You will probably see these plants in quite a few gardens, they are well-known and a bit old hat. Only today we spoke with a gardener who complained about Verbena bonariensis being too common, too over-used, too tall and too boring.

Geez! We were overwhelmed by the anger. It hasn’t done that much wrong and we must say, we don’t think that of Verbena bonariensis.

Which is why we want to give a shout out in this blog to plants that are given a bad deal by people, just because everyone has them or knows them. They may be boring in the garden media, little seen at Chelsea, but they are hard-working, fabulous plants that deserve their status as popular garden plants – just checkout the image above from the park in Chelmsford – the yellow of the Rudbeckia have been flowering for what seems like months, without having to do any work to keep them that way – and now, on a dull Autumn day, they shine like a lamp calling the weary traveller home.

Here then, raise a glass, to these boring plants!

Salvia

Stipa

Kniphofia

Sarcococca

Hellebore

Buxus

Helenium

Sedum

Lavender

Poppy

Miscanthus

Geranium

Eupatorium

Alcea

Peony

Alchemilla

Euphorbia

Nepeta

Epimedium

Perovskia

Geum

Sanguisorba

Primrose

Cyclamen

Foxglove

Hemerocallis

Liriope

Hosta

These are boring and ubiquitous plants – but if you were to plant your garden with the above list, the above pictures, you would have a wonderful and wildlife friendly garden.

And that is not boring at all.