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Annuals - Geraniums
Geraniums are hardy, colorful, varied and work well in hot areas where other annuals fail to survive. Geranium is the common name we are familiar with however their proper botanical name is Pelargonium.
Geraniums are available in single, double, cactus, stellar and trailing forms. The Ivy leaved Geranium is a plant commonly used in hanging baskets and provides a showy display during the summer months.
The Variegated Geranium is one of my favorite types due to the leaf structure and two toned coloring as featured in the picture below. The neat upright growth flourishes during the summer months and this plant usually attains a height of almost two feet. The flower is always red.
My current adoration is for the Tri Colored Geranium which is gorgeous with or without blooms. The flower is orange and the leaves are tinged with peach, wine, brown, yellow, cream and green. This Geranium is perfect for any garden setting however they require plenty of sun and tolerate extremely dry conditions.
Another favorite for the garden planter is the Martha Washington Geranium. These beautiful Geraniums are available in red, purple, white and pink. Martha Washington needs a little afternoon shade and requires more water than other Geraniums.
My Bengal Cat Lucy sits atop the garden which boasts a mixture of Tri Colored and Variegated Geraniums. The combination of these Geraniums is stunning and the maintenance is minimal. Deadheading the spent blooms from Geraniums is essential as this will encourage and promote new growth. Aside from removing the spent blooms and watering the Geraniums, you will be awestruck over their rapid growth rate coupled with the dramatic blooms and wonderful variegated foliage.
The Variegated and Tri Color Geraniums have yet another advantage. They are extremely hardy and bloom until October in my zone. I live in Plant Zone 6. Earlier I mentioned that Begonias are the last annual I pull from the ground. Geraniums last almost as long as the Begonias and depending upon the weather conditions they will flourish until the middle to end of October. They withstand hot days, dry spells, humidity, less than perfect soil conditions yet they yield phenomenal results every year. I have worked with Geraniums for over twenty years and I can honestly say Geraniums are an ideal plant for gardening beginners.
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