The knowledge

I feel like a taxi driver learning The Knowledge. My head is spinning with plant names. I'm six assignments into my RHS course, and the most recent one nearly broke me. It was giving 105 examples of plants for various purposes in a garden; hedging, containers, rock gardens, all sorts... and it wasn't just plant names. No, no, it was also what site requirements, the appearance of the plant, how tall it grows, and how it can be used in a garden. 

This assignment took me a good few weeks alongside occasional working-from-home, childminding over zoom, and continuing my pledge to walk 1000 miles in a year (I'm on 107 and it's only the 29 Jan!). I was totally daunted doing it - I only know what I know, I'm still very much on this learning journey. Would I be able to source these plants and do it right?

The final submission was over 3,500 words and it was a beast. 8 pages! I uploaded it to the distance learning portal and felt sick with nerves about it. The other assignments have been nerve-wracking too, but not to this level - plus I feel like this assignment really tests your mettle as a gardener. Thankfully, my tutor had it marked and back to me in a couple of days and I scored a sweet 85%. She said I had made good plant choices and this thrilled me, and gave me confidence.

Friends often ask me for plant recommendations and I love it when they do. What would go up against that fence in shade but can tolerate coastal winds? What would sit in the front garden and happily grow with little effort? I often give examples of plants that I already know and like, but now I feel like my knowledge is already expanding. I think every gardener has their classics and go-to plants. I'll still continue to recommend those and nurture them in my own garden. But building on my existing list feels exciting. Like there's a whole world of possibility out there. 

My top 5 go-to plants to recommend

1. Verbena bonariensis
This tall, wiry plant has attractive purple flowers that go on all through the summer and into the autumn. They come back each year *and* self seed freely so you can often gift new seedlings to friends. They love sun, and look beautiful moving in a breeze. 
2. Sweet peas
Planting sweet pea seeds in March feels like one of the most hopeful things you can do. They are great to do with children too. Once the seeds have germinated, look after them on a windowsill and move into a cold frame as they grow. Once they're ready to plant out, grow them up canes. The more you pick them once they're flowering, the longer they will flower. Highly scented and beautiful picked in vases.
3. Ferns
If you have shade in your garden, ferns are the one. Not only are they beautiful to look at, but they also provide a perfect woodland-y backdrop to other shade loving plants such as hellebores and snowdrops. They add drama and interest, and range in colour from silver through to lime through to deep, dark forest green. 
4. Stipa 'Pony Tails'
I adore grasses. Sometimes I think I would be content with just ornamental grasses but remember other plants exist too. They're always what I zone in on in garden centres. This variety is tall, wispy, pretty and adds a great amount of movement to a sunny spot.
5. Hellebores
For shady spots, hellebores are little jewels, whether they're talcum-y pink or deep dramatic purple. Some varieties have speckled petals, which pop up in January and February like little promises of spring to come. Pricey, but worth it.