If we have to limit it to only 8, I'll have to think on that for a while. May take some time to narrow down my list of 'essentials' :-)

Hey 'gg', I think it is worthwhile to ruminate a bit before posting your fave 8. (Having said that I have already realized that I missed a couple and may delete 2 that are in my initial list ;))

Coleus is an easy #1. Look great every day and the blooms are the most popular ones with bees, butterflies, hummers. Easy to keep inside over winter.

In no particular order:

- Lantana

- Zinnias

- any Asclepias

- Hawaiian Ti plants (Cordyline)

- porterweed

- purple heart (Tradescantia pallida)

- blue daze (Evolvulus)

-‘Gold Heart’ Dicentra

-‘Percy Wiseman’ rhododendron

-‘Mt St Helens’ azalea

-Ladies Mantle

-Fringed Dianthus (really ALL dianthus, to be honest)

-Geranium sanguineum (all varieties) (again, I haven’t met a species of gernaium I didn’t like)

-traditional blue hydrangea

-Joe Pye Weed

Tiffany's list reminded me of how regional our hobby is. That will make this post more interesting (unless all the cool plants I don't have yet aren't suited to the DC suburbs).

peony Do Tell (it doesn't collapse in spring thunderstorms)

chrysanthemum Sheffield

aromatic aster Ray-Don's Favorite (blooms into December here and deer resistant)

daffodils. many, many assorted daffodils

bearded iris Harvest of Memories (a rebloomer that honest to goodness reblooms here)

vernonia Iron Butterfly (it shrugs off dry years and also shrugs off wet years)

baptisia Purple Smoke (I don't care how large this plant wants to grow because the color is GORGEOUS. I'm happy to use Purple Smoke in lieu of shrubs)

anemone Honorine Jobert

Such great and way interesting plant selections everyone. Thanks so much and keep it coming.

It would be interesting if we followed up after the lists are made on what we like about them. It would be REALLLY long post to do it now, but really interesting. I wanted to add bush peonies, but there are so many varieities i thought it was too broad. I LOVE peonies.

deanna’s comments made think about how much my plant choices - and the reasons for them - have changed over the years…. In recent years I largely base plant choices on what plant fits a particular need in the garden rather than choosing something that looks good in and of itself. There are, for example, lots of hostas here - some are varieties whose names I know; but many I have no idea what their variety name is because they were chosen for their size, foliage color, etc., so the variety name was not part of the selection criteria. Ditto there are quite a few peonies here but I only know the names of a few - I prefer single types, in part because they aren’t as likely to need support, so many are singles. There are quite few different hydrangeas here too, many of them I can’t remember their variety names…. (I did plant a Bobo but it didn’t like the conditions and I think it has died out….) I’ve tried various ’mums over the years but the only remaining one is a ?-name white variety that was a pass-along plant from a neighbour. It blooms into November; turning from white-flowered to pink as the flowers age. It adds great late-season color and is hardy in the ground. Trees, vines vines, and shrubs are key elements in the garden and the choices of which ones get planted are also driven by needs relating to color, size, growth characteristics etc. so I’m uncertain how to choose a list of ’the top 8 plants’…

I am surprised at how long it took me to compile my list. To be fair, there are a LOT of plants I favor so some serious whittling down was involved :-) I based my choices on plants that I have consistently included in all my various gardens as well as routinely spec for clients. They are all workhorses with an extended period of interest.

In no particular order:

• Adiantum venustum, Himalayan maidenhair fern.
• Saxifraga x urbium 'Aureopunctata', variegated London Pride
• Choisya 'Aztec Pearl'
• Abelia 'Kaleidoscope'
• Carex testacea, orange sedge
• Pittosporum tenuifolium 'County Park Dwarf'
• Sarcococca humilis, dwarf sweetbox
• Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium' - no way could my list NOT include a Japanese maple!!

No herbaceous perennials on my list :-) A couple came somewhat close but just didn't meet my criteria. And I'd be inclined to include at least one clematis but could not filter down my selection specifically. (I'd increase the listing to "top 10 plants"!!)

deanna’s comments made think about how much my plant choices - and the reasons for them - have changed over the years…. In recent years I largely base plant choices on what plant fits a particular need in the garden rather than choosing something that looks good in and of itself.

I agree completely @woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada.

Maybe when one has a new garden one can be less 'picky' about one chooses to plant but as space diminishes and plants die and definitely as I have "matured" as a gardener I am more particular as to the plants I acquire.

i wasn't really sure what criteria to apply to this. Most garden-worthy? Most often planted? Plants for my current gardens? Plants I have loved forever? I couldn't really decide. And as for selecting specific plants...well, no, I can' only think of a handful which would be elevated to some sort of canon. Garden Classics and Golden Oldies.

Still, in the spirit of listing (the rose forums NEVER TIRE of this game), I am also going to go for anemone 'Honorine Jobart'. This was the second plant I bought for my garden, some 36 years ago. Lavatera was first so I obviously no longer have that, but I do still have several sturdy roots of this peerless plant. It has everything - health, grace, beauty, stature, presence...and has been divided so many times, there is a piece in every garden where I have been even tenuously involved.

Not particularly garden-worthy at all but one of the sole survivors of an early garden craze, nonetheless one of my oldest garden crazes which has remained constant throughout almost my entire gardening trip = the humble border auricula. There is literally no more welcome sight after a grey UK winter. Of course, I adore little jonquilla narcissi, snowdrops, wood anemones and winter aconites - who doesn't, but nothing is so redolent of better times than the primula family...and the porcelain delicacy of a single perfect flower stem of a cluster of satiny petals just hits the spot for me. And they are deliciously fragrant and are perfect for close examination. Old fashioned florists flowers which, along with pinks, made themselves at home on windowsills and doorsteps of even the smallest cottages and worker's hovels in the dark industrial cities of Victorian Britain. Worth the endless challenges of vine weevil and free with generous offsets to spread around.

This simple 5petalled structure, a sort of ur-flower, has resonated for me, throughout my whole gardening life as the single rose and spring blossom also feature on my top plant types. Until I fell under the influence of salvia. I came late to the sage family but have since fallen hard for the long bloom cycles, spicy fragrances and floriferous gaiety of numerous salvias. Before a million shrubby sages appeared in garden catalogues, I was given a basic microphylla var.neurepia. I still have it...or at least a great-grand-daughter of my original shrub. I also have a zillion others (although Hotlips can vanish to some eternal compost pile) but retain a fondness for this large, ungainly shrub - a triumph of colour over form.

And so to roses. Too many to choose...but, I am going for one of the early Chinese yellows - my current namesake - rosa primula (although I would also settle for r.cantabridgiensis, r.earldomensis, r.hugonis, or any of the pimpinellifolias). Or any of the wildling roses...including another rose I will always grow despite being a thorny, huge beast of a plant - the fabulous rosa moyesii (any variety, I don't mind, even the pink highdownensis). I have a clear red with glorious flagon shaped heps. That, along with another red single, Scharlachglut, bookend my plot with festoons of scarlet. I love the wild roses so, so much more than frilly, overstuffed specimens, some of which even lack that coronet of stamens which is so integral to the floral architecture.

I guess I need to select an umbellifer - I love them all - but am going to plump for basic cow parsley - Queen Annes Lace, anthriscus sylvestris. Practically a weed but one beloved by me. Have to stop for a longer think before adding any more...but obviously, I am and always will be for the flowers. Of course I appreciate leaves, stems, branches and fruits ..but I am petal-driven and colour-bound above all..

Oh, I almost forgot. Tulips. Love them, especially the dainty species...and most of all, the very last to flower - tulipa sprengeri. Perfect in every particular and will naturalise in grass (as long as it isn't too coarse and dense).

I thought this would be harder to do but it got actually easier by not over thinking, of course after I just quickly jotted these down I thought but what about.....too many. These I always notice.

Persicaria polymorpha

Actinidia kolomikta & arguta

Climbing Hydrangea

Hosta (lol woody I do know the names of all of mine from mini to giant)

Asclepias (just not syriaca since it just can't behave in a garden)

Ornamental grasses - especially Miscanthus 'Strictus", Sporobolus heterolepis, Molinia 'Variegata'....

Eutrochium 'Baby Joe'

Amsonia hubrichtii

My criteria are very simple. Must bloom for a long time, at least 5 months, or have unusual foliage, and almost all of my blooming plants are here because they are nectar sources. Any flower is pretty, might as well choose nectar sources from among them.

Sheesh, I can't believe I waffled on at enormously tedious length and still didn't manage 8. I thought it would be easy but it's not. I would agree with Tiff - it is always about more than simple beauty. Flowers are life.

I am fairly sure my picks would be the same next week. At least for 3 or so.

Still waiting for my garden maturity to arrive. I sometimes think I have cracked it then fall back into bad habits and cheap annuals again.

While pondering on this I realized I don’t have many perennials left to choose from

: /

I had to go back and look at pics to try and decide. I’ve shovel pruned so much that I don’t have many left.

But here are my remaining faves due to long bloom time/interest...

All types of Phlox

Callirhoe Involucrata

Ornamental Grasses

Salvia

Geraniums

Sedum

Paniculata Hydrangeas

Evergreens

Japanese Maples

I see mention of Dicentra, Joe Pye Weed, Daffodils, Persicaria polymorpha. These are all plants I have and all so good.

• Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium' - no way could my list NOT include a Japanese maple!!

@gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9), and @GardenHo_MI_Z5 I purposely omitted "trees" BUT IF I was to include one it would be my 10 year old Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum' and would be my numero uno fave plant. It is shows so well in 3 of the seasons but each year I worry if it will unexpectedly die over the winter.

I probably shouldn't have included Zinnias, true annuals. My bad.

Hey @Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL we should do an 'identical' thread over in the ANNUALS forum eh?

(I also consider LANTANA an outstanding plant. I mass plant it and do them individually in a pot. (I know it is a perennial but of course it dies back each Fall in my neck of the woods.))

The Lantanas that I have do that here too. At the moment, they're looking nervous from a few frosts. Soon, they'll be naked.

Hello @GardenHo_MI_Z5 you need to make some decisions as

all types of phlox, grasseS, hydrangeaS etc isn't permitted ;)

I am in zone 5a, sooooo different choices here. I have over 100 varieties of daylily and maybe 40 variteties of hosta and 12 or so clematis. Along with these there are some plants that are main stays….

Limelight hydrangea

Ruby Slipper hydrangea

Autumn Bride heuchera

Green Spice heuchera

Millenium allium

ladies mantle

I also rely on some self seeded phlox, geranium and purple heuchera.

Sherry

Lol Rouge youre being so tough on me!

I know, I added JM’s and evergreens.. (I have such limited perennials)

Speaking of JM’s, your ‘Fullmoon‘ is my Fave too...it is a ‘perfect’, beautiful, little tree!! I love it so much, it insprired me to buy one, then another. Mine arent nearly as striking as yours but one may have potential...I too have fear of losing them. Pricy little buggers! My daughter calls them my ’Pasta trees’ . She says the leaves look like bowtie pasta lol!

So you want me to make decisions huh?....oh, buts it so hard for me!

I have many Hydrangeas and I love them all, but it would have to be my Limelight tree for sure. It too is perfectly shaped (to my eyes). Its still young so I’m sure it will change.... I’m patiently waiting for it to mature into its true Beauty.

For the grasses...Little Bluestem ’prairie blues’ tops them all! So blue and much taller then expected. One I will continue to divide.

Phlox? sorry, I love them all. Creeping, garden and woodland. So many different colors, bloom times and all long blooming... whats not to love?

I hope that was satisfactory : )

Ah, I have 5 'Millenium' due to arrive any day. New to me but clearly, something of a hot favourite here.What is the spread of a mature plant? Good to hear Prairie Blues is a do-er - I have schizachyrium scoparium 'Prairie Blues' in the greenhouse (waiting for germination). I am looking forward to growing a few more ornamental grasses again, after a few years off.

I am going to add a tree to my list. My favourite tree family - sorbus - includes so many fabulous species, it's hard to choose just one (same for the JM fans, I imagine) but I am going with one of the Chinese mountain ash - the lovely r.pseudohupehensis 'Pink Pagoda'

Hello @rosaprimula. Here are our very established group of...6 Millenium.

(About 18" to 20" tall and say 12" to 14" wide)

I hope that was satisfactory : )

Well done @GardenHo_MI_Z5...proud of you! :)

For the grasses...Little Bluestem ’prairie blues’ tops them all!

Any chance you have a picture or two of your pb?

I had to rack my brain to come up with the plants which are my favourites. In the end I decided that these were the ones which would cause me the most disappointment if they croaked. I’m in zone 4b Ontario

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Hepatica acutiloba

Canada Mayflower

Bunchberry

Bloodroot

Baptisia australis

Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum ’Prairie Sky’)

Clematis Duchess of Albany

Bloodroot

@Gargamel what a good call! We have a Double Bloodroot and love ours.

Ok @FrozeBudd_z3/4 what say you? :)

And FloraL? Second to none plant knowledge and in my zone. I am very interested.

Coming off a year of no rain and barely having enough water to shower in, My picks are those survivors that still showed up and did not hate the grey water that they were watered occasionally with. Salvia regla, palfoxia, salvia farinacia, Poliomintha longifolia, Ageratina havanense, Aesclepias augustifolia , Aesclepias asperula, Artemesia ludovinciana "fredricksburg" , and 'Valery Finis", Damianita.

Since I have the misfortune of gardening on a very shady plot with too many trees, gardening is a challenge. Although I love irises and daylilies, I have had to give them up. I have multiple varieties of many of these plants so I will not be specific. In spite of a summer with virtually no rain and the installation of a new septic system, these plants showed up and gave me joy. Choosing only eight is exceedingly hard since I am a hard core plant lover.

Clematis

Pinks

Salvia

Spigelia

Epimedium

Hosta

Dicliptera

Lobelia