It is a difficult one to answer, as bad as ‘What is your favourite plant?’

So, what do I like enough to have a collection of? That’s simple – plants!

Kniphofia would be nice, easy to care for and grow well in buckets. Solanum (not just tomatoes and potatoes) – variations on a theme, but some more palatable ( and less toxic and spikey) than others. Agapanthus, crocosmia, canna, iris, geraniums, lilies, collarette dahlias, sarracenia – all have their own appeal.

There are a lot of National Collections which can be visited, so I can see the plants I like and get advice on cultivation and propagation from their curators.

So I think the collection I would have is international not national, and is the one I already have – which is eclectic (and usually called a garden). But with the plant exchange and the plant guardian scheme I can help with a dispersed and diverse collection, because however small the space we have may be, there is always room for just one more plant.

 

Nigel Skilton – Committee Member