I second the butterfly bush one. I only wanted one, and one that will stay at 4-5 feet. Of course it did neither - new plants spring up here and there, and the only one that I wanted requires a major pruning every year. It grows so darn fast.

And Japanese anenomes. I am willing to keep some since they provide great fall color, but boy, do they spread! I have at least two major weeding events pulling out as many as I can, and leave just enough to supply blooms.

I grew some big, bushy Star of Yelta morning glories one year. Lovely blooms: they look like there's an LED hidden in the center!

I never saw a single seedling pop up, although tons of seeds were produced all through late summer and fall. The later ones mostly rotted, but I can't guess why I didn't have volunteers from the earlier seeds.

Nice anemones. I am often tempted to plant one again, so it's good to be reminded why I got rid of them in the past.

Miscanthus giganteus falls into the love/hate group too. I love how it provides privacy between my yard and the neighbors. I hate having to cut it down each spring. It's super tough to dig out, so if you plant it, you'd better be real sure you want it.

Nice anemones. I am often tempted to plant one again, so it's good to be reminded why I got rid of them in the past.

Miscanthus giganteus falls into the love/hate group too. I love how it provides privacy between my yard and the neighbors. I hate having to cut it down each spring. It's super tough to dig out, so if you plant it, you'd better be real sure you want it.

Dianne - that's exactly how I felt. Someone sent me some supposedly lower BB's but they hit the gutter by the following year and we had them cut down and sent to the landfill. I find many salvias grow to be the height I wished for with the BB's and none of the endless pruning to keep them looking good. I do love them as a substitute.

I have been told not to plant the anemone but tried three, two died. If it wasn't raining now I'd go out to check for possible seedlings.

Susan - I'm not a grass lover - too much cutting back in fall anyhow without adding more to the list. I do have Hakonechloa and dividing it is hard work and the plant grows exceptionally fast. It's beautiful but any future divisions will have to go in pots. Every job gets more difficult as we all age.

I agree with that Pirl. Lost a couple grasses over the winter and don't plant to replace them.

I have two and I put both of them in the same bed. Barberry bushes and Bishopweed ground cover. I like something that will cover the leaves after my bulbs are done blooming. I have a bulb and bush garden. The bushes are barberry and the ground cover that helps cover the bulb leaves after they bIoom I use Bishopweed.

The Barberry I swear at because it sticks the heck out of me but I love the colors for a bush that holds the color all Summer. I also have a red one. The Bishopweed can get thick sometime but it is easy to pull but if I do not say on thinning it will go places I do not want it to go.

Love the shade of maples but not the endless seedlings. Now I'm glad the storm, Irene, took our terror, Acer Negundo/Boxelder, even though I do miss the shade. It's a relief not to have to bend down and remove 300 seedlings at a time for days on end.

The only love-hate I can think of is roses. Just when I think they are not worth the trouble, they bloom and all is forgiven. I'm good with goutweed, it's not too much of a bully for me and is a useful ground cover. I just plain don't like the smell of houttynia, but haven't found it overly aggressive. It's in a hosta bed that is rather separated from my other gardens so perhaps that's why it has not been a problem. I guess borage might be another love-hate plant, heavy on the love side. I love the plant and that it reseeds itself but have to continually remind myself to only allow one every 10' or so. It makes a lovely blue accent just about anywhere it lands.

I could certainly add to a hate-hate thread...

GRRRRR the houttynia is just plain HATE for me. The former owners planted it. I worked for two years removing it. LONG story. Finally planted that bed last fall. It looks amazing this year. Last night I found that beast springing back up in one place. Quickly dug up the iris in that spot (thank heavens they are easily moveable!) and strained the soil for roots. I'll be back on daily patrol for it, ripping it sprouts or painting them with poison.

Oh and then I had that horrid smell on my all night despite wearing gloves when I removed it.

Just out of curiosity, what does this dreaded houttynia smell like?

It's a very sharp smell, kind of bitter, and lingers. Can't think of anything offhand to compare it to. Some people like it, I don't.

To me it smells like the campfire and beans portion of Blazing Saddles would smell. It's horrid and gets into your nose for far too long.

I do have a remedy for the evil Houttuynia for those who want to eliminate it. Took me years and years of digging in vain but...Ortho's Poison Ivy and Tough Brush Killer, used WITHOUT diluting, and sprayed only on the Houtt. leaves, in sunshine, around 65 degrees or more, will kill it. Please protect all good plants or they'll get killed as well and don't spray on a windy day.

It is not a job for a tank sprayer!

Buy the concentrate but do not dilute it.

I use a small paint brush so I keep other surrounding plants safe

Houttuynia does stink. I have it planted on a hillside with Iriis, ditch lilies and sedum. My weather does not make it happy enough to spread much. It has been in that area for 5 yrs and has spread very little.

Most plants are a good plant if planted in the proper place. I have a lot of land so I can plant something aggressive and not be confined to giving up a place for other plants.

If you have an aggressive plant and only have a small area to plant then it would be a bad plant. Grass is a bad plant because it is aggressive given the right conditions. I have to cut it every week.

"To me it smells like the campfire and beans portion of Blazing Saddles would smell." That cracked me up, Pirl. A very tasteful way to make a point.

Karen

Glad you enjoyed it. You might not enjoy the "fragrance" of those roots. One person used to say they smelled like lemons. That led me to wonder where she stores her lemons. The stench seems to penetrate the skin as well as the nose. No point in trying to eat until you can detox the hands and nose.

One week I filled 8 huge bags with those roots and wondered what the guys at the dump thought Jack was carrying in the truck!

I remembered suddenly this morning that I planted golden hops ten years ago.....it was pretty ONE YEAR and now it is a nasty thug....you have to use gloves to pull the vines because otherwise your hands get shredded...

That's a great warning!

Well, I guess I am not going to find out what houttuynia smells like since it is something that I know NOT to plant.

Don't remember if evening primrose is mentioned already - it was pretty when my sister gave me some, but she did not tell me how much they spread. I pulled most of it out when I remember from year to year and that sort of kept it in check. But oddly, one year, it never came back........Liriope was the same way. Glad I got rid of most of it - I got the striped ones and it was pretty until it started to spread.