Garden Gems

These are not your (English) grandmother’s Geums. These new hybrids include wetland species Geum rivale and alpine species Geum montanum, among others. By combining traits these new Garden Gems are not only hardy but long-lived and heavy flowering. They come in a wide variety of colors including Mai Tai (a peachy pink), Citronge (a creamy orange), Gimlet (light yellow), Spanish Fly (a gold) and Sea Breeze (a deep orange). Some are semi-double flowers while others rebloom in late summer. They also work as a cut flower.
 

Production:

• Propagation should be done between late spring to mid-summer. Unrooted cuttings are currently available from Florexpo.
• Rooting takes 3 to 4 weeks and should be done at the cool times of the year.
• June to July liners are ready to pot in late summer, early fall. Liners can also be purchased from Blooming, Darwin, Get Group, Gulley, Pioneer, Skagit, and Intrinsic Perennial Gardens, Inc.
• Leftover plants, if you have any, can also be divided in June or September. Production is best done during the cool times of the year.
• Plant a 1-gallon pot in late summer, early fall for a 70- or 50-size plug/ liner. The hardened off plants will come into spring with a flush of new growth, requiring no cold protection, no heating, no trimming and a heavy bud set.
• In the Midwest, plants begin blooming at the end of April and continue through May into early June. Soil should be on the fertile and moist side.
• Plants should be grown in full sun but tolerate a light shade.
• Irrigate regularly without letting plants dry out.