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Gardening

Are there plants that you don’t like?

(115 Posts)
Bazza Wed 01-Apr-26 15:24:47

We have a smallish garden which is cared for by my DH and mostly I’m very happy with it. I see the beauty in most plants and flowers but there’s just something about a shrub which I think is called Robinia or red robin which I really don’t like, and the other one is called sedum which has a pink flower and fleshy leaves. Just typing this makes me feel that I’m a bit weird, so I’d really like to know if any other grans have plants or flowers that they don’t like. Just for the record my favourite flower is snowdrops. We have quite a lot of red robin and my DH refuses to cut it back as it is blocking out some houses behind it, so I see his point. I did read the other day that Alan Titchmarsh doesn’t like gladiola so I’m not the only one!

Milliedog Thu 02-Apr-26 18:15:03

Fuschias remind me of dripping blood.... I really dislike them.

RosesandLilac Thu 02-Apr-26 18:29:01

I really don’t like plants with furry leaves, stachys actually makes me feel sick if I touch one.
I’m not keen on euphorbias, hypericum or a plant with red/green leaves that smells like bitter orange 🤢

phantom12 Thu 02-Apr-26 18:40:36

I don't like fern's or hosta's.

Desdemona Thu 02-Apr-26 18:46:48

The plants I don't like are the ones that I have planted and realise that I have trouble controlling later on - the 2 that spring to mind right now are raspberries and bluebells.

FranP Thu 02-Apr-26 19:44:24

It has got to be lavender.

I cannot understand while, although it can look good to start with, it gets scraggy and woody quickly and cutting it back leaves just a series of sticks.
Apart from the awful smell too

Allira Thu 02-Apr-26 19:46:48

FranP

It has got to be lavender.

I cannot understand while, although it can look good to start with, it gets scraggy and woody quickly and cutting it back leaves just a series of sticks.
Apart from the awful smell too

It smells lovely and the bees love it too. Our lavender bushes are covered in bees when it is in flower.

Allira Thu 02-Apr-26 19:47:32

I don't think I should hold a Gransnet Garden Party.

😂

MayBee70 Thu 02-Apr-26 20:04:56

Nell82

I enjoyed my passion flower for a couple of years before it ran amok and sent out long runners through a border. A similar thing happened with lily of the valley which I welcomed from next door until it spread like mad.

I went away for a while and a passion flower that hadn’t done anything for years had literally taken over half of the garden including the washing line. It took me ages to dig up all the runners. I love Photinia red Robin and pink crispy as it’s one of the few things that will grow and that will have some colour to it. It’s dog safe, too.

Suzieque66 Thu 02-Apr-26 20:26:42

I dislike Roses ... They have either Greenfly, Blackspot, Mildew, whitefly, etc or they are stabbing me in the fingers / wrists .. and all for a weak flash of colour ..

rafichagran Thu 02-Apr-26 20:39:34

After reading Hosta think that's how its spelt attracts snakes. I will not have them in my garden.

undines Thu 02-Apr-26 20:47:57

Not keen on orchids

StoneofDestiny Thu 02-Apr-26 21:26:48

Ivy and hostas

Allira Thu 02-Apr-26 21:38:15

rafichagran

After reading Hosta think that's how its spelt attracts snakes. I will not have them in my garden.

Are you in Australia, rafichagran?

I've rarely seen snakes in the UK and not in a suburban garden

Milest0ne Thu 02-Apr-26 22:13:07

Allira

There is a splash of forsythia in our hedge. Not much, but it looks cheerful even on a dull day.

Buddleia. Hideous stuff.
I think it's fine and yes, butterflies and bees do love it so it is n essential plant for the survival of wildlife.
Far better than Himalayan Balsam, Japanese Knotweed and Russian vine which really are hugely invasive and destroy our habitats, causing huge problems, even growing up through the foundations of houses.

We were being taken over by Himalayan Balsam and I have seen lots of seedlings already. A man from a countryside trust organisation came to say that he would bring some volunteers this year to clear them out. starting uphill on a neighbouring property before they start to set seed.It is something I could not manage. They. are thugs as they are in the wrong place, but they are pretty flowers and bees love them.
I have a photo taken over 30 years ago of a an area of garden we had made into a sitting area. There are some H B in the picture but I had never seen them before and didn't know what a problem they would become.

Allira Thu 02-Apr-26 22:19:39

It takes over, is invasive and our native flora gradually dies out.
It seems to be a losing battle in some areas to eradicate it.

Scribbles Thu 02-Apr-26 23:21:40

I love red robin photinia, scarlet geraniums and scarlet verbena, daffodils, grape hyacinths, pansies and camellias.
I thoroughly dislike jasmine - the scent gives me a headache; am not keen on roses but my venom and utter loatbing is reserved for the accursed honeysuckle which has found its way through a rear fence and is doing its level best to strangle everything else in sight. I have this recurring nightmare that I come home from a two week holiday and find the monstrous thing has snaked across the paving, smothered the garden furniture, got its hooks into the house and grown up and over the roof and is taking over the front garden and heading for the street!

MaizieD Thu 02-Apr-26 23:40:27

Allira

It takes over, is invasive and our native flora gradually dies out.
It seems to be a losing battle in some areas to eradicate it.

The good thing about Himalayan balsam is that it’s a annual and shallow rooted, so it’s easy to pull up and if you can eradicate every single one you can find, before it sets seed, you can get rid of it.

Our problem with it is that we have a stream running through our land and the seeds get washed down from upstream where it isn’t controlled. We spend hours each year pulling out as much as we can possibly reach and/or cutting off the flower heads. If we didn’t do this it would be rampant…

But bees do love it. I don’t 🙁

Dempie55 Thu 02-Apr-26 23:47:03

Chrysanthemums - don’t like the smell!

FreedomAwaits Fri 03-Apr-26 01:11:52

Can’t abide the smell of Geraniums!

25Avalon Fri 03-Apr-26 09:38:12

I hate Callicarpa with its purple berries which just look so unnatural. I feel the same about the odd blue flower but Callicarpa is a no no.

25Avalon Fri 03-Apr-26 09:44:35

Allira

rafichagran

After reading Hosta think that's how its spelt attracts snakes. I will not have them in my garden.

Are you in Australia, rafichagran?

I've rarely seen snakes in the UK and not in a suburban garden

We have snakes in the garden here in the South West although I’m glad to say we rarely see them. They like hot surfaces to bask on and usually scarper if you are around. I’ve seen 3ft long grass snakes on the road and once an adder caught in the bean netting - it had threaded itself through and had to be destroyed as it couldn’t be released. It’s not hostas but hot they seek.

Sarahr Fri 03-Apr-26 10:36:01

I don't like Mahonia, although it is a good burglar deterrent. Nor do I like Euphoria as it stinks. I love our native flowers even though the neighbours think they are weeds.

Nanny27 Fri 03-Apr-26 10:38:34

Absolutely love hawthorn. As a child we had a huge hawthorn tree in our garden and my sister and I.had a swing hanging from its branches. Such happy memories.

JamesandJon33 Fri 03-Apr-26 10:54:43

Hawthorn smells lovely too. Sort of almondy .

Caleo Fri 03-Apr-26 11:04:24

I positively like dandelions and other plants usually classed as weeds. However one plant that really makes me feel bad is stinking iris.