I have a few of these.
I thought that those tickseed (coreopsis) plants would just blend in and not be seen but when I threw some seed down and they came up I found I really liked them. I also thought mums would be boring but in the fall they sure come through.
What were you surprised by?
Mobi
What plant did you not think you'd like but ended up loving!
Pelargoniums. Everybody had them, it seemed, all scraggly and unpruned and tired-looking. Now I know why -- because they are tough, dependable bloomers that are almost pest-free! I fell in love with the fancy-leaf hybrids and although they do get that unhappy look in the cold dampness of our winters, they recover quickly and look lovely the rest of the time!
Ranunculus. I thought they looked weird, like fake flowers. The fantastic colors of the Bloomingdale hybrids changed my mind, though. I can't help buying them every year -- they get me through the three months when my roses aren't blooming!
Crown of thorns. Here in Florida they're *everywhere*. And most of them look absolutely terrible! Shriveled tall skinny thorned sticks with few leaves and fewer flowers. I rescued a particularly sad looking specimen a few years back and now I absolutely love them! I didn't stick it in the blazing sun and ignore it. I treat it like a succulent, bright filtered light, allow to dry out between waterings, fertilize and Messenger and it's positively bushy with huge, dark green glossy leaves and tons of blooms year round. I now have yellow and white ones as well and they are all favorites.
Have to agree with jkom51. Pelargoniums! I thought they were sooo ordinary. Then I started looking through French and Italian garden pictures and lo and behold, there they are! Every single picture has at least one pot. I tried them last year, and wow- they're great.
Annuals- I never wanted annuals. Seemed like too much work. Boy was I wrong! This year I am spending more on annuals than on the rest of my garden.
So where do you get the fancy pelargoniums? I am so tired of the HD ones.
Agapanthus
I got a tiny baby in trade a couple years ago, because my Mom wanted me to grow one for her. I planted it in a large planter on the patio and basically ignored it. At first I would check it to see that it was healthy, but it always was, so eventually I forgot about it. It's amazing how you stop seeing a large planter on the patio if it never needs anything from you!
Now, I've noticed how shiny and healthy the plant is, how it has filled that planter up, and it has a bud. It was the best looking plant on the patio, even the ones that had been babied didn't look as good. I'm thinking 'no wonder everyone has these!' Evergreen, shiny mounds of healthy looking foliage with zero care. The flowers are a bonus! It's like an automatic plant. It works hard so you don't have to.
I can't wait until it's done blooming, so I can divide the thing and spread it around. Even if it is two more years before I get more blooms, the foliage is great.
Ok, sometimes I'm slow. Eventually I get there . . .
Cheri'
Green Santolina. I didn't like the "little evergreen-looking things" that much, I just got them because they were on clearance at Target for 25cents a few years ago just before the 4th of July. They are one of my absolute faves now - couldn't imagine my garden without them - I'm going to buy more this year, they give great structure to perennial beds! -C
I love green santolina but I can't find it anywhere. Had it 4 years ago, but it died one winter and I never could replace it.
Sedum. I thought the flowers looked like broccoli. It is one of the few things I could find flowering into the fall around here, so I planted a bunch. It took me two years of gritting my teeth but now I have gotten used to them and I like them a lot. They look good covered in snow too, so I don't cut them back anymore. Still look a little like broccoli, though.
Sedum is so easy to grow too. I just stick a piece in the ground, water it and it usually takes root.
Daylilies. I know, what an idiot. I just didn't think they were interesting until I got the bug. Now I'm building a new planter just for them and their perennial friends. Who knew?
Karen :~S
There are so many common things I ignored when I was a young gardener. Then as time went on people gave me starts of things and I just can't ignore any plant that has been put in my care. Common ajuga is providing the most beautiful underplanting for my pink daffodils-the deep violet carpet makes those white and apricot tones really stand out. Autumn Joy sedum, Stella D'oro daylilies, and little bulbs like muscari, scilla, and crocus are some other I used to turn my nose up at, but now I would'nt garden without them. It's nice having things to pass along to new gardeners that they can't kill. I also like the challenge of taking a common plant and combining it with more interesting specimins to achieve a creative and beautiful display-there are always new combos to play with. Now I think of some of these things as staples-like flour, sugar, and salt in the kitchen, you just always keep them on hand.