Thursday, January 22, 2009

Stranded on a Desert Island

Shirl over at Shirl's Garden Watch has asked us to choose three plants that you would take to a desert island if you were so lucky as to have to go there and post about them today.

This became a difficult task for me. I don't think I would want to leave any plant behind. I wrestled with the thought and have decided that the first plant I would take would be the Butterfly Bush. If I were on a desert island I would like to watch and study the butterflies that were on that island and this plant is a sure magnet for butterflies. The second plant would be the hibiscus. Not only are they colorful but they attract hummingbirds and many islands have beautiful hummingbirds and I wouldn't want to miss any of them.
My third plant would be the peony. Not only does it smell marvelous but it reminds me of home, relatives that are near and dear to me and no matter where I go I would like a memento of home.

I can't wait to see what all everyone posts for their garden island adventure.



47 comments:

  1. Hi Lisa, so glad to see your choices. I love hearing about the reasons behind them as much as the plants themselves. Of course you would want to attract birds, and what better ones than the exquisite hummingbird, wonderful!
    Frances

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  2. Hi Lisa .. yet again wonderful and different choices to this pick .. I have been reading quite a few and this is really catching fire with all the gardeners. Frances is right about how interesting it is to hear why they are your choices too !
    Very nice indeed girl !

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  3. Wonderful to see that you've joined in the fun. I applaud your choices, each and every one of them is great. BTW with all those wonderful plants we are all bringing the desert island won't be a desert for very long. ;-)

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  4. Hi Lisa, excellent choices! This is painful... to see all the wonderful flowers you didn't choose and so want to bring along. I said it before and I'll say it again, I wich we all are stranded on the same island!

    xoxo Tyra

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  5. All wonderful choices -- I'm trying to pick three, and having a terrible time. :)

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  6. Oh, peonies! So glad you've chosen them; I thought about them but decided I needed lavender more. And that hibiscus. I want it. In my office. NOW! Gorgeous, gorgeous colours.

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  7. Lisa, It was a tough challenge...but your choices are perfect....while we did choose different plants...we both wanted to take plants that brought in the critters!
    Have a great day...dreaming of a warm desert island.

    gail

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  8. The peonies so pull at my heartstrings that I thought there was never a way I would ever garden without them, it was a close runner up-I promise. The butterfly bush will be so fun with that lovely hibiscus. I am betting there will be tons of wildlife in your garden.

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  9. Dear Lisa,
    Lovely photographs!
    I love why too.
    I am working on finding photographs of my choices...
    Sherry

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  10. I love the choices that you made Lisa.....of course the butterfly bush would have been top of my list, for obvious reasons....

    I would also take a Gunnera to give some welcome shade.....

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  11. What bright and cheerful choices, Lisa, and you managed to get fragrance, as well. I'll be hanging out in your part of the island often!

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  12. What beautiful colours Lisa - they will certainly brighten up the island!

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  13. You've chosen flowers with birds and butterflies in mind. That is foremost on my mind as I decide on what I would take too. I'm still thinking. It is so difficult to choose.

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  14. Now that is a difficult task. Plants from our northern environ probably wouldn't survive a desert island! I'd probably take some vegetable seeds though!!!!

    As for that picture ... I don't mind if you paint it at all. Go ahead! I have a friend actually two friends who paint and every now and again they ask to paint one of my photos. I usually get them to send me a wee picture of the results ... just to see how they turn out!

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  15. Peonies would be on my list too. Love them!

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  16. Perfect choices Lisa!! Gosh, they are so gorgeous and your reasonings for bringing them are perfect!

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  17. Hi there Lisa, sorry my ship was delayed ;-)

    Fantastic choices – all appeared on my many lists and for the same reasons too. What a beauty of a hibiscus. I really fancied one too. I loved the idea of having humming birds visit it too. I thought it would make a lovely change of bird visitor for me ;-)

    You’re so right this has been a wonderful adventure!

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  18. Wow, my first thought would have been fruit bearing trees:) After reading the reasons though...I opened my eyes...I must be hungry.

    Nice Blog!

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  19. Beautiful choices! The peony has such a beautiful bloom!
    This was really an enjoyable challenge.
    Karrita

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  20. I was on the fence with the peonies so I am happy to see you have some on your island. You will have beautiful blooms!

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  21. My first pick would be the butterfly bush also.

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  22. Hello Lisa. Thanks for visiting my blog and for your comment. You have made some lovely choices. The butterfly bush would certainly attract a wealth of butterflies. I have never grown hibiscus but they do look beautiful. I especially liked your last choice ' a memento of home' :)

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  23. You picked two (hibiscus, butterfly bush) of my three and almost on the money as peony and Perwinkle were a toss up for me! Great minds think a like! :-)

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  24. Three totally gorgeous choices. Not to mention that the butterfly bush and hibiscus would be blooming practically every day.

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  25. I didn't do the meme but one of mine would have been butterfly bush. I am loving the Black Knight cultivars I have more and more every summer.

    I think I have that peony. I can't even bear to type what was done to it, but I think it is coming back.

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  26. I just knew, even before reading your choices would be ones that attracted birds and butterflies. And I should have known the third choice would be something that reminded you of home and family. Your hibiscus is gorgeous!

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  27. It is indeed very difficult to chose only three plants for the Desert Island. But peonies would have been on my list too! I don't like to miss them.

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  28. What a beautiful selection of plants - it's been great seeing people's choices and to think of hummingbirds is enough to get anyone in a holiday mood! Miranda

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  29. - Olá !!!

    tudo parece estar além das suas pegadas na neve... parece muito além das suas flores ou do seu jardim, não sei dizer bem o que é afinal de contas como explicar uma poesia que não está escrita quando se está em frente á um frio monitor de computador que nem mesmo fala??? pois mesmo assim passei olhei com cuidaddo lí tudo, ví tudo e gostei, gostei muito do cuidado e do respeito que sentí em tudo em cada detalhe...
    Saudações do Brasil e sucesso!


    - Olá! everything seems to be beyond its footprints in the snow… it seems very beyond its flowers or of its garden, I do not know to say well what it is after all of accounts as to explain a poetry that is not written when it is in front of a monitorial cold of computer that not even speaks? therefore exactly thus I passed I looked at with cuidaddo lí everything, vi everything and very liked, I liked well-taken care of it and it respect that sentí in everything in each detail…
    Greetings of Brazil and success!

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  30. Lantana and Hibiscus! How great it'd be to see butterflies fluttering about in an island! Great choice, Lisa! Man! Everyone's being cool and perfect about the choices. I'm still thinking.... It's sooo difficult

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  31. You've picked some beautiful choices, Lisa. I haven't had time to read many of these posts yet, but it's interesting to see all the different choices. The hibiscus is beautiful and would probably thrive on that desert island.

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  32. All your plants are very "tropical island" colors, and very beautiful. A great idea to think of tropical islands in the midst of winter. It does make one hopeful!

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  33. Something for the birds & butterflies & something just for you. I consider a Peony, with their luscious flowers and wonderful scent.

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  34. I'd be glad to go to your island, not only for the plants you'll bring with you, but also for the reasons.
    I'd take an hortensia (I regret so much they won't grow properly here), an amaryllis (like them) and peonies (memories, too)

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  35. Oh, the hisbiscus! I forgot about it! We can't get it to do a thing up here but oh so beautiful. Great choices.

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  36. What? No tomatoes? No peppers? No cucumbers? Clearly, you want a beautiful island!

    Robin Wedewer
    National Gardening Examiner

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  37. Good choices, Lisa. I esp. like the peony since I can't grow them here - too hot. I think you are the first to pick butterfly bush, a great plant.

    Jan
    Always Growing

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  38. Lisa, I'm in total agreement with you! I don't have peonies but I'd surely want my butterfly bush and hibiscus for the hummers and butterflies! Good choices.

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  39. Can I have the hut next to you, Lisa? You are bringing two more of my favorites, in fact, I almost chose peonies for one of mine. And the hibiscus...love, love, love them, too!

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  40. Lisa, I can't believe I didn't leave a comment here yesterday! Your choices are KNOCKOUTS! What beautiful, vibrant colors! Can I bunk on your other side? (I see Kylee is already in line!) ;-)

    By the way, you really should check out the Pasque flower. They are very easy to grow, Very Early Spring bloomers and oh, so beautiful. I see there's a red cultivar also...

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  41. I love the first photo with the skipper in it! Bravo!

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  42. Beautiful photographs (esp for the middle of January!) The splash of color is fantastic!

    What a fun post--thanks for making me think of islands and tropical settings ;-)

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  43. Hi Lisa, I've been too busy in my garden to have a chance to dream about this island getaway... but I've enjoyed reading the plants that folks wouldn't want to leave behind. You are a flower girl for sure. You would never lack for color, fragrance and of course the flying flowers you'd attract with your great choices.
    I wonder if we could get six beautiful peacocks in someone's luggage to that desert island?
    Meems @ Hoe and Shovel

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  44. Lisa most definately the butterfly bush for me and the beloved peonies!
    I would have to have roses..yes roses too for sure!

    I thank you Lisa for being there for me these past few weeks as I went through a stressfull time. I am ok and am grateful for your frienship and caring words.
    love and light aNNa xo

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  45. Wow, you also had captured the beauty of flowers so well.

    You do have hibiscus here!
    Really beautiful!!!!
    I love its colour, so vibrant and fresh.

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