Many of my favourites are cottage garden flowers, at their best when tumbled together. Some I like for their unusual colours, patterns or arrangement of petals…
others for particular characteristics, such as pinked edges or a bold, cheerful aspect.
Hardy geraniums are the garden plants I can least imagine being without. About now, many varieties are developing beautiful leaf tints. I initially found hard to believe that they will not grow in my sweetheart’s Mississippi garden, as they are so unfussy here, but sadly it’s true.
The plants that bring me most delight are bluebells and I’m fortunate that they are relatively common in my home town. At a distance, they look like a blue blur. Everything about bluebells fascinates me – their ungainly buds, their elegant shepherd’s crook necks, the backwards curl of their petals, their refined scent.
While I took this picture in a garden, we have patches of wild orchids growing in damp, grassy areas around the edge of the moors. This year I panicked because I thought they had all vanished, only to find I had been over-eager and was looking for them too early.
Forget-me-nots grow wild here too. Their biennial nature gives them a hide and seek quality, but at least I know not to be too surprised if I don’t see them in last year’s spot. I love their sky-blue petals, starry centres, yellow eyes and the hint of pink the buds often have. And, of course, the romance of their folk name.
Mum’s bearded collie, Moss, used to self medicate with campanulas if he felt off-colour, which makes them a form of forget-him-not for us all now. How he knew to eat them is one of life’s mysteries. These are a similar kind to his, perfectly content in a large pot, and always prolific. Try as I might, I could not capture their colour (they are more blue) although I tried at various times in the day.
Hellebores are another plant I hate to be without, although I am without them as the three fancy doubles I bought to cheer myself up during lockdown all died. Mum has long had a magnificent purple one.
These red amaryllises in my sweetheart’s garden provide one of many consolations for lacking geraniums. I was amazed the first time I saw them growing so prolifically outdoors, having only ever seen them coaxed to grow indoors on windowsills in Lancashire.
Mum loves seeing cherry blossom in frothy pink clusters against a blue sky, so this picture is for her. She has taken me to photograph (and admire) her favourite tree-lined street at their peak of flowering several times.
All kind of cliches offer themselves when I think of describing delphiniums – towering spires, quintessential, stately, aristocratic, regal… take your pick. When grown well, they are certainly one of my favourite flowers.
Regular readers will know of my love of roses. I’m ending with a small selection. The first is only missing a young Juliet to be perfect.
This Lady Banks’ rose has a literary connection as it is growing in Eudora Welty’s garden in Jackson, MS. Her cottage-style garden is still beautifully maintained and has a long season of interest.
Rosa glauca is grown as much for its chocolatey foliage and hips as for its single flowers. Its airy habit makes it very popular with garden designers who feature it in mixed borders. This is in the huge walled garden at RHS Bridgewater in Salford.
An early picture of mine, taken at David Austin Roses in Albrighton, shows The Lion Garden at its peak of flower with Rosa ‘Grace’ in the foreground. Mr A‘s house can just be glimpsed in the background.
You know I could go on, but I think I’ve been self-indulgent enough.
Shared for the Lens-Artists Challenge: Favourite Flowers. I recommend flower lovers set aside a few minutes to follow the link and check out some of the other posts – there are lots of beauties around.
Susan Rushton 
So many beautiful flowers. I am closer to the Mississippi climate. Many of your other flowers don’t like our wet, hot climate, but I would love to grow them all.
My sweetheart says the hot nights can be tricky for some plants.
There is a lot of hot, wet and humidity. I am on the Texas Gulf Coast, so we have simular plants.
I must look at this many more times. I love your descriptions. I was scanning through first read and thought “mum’s bearded collie’ was a flower…then a moss. I do need to slow down. Ha
Thanks for the smiles. ‘Mum’s bearded collie’ would make a great folk name. I always thought Moss was a funny name for him, not being green!
I like it
I think we all got a bit self-indulgent with this challenge! I’m certainly glad that you did – you’ve shared so many beauties 😀 I love the deep blues and purples such as the geranium and campanula, and all the roses, especially Grace I think.
Campanulas deserve their own post as they are varied, beautiful, and useful but I am not sure if I have enough pictures to do them justice. One for the future!
You must have heard me gasp several times. Of course you knew I’d go into a tail-spin for that audacious deep pink rosebud, but I give equal due to the shy Olivia, peeping out cautiously. I was also stopped by the deep purple Campanula buds. What elegance! And, oh, the very thought of amaryllis that grows in the yard! The thing about these flowers is that one has a favorite — until the next photo. These images certainly show what flowers bring to our lives. Thank you!
I did think you would admire the peepers. I’ve seen what I can only describe as hedges of Amaryllis in full flower in Mississippi, where they are regarded as old passalong plants.
Really! I cannot imagine amaryllis as mere passalongs! Unrelated to that, I will take this opportunity to say that I am having some trouble getting comments and sending Likes. Just so you know.
Oh dear. On my blog or yours or them all?
I’m not sure yet. I think the problem lies with my blog. I could read your comment and leave a Like, but not in the usual way. I’m having to do some work-arounds.
p.s. Dan Antion (No Facilities) mentioned on his blog the other day that he was having trouble with Comments, so perhaps this is a bug working through WordPress, and it could just be my turn.
Wow. Beauties all. I love the bluebell woods. Great shot.
Bluebell woods are magical places.
Wonderful selection, Susan. With so many beautiful flowers, it is hard to pick a favourite!
I’d be hard pushed to name any flowers I don’t like these days. I’ve gradually found myself coming around to the ones I was not keen on when I was younger, such as red hot pokers, antirrhinums and begonias.
What a gorgeous gallery of floral delights and colors 😀 😀
I could not really link it in as a flower of the day because there were so many!
For future reference, you can post as many flowers or photos as you want for FOTD 😀 😀
You shout out their beauty in these shots, Susan.
You can perhaps sense my excitement at such a fortunate challenge. 🙂
As I moved through your post I kept nodding my head, yes, yes, yes, so many beauties it is no wonder we all found it difficult to choose. I love the slightly mauve shades found in that blue poppy and the balcony teeming with roses and I could go on. But I won’t, just thank you for all this beauty and your very wonderful talent at capturing it.
My pleasure. I loved your selection too.
What a wonderful parade of cottage flowers!
You’ve made me think of them in a New Orleans-style street parade, bobbing and dancing. That would be memorable!
Love your flower gallery! All are so beautifully captured, beautiful roses!
Although I don’t have one favourite flower to grow or for enjoying, I do have a favourite for photographing and that’s roses. They make such great models.
Yes, a wonderful parade! Hard pressed to pick a favorite, but those blue poppies go somewhere near the top.
They have a very decided character – that nodding aspect – as if their colour surprises them too and they’re not sure what to think about it.