5. Forget-me-not

These dainty little flowers don’t have a strong fragrance, but they are some of the sweetest little flowers around. One tiny bunch makes a cute bouquet for the window sill or on the edge of the bathroom sink.

4. Crocus

I know spring is finally here when these little beauties pop up out of the ground. They are the first to provide my rather dreary garden with much needed color; purple, white, yellow, and purple/white stripes. Some even have a sort of blue hue to them. They smell amazing too!

3. Schefflera

Some people know this common house plant as ‘Umbrella Tree’. This makes an excellent house plant, if you don’t live in a climate where it can grow freely outside. It grows rather quickly too, so you can snip pieces off and transplant them around the garden or give these pieces to friends.

2. Old-fashioned Bleeding Heart

These shade-loving plants add a sense of elegance to any shade garden. They are reliable bloomers and seem to look better every year. My grandmother has a beautiful one in her shade garden that has been there since I was a small child. This plant is a perfect centerpiece for your shade garden.

1. Purple Ice Plant

I like the fact that these little plants do so well in cold climates. They are hardy in zones 5 to 9 and have an extremely long blooming season. The tiny purple daisy-like flowers are gorgeous! This is an excellent drought-resistant ground cover that only grows to be a few inches in height.

I hope you have some of these plants already in your garden or home so you can enjoy them as much as I do. What are your favorite plants?

Top Photo Credit: PollyMM