The most romantic plants for Valentine's day
Let love bloom with these heartfelt choices
Bunch of red roses not going to cut it with your green-fingered Valentine this year? There are other romantic plants you could opt for, which also represent love, passion and devotion and should - hopefully - grow and blossom with time!
Medieval myths and folklore, heart-shaped flower forms and even the love-inspired name of a plant can all stir the most romantic notions - and there are certain plants that naturally fit the bill.
Here are five Valentine's Day plants perfect for saying 'I love you'...
1. Bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis)
It's the delicate heart-shaped flowers in shades of pink and white, or solid white on arching stems on this beautiful springflowering perennial which make this plant one which stands out from the crowd. Easy to grow, it does best in moist soil with added organic matter in partial shade in a sheltered spot.
Taller dicentras, which grow to around 80cm, make good plant partners with low-growing plants including hellebores, saxifrages and hardy geraniums.
2. Lilac (Syringa)
In the language of flowers, purple lilacs symbolise the first emotions of love, while white lilacs represent youthful innocence. In the garden, their heady scent and beautiful blooms bring more romance to the scene in early summer and there are many varieties in different hues of pink, purple and white.
The hardy lilac, Syringa vulgaris, grows on most soils including clay, but prepare the ground well with plenty of wellrotted compost to encourage a good display of flowers, preferably in a sunny location. Watch out for suckers, which can start to take over if you don't pull them out immediately.
3. Myrtle (Myrtus)
A sprig of this evergreen shrub has been featured in many royal bridal bouquets since 1858, including those of the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Sussex, as the plant represents good luck and love in a marriage.
This Mediterranean shrub grows to 3x3m, with oval, polished, leathery aromatic leaves that release a spicy orange fragrance when crushed. The fragrant flower buds open to white flowers in July to August, followed by fleshy berries which mature to purple-black.
Being from the Mediterranean, it's best grown against a sunny wall in a sheltered spot and looks good in cottage or coastal gardens. It can also be grown in a large pot in sunny city gardens. It does, however, require long hot summers to produce flowers and fruits.
4. Rose
Of course, this is the most obvious choice. According to Greek mythology, roses are associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.
There are so many from which to choose - literally a rose for every garden, from miniature versions in a pot, to a large old-fashioned fragrant English rose, with hand-sized blooms emitting a perfume which will fill the air.
They are hungry plants and are happy in heavier soil in a sunny spot. Add plenty of organic matter to the soil before planting and dig a big enough hole so the roots have space to spread out.