Overused Flowers

Several times now, I've heard a few flower choices (including some of my own) criticized as "overused," or a plant that everybody has and that everybody is tired of.

Well, not everybody!  There are excellent reasons for some common choices.  Not everybody has sufficient time to maintain difficult plants, or the appropriate conditions for them.  Some of us (like me) have enormous gardens and can't specifically pay attention to 800 plants--we rely on easy, attractive flowers to fill out the majority while a few specimens function as highlights in our gardens.

Probably the most-frequently criticized flower in my garden is the French marigold.  They're available, and inexpensive, by the flat at any garden center.  They're durable, tolerant of most conditions except for extremely acidic, extremely alkaline, or full shade, and bloom like troopers even in the hottest weather.  They'll even tolerate a very light frost, although generally not without damage. The flowers are long-lasting, the plants are reasonably drought-tolerant, and although they benefit from dead-heading, it's not absolutely required.  They bloom from shortly after planting to the time they die.

What's not to love about that?  If you look around, there are dozens of varieties of marigold, both French and African, in many hues of mahogany, burgundy, yellow, gold, orange, and bi-colors. Most recently, some almost-red varieties have been developed, although they're still noticeably mahogany if compared to a more perfectly red flower like a zinnia.

That's merely one example of a flower whose popularity has been earned.  My philosophy is that if you like the flower color and the plant looks good in your garden, ignore the critics.  Learn to love some of the common choices for their easy care and rewarding performance.