Retro Plants: What's Coming Back into Gardening Fashion?

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Gardening fashion is turning toward retro plants. Most Baby Boomers recall from their childhood years going to their grandparents’ homes and seeing a gorgeous, bountiful flower garden of colorful blossoms. Sometimes, on a sunny summer day, Grandma probably gave you scissors and allowed you to cut a bouquet.

A time came that perfectly manicured shrubs were the rage in gardening fashion and annual [flower gardens] were much less popular. Just like pin-striped suits and bellbottoms, the plants of childhood were no longer in fashion. Just like clothing fashion has revisited styles of years gone by, gardening fashion is turning to the beauty and simplicity of retro plants.

Retro plants offer a comforting feel of nostalgia and most are very easy to grow. Let’s look at some of the great retro plants that are coming back into gardening fashion:

Sunflowers: Huge, Mammoth varieties provide huge blossoms a foot or more across. But if you want less height and drama, you can find sunflowers in smaller varieties and even color variations now. If you want to feed the wild birds in winter or roast sunflower seeds for your family, choose the large Mammoths and allow the seeds to mature. Sunflowers are a great choice for a child’s first gardening adventure because the large, colorful blossoms offer such satisfaction after the growing period. Nothing is more dramatic on a table than two or three large sunflower blossoms in a simple vase.

Zinnias: Zinnias offer a bounty of color and blossoms and are easy to grow, making them perfect for the busy modern family. The wide range of colors available allows the retro garden to have brightness and the blossoms make great cut flowers. There are even green blossoms available now; that variety is aptly named ‘Envy’. These, too, are great starter-flowers for young gardeners.

Marigolds: Want an easy to grow plant which will also help repel unwanted insects from the garden? Then marigolds are for you. You’ll find a range of colors and even plant sizes so there is a variety sure to fit into your retro garden perfectly.

Ferns: Ferns never really go out of style, but recently they have become all the rage for hanging baskets as well as ground plantings. For an elegant front porch look that is inviting, hang Boston ferns long the front of the porch. While these ferns are not the easiest to grow, a little care will go a long way in maintaining their beauty. On trick with the Boston fern is that all too often it is seriously root bound when purchased and will thrive when one crowded pot is divided into two. Asparagus fern can be lush and gorgeous, but use care when choosing where to plant this tuberous, spreading fern or it can get out of hand. Great for ground cover in front of taller plants or in baskets. Watch out when trimming because many of these ferns have small thorns hidden in their beautiful, deep green foliage.

Coleus: For a variety of color, coleus is a great choice. Colors range from light, pale green to deepest purple and many varieties are variegated. Easy to grow, this plant loves moisture and can even be grown in deep shade. In fact, it requires shade at least a good portion of the day to thrive.