Plant of the Season
Myosotis – Forget-me-nots
Plant of the Season is brought to you by Gayle Parkes, OGV sub-committee member. She also posts to OGV's Instagram - make sure you check back regularly for her latest post.
Myosotis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek words "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the Northern Hemisphere, they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots or scorpion grasses. Plants of the genus are not to be confused with Chatham Islands' forget-me-nots, which belong to the related genus Myosotidium.……..Wikipedia.
Nothing says spring to me more than a gorgeous patch of forget-me-nots, as blue as the colour of a spring sky. It would not be a cottage garden without them and once you have just one tiny seed in your garden, you will never be without them. Yes they are prolific self-sowers and yes, they cling to our garden gloves and socks and overalls, but come each spring, they always make us smile when we see the beautiful rich healthy green leaves pop up, year after year. And the intense blue of those absolutely gorgeous dainty little flowers really is breathtaking!
There are more than 510 recorded species of the forget-me-not plant which happily displays clouds of the tiny sky-blue flowers with yellow centres. Perched on the tip of hairy stems that grow from 5cms to 12cms, this free-flowering, easy going perennial blooms for months.
The humble forget-me-not looks best when grown in large masses or as a carpet of flowers in partial-shade spots. Although really, they work in all types of gardens, including woodland, rock gardens and containers. They are ideal for spilling over garden edges, mixed in amongst border plants, filling beds in cottage style gardens and as ground covers. Birds, butterflies and bees are attracted to these blue beauties, and as an added bonus, rabbits and deer do not have them listed on their menus.
Forget-me-nots are revered for their sentimental value being a symbol of remembrance for those who have passed away, but more commonly, as a symbol of true love, respect, fidelity and devotion. I am lucky enough to have a very lovely little brooch of forget-me-not flowers that belonged to my maternal grandmother.
You will find packets of seeds at your local garden centre, or just ask any of your friends who love these sweethearts as much as I do for some seeds. You might like to seek out the pink or white flowering variety as well as the glorious true blue forget-me-not. And with a sprinkle of seeds over your prepared garden bed, you too will delight in a glorious sea of blue for years to come.
Some call them weeds, some say they are thugs and okay, they are not welcomed by all gardeners, however, for me, who loves surprises that pop up in nooks and crannies, they are well worth having in my little patch. So plant them where you won't mind if they spread a bit and simply deadhead the flowers if you want to keep them contained to a particular area. They will look very pretty in a little vase on the kitchen bench!