
