Most of the myths involving Myosotis are from Germany and the most well-known involves two lovers walking near the Danube River. 

The couple see the flowers of the forget-me-not growing on the river bank, and as the man tries to pick them he is swept away by the river. As he floats away he calls out to his love not to forget him. It’s stories like this that have made this flower a symbol of remembrance.

Forget-me-not has been loved for generations because of its blue flowers that cover the plant through spring and early summer. 

Myosotis is however also available in pink, cream, mauve and white.

This plant is very free-seeding, which is a quaint way of saying it can become a bit of a weed. 

It likes a damp, shady spot but will grow in dry and sunny locations quite well. Left to produce and disperse its seed it can take over areas relatively quickly. If you’re putting in a woodland garden then this plant is ideal, it just loves a shady, wooded location where water is plentiful. They are fairly pest and disease free which is always a bonus to the gardener, the only issue being a bit of powdery mildew which can appear as the plant is dying. Most species of forget-me-not are either annual or biennial so they aren’t long-lived.

I like to think of Myosotis as an old world type of plant, one which has for years brought colour to gardens that are just recovering from the cold of winter. This plant is uncomplicated, is trouble free, hardy and very easy to grow. You can plant them in almost any spot and expect them to grow and flower, just don’t plant them next to a river!