I’ve been strolling through my garden, exercising my mind by trying to name the flowers as they bloom.

The one picture here I call “Ragged Robin”, but its true name is Lychnis flos-cuculi ‘Petite Jenny’.

No, I did not remember that name. I did remember Ragged Robin, though. I had to look up the rest of the name.

And no, ‘Petite Jenny’ is not the perfect plant variety name.

The perfect plant variety name is ‘Missing Label’.

Just imagine, as you stroll through your garden with a friend and you both stop to admire a particularly lovely daylily. No doubt she would ask what variety it is.

My friends, there are thousands of varieties of daylilies. Who can remember them all? But anyone could remember a name like ‘Missing Label’.

“Oh, that’s ‘Missing Label'” you could answer when your friend asked you what it was.

Same with hostas, roses, coneflowers, campanulas, etc., if they had the perfect plant variety name of ‘Missing Label’.

Oh, there are other good choices for plant variety names…

‘That Pretty One’

‘Can’t Remember’

‘Given To Me By a Friend’

and

‘Don’t Know But Isn’t It Pretty’

But clearly, the perfect plant variety name, the one that is most descriptive of so many plants in any garden is ‘Missing Label’.

(Note to plant breeders… if you wish to use this perfect plant variety name, please email me to discuss terms.)