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  Nicky @ GardenImprovements.com November 9, 2009 at 5:45pm

  Tree: I love using Liquidambar styraciflua for their variation in colour and stature in small gardens, I also love the delicacy of Prunus x cistena for their miniature petals and deep purple foliage - two different trees for different situations.
  Shrub: I always love to see ceanothus used either as a creeper, as a climber or as a bush - fantastically dark green foliage with those brilliant blue flowers. Magnolia would also be a steadfast favourite tree/shrub!
  Perennial: Perovskia Blue Spire is a favourite of mine for the feathery pale green foliage and water-colour-esque blue flames of flower, I also like sedum for it's quirky succulency (sic) and dicentra works well in most styles too.
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  David Beasley Garden Design November 9, 2009 at 7:59pm

  Tree: London Plane - fast growing, interesting bark, fantasic city tree (i.e. The Ramblas in Barcelona) + can be butchered!
  
  Shrub/Grass/Tree (or whatever it is) - Cordyline australis - easily propagated from seed/'pups', fast growing when in ground, two never look the same, massive smelly flowers, looks exotic and can form amazing branched specimen 'trees'.
  
  Perennial: Musa Basjoo - sends up 'free' satelite 'pubs' from base, gets increasingly challenging to wrap up in winter, can produce amazing looking flowers and make any garden look like its in the Bahamas!
  
  Annual: Verbena bonariensis - easily grown from seed (in fact can self-seed everywhere), rigid wiry stems, fragrant pink/purple flowers and can look good grown in any position in a bed/pot.
  
  Biennial/Triennial!: Echium pinniana - ridiculous 3m high flowers that bees seem to love + they are a challenge to overwinter and sometimes need the 'third' year before they will send up the flower spike.
  
  Bulb/corm/tuber thingys: Crocosmia lucifer - wicked bright red flowers!
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  Nick @ NM Garden Services Ltd November 9, 2009 at 8:06pm

  I really like Nandina domestica (a shrub) as it is quite often doing something interesting throughout the year and it is not used enough despite it being relatively trouble free to grow.
  
  I also like Trachelospermum jasminoides (a climber) as it has a beautiful fragrance in June and evergreen foliage. It is largely trouble free and is easy to keep under control.
  
  For trees I really like Magnolia stellata but beware of frosts!
  
  For annuals I like Nigella but it can be a bit of a pain for seeding and for perennials I am a big fan of Helleborus orientalis. Most hellebores will last for 20 years or more. The best tip for them I can give is to cut down the old leaves as the flowers come up and this gives a wonderful spring display.
  
  As for bulbs I really like Narcissus Tete a Tete - it's multi-stemmed and multi-flowered and being a miniture its flowers don't droop if you have heavy rain or snow. Other favourite bulbs are Erythronium sp. but these are rarely grown in private gardens (I don't know why) and I love snowdrops (but they can take a while to naturalise).
  
  Sorry to add different categories and babble a bit too much!
  
  -Nick
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  Paul @ Ashgate Garden Care November 9, 2009 at 8:22pm

  Blimey you've got me thinking now:
  
  Catalpa bignonoides - I love the huge leaves (and the name)
  Lavendula stoechas 'Fathead'
  Any crocus - a sign that Springs on the way
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  Kieran Ray November 9, 2009 at 9:16pm

  Do you buy your snow drops in bulb for or in the green?
  
  NMGS said:

  I really like Nandina domestica (a shrub) as it is quite often doing something interesting throughout the year and it is not used enough despite it being relatively trouble free to grow.
  
  I also like Trachelospermum jasminoides (a climber) as it has a beautiful fragrance in June and evergreen foliage. It is largely trouble free and is easy to keep under control.
  
  For trees I really like Magnolia stellata but beware of frosts!
  
  For annuals I like Nigella but it can be a bit of a pain for seeding and for perennials I am a big fan of Helleborus orientalis. Most hellebores will last for 20 years or more. The best tip for them I can give is to cut down the old leaves as the flowers come up and this gives a wonderful spring display.
  
  As for bulbs I really like Narcissus Tete a Tete - it's multi-stemmed and multi-flowered and being a miniture its flowers don't droop if you have heavy rain or snow. Other favourite bulbs are Erythronium sp. but these are rarely grown in private gardens (I don't know why) and I love snowdrops (but they can take a while to naturalise).
  
  Sorry to add different categories and babble a bit too much!
  
  -Nick
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  Kieran Ray November 9, 2009 at 9:20pm

  Catalpa was the 1st tree I lernt the latin name for at colege so has always stuck, at my old colege the tree was easyly 100 years old. and the leaves were sometimes 1ft accross!
  
  Paul Gregory said:

  Blimey you've got me thinking now:
  
  Catalpa bignonoides - I love the huge leaves (and the name)
  Lavendula stoechas 'Fathead'
  Any crocus - a sign that Springs on the way
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  Jackson's Landscape Design November 9, 2009 at 9:26pm

  Any crocus - a sign that Springs on the way, Spot on with that one.
  
  Tree:
  Betula jacquemontii - beautiful and elegant all year round
  Salix babylonica _ I just adore the twisting contorted shapes formed
  
  Shrub:
  Callistemon rigidus and pallidus - for me the "red bottle brush" is right up there with the best of the best,
  Helichrysum petiolare- the soft fluffy grey felted leaves caught my eye as a young boy, I love these when I allow them to trail, excellent as contrast.
  
  Climbers:
  All Helix but my favourite has to be Helix glymii, such a show off with the deep red leaf allowing the veins to be clearly viewed.
  
  Fern:
  Coming from Devon I have early memories of ferns and garlic when out knocking up dens in the woods, will always us ferns in my work.
  
  Perennials:
  Astilbe- a beautiful delicate soft feminine looking plant, the Montgomery looks stunning in front of a black backdrop
  Lobelia queen vicky- wish the slugs would do one and let me be at peace with this elegant, blazing beauty
  Agapanthus- the blue explosion Dorothy palmer spoils me with each year brings a smile every evening after a day building others gardens.
  
  Biennial:
  Dianthus- Im very keen on this plant because of colour choice and the dense forming clumps it offers
  
  Grass:
  Cortaderia, Lagurus ovatus, Pennisetum the fluffy tuft really attract my eye to these plants
  Carex evergold Plain simple draping tufts
  
  Bulbs:
  All Alliums, Galanthus and Muscari all delicate yet beautiful, always a pleasure to see them poke up
  
  But for me my favorite plant beyond a shadow of doubt is Cotinus..... I don't think I need explain why.
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  Graeme @ BGS November 9, 2009 at 11:01pm

  Just one that holds special memories - rich sweet fragrance all Summer long it has to be Oleander, it reminds me so much of my old home in Bermuda.
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  Keith Barker November 9, 2009 at 11:30pm

  We couldn't possibly pick one plant in each category! So here goes:
  
  Tree: Amelanchier lamarckii: good all rounder, nice colour in spring, flowers, berries, autumn colour, suitable for most sites, can grow as a standard or as a bush.
  Shrub: Buxus sempervirens for structure; Hydrangea grandiflora - long flowering, autumn colour, interesting flower panicles; Cornus alba for red winter colour; Viburnum plicatum 'Mariesii' - a stunning feature shrub with amazing flowers and leaves which turn a lovely orange/red in autumn.
  Perennial: Penstemon 'Raven' gorgeous with a long flowering season; Paeonia 'Sarah Bernhardt' - a classic English flower for cutting; Echinacea purpurea - lovely iridescent pink blooms; Hosta 'June' - gorgeous leaf colouring.
  Annuals: we don't specify annuals in our schemes because they are generally too time consuming for the client - most want 'low maintenance', and every plant needs to look after itself.
  Bulb: Allium 'Purple Sensation' - great for linking areas of planting; Lilium martagon - for shady areas.