Red spider lily is my favorite because of its blood red hue and symbolism.
Most of the time it’s tulips. They’re classic, not overly fancy, come in a ton of colors and a few different petal shapes if you need something a little extra, and they just remind me of spring and the shape makes me happy.
The one I like that’s out of my league is the fuchsia. I wanted one for a few years, kept forgetting to buy one, and last year I finally got one. It was about double what I like to spend on plants because half of them die because I’m an over-waterer. The fuchsia lasted a week. 😣
This thing looks magical though, and I still can’t believe it’s from this planet.
I’m also a big fan of tulips. I live near the park in Ottawa where they hold the annual tulip festival. It’s always a great time.
They’re just so versatile. Even a single one has great minimalist beauty. A nice bouquet adds a burst of color to match or complement a room. And their straight, controlled shape can make beautiful displays or patterns outdoors. I also enjoy them at all stages of bloom too.
The ones at the Ottawa festival are genetically engineered to form specific colour petals (including colour gradients and patterns on the petals themselves), and then the bulbs are strategically planted to form really beautiful flowerbeds with nice patterns or even simple images. It’s like pixel art with flowers 🌷
Gerbera, to me those are the “floweriest flowers” I know.
I’m a simple man and enjoy the sheer size and simplicity of the sunflower. Plus a field of them is just gorgeous.
Hibiscus flowers typically last less than 48 hours but have some insanely beautiful varieties and smell so good!
Two of my favorites that I have in my yard are the:
Imperial Dragon
Hellebores (aka Lenten Rose) because they flower early in the spring, and their flowers stay for a few months and change color during that time.
I also love Virginia Bluebells because the blossoms are so durn pretty :)
For flowering shrubs, I love lilacs. I planted four of them along the side of my house. They were maybe a foot tall when I planted them 7 years ago, and now they’re at least 10 feet tall. The blooms are so fragrant - I love opening the windows to let the scent into my house.
For annuals, lantana are one of my favorites and every year I put a bunch of them in my pots and planters. In some zones they’re perennial and invasive, but in mine they die out in autumn. They have such bright, happy flower clusters, it always makes me smile to see them :)
Gardening season is starting soon and I’m excited in case you couldn’t tell!
