I'm fascinated by the Geums in Bluestone Perennials catalogue and am considering ordering a couple, particularly G. avens. Does anyone have any experience, good or bad, with these? I've not grown them before.
TY
Anybody growing Geums?
I have a Geum 'Mrs J Bradshaw' that flowered for the first time this year. Boy! what a show! Definitely worth the wait. It was covered with flowers for weeks.
Elsa
Elsa: Thank you ever so much for responding. I've seen no mention of Geums in any of the forums on perennials and was beginning to wonder if there is something more I need to know about these. I'm full steam ahead on ordering now!
Angie
Andie, I'm sure you'll enjoy then just as much as I did.
Good luck,
E
I haven't had much luck with them.
I don't think they enjoy humidity.
Or maybe it's our clay soil.
I have 2 Geums (Lady Strathden and Leonards Variety) and they are fabulous plants and combine well with other perennials. Go for it - they flower for a long time and come in some lovely vibrant colours. Let us know what you decide on.
Thanks, all. I'll keep you posted on my decision and progress (or lack thereof).
Angie
Angie, they're lovely, very easy to grow, flower a long time (off and on) if you deadhead them, and multiply rapidly (but not enough to be a nuisance). My vote is yes - go for them!
What a coincidence - I just seeded a flat of these today! First time. They are red.
Okay. I broke down and ordered seeds from Diane's Seeds for Mrs. Bradshaw and Lady Stratheden. I hope I get plants this year. I should have the seeds by next weekend. Do they need stratification?
Angie
This message was edited Mar 23, 2009 7:33 AM
I can't tell you that. I started with plants. Sorry - but have had good luck with Diane's seeds.
No stratification needed - they are quite small seeds. Just barely cover, 65-70 degrees.
Okay, NDFarmgirl. I'll get those babies into a pot asap!
I love geums, and always wonder why I never see them. They are spectacular in late spring/early summer, especially in clumps or massed.
Having said that, I will tell you that mine are a little picky. They don't like to be too wet (mildew, crown rot) or too hot or too dry. Mine are growing in a perennial bed where they get full sun in the Spring/early Summer, then are mostly shaded during the hottest part of summer. I have some growing in a very light, quick draining, raised bed and they have done pretty well. The ones's that do best, though, here in NC, for me, are the ones planted in well-amended clay, with full sun until about mid-afternoon, then shade. That seems to be the perfect conditions for them. The clay keeps them evenly moist, but the organic amendments keep the soil from staying too wet, and the afternoon shade keeps them cooler. They definitely will not take our afternoon sun, or total lack of water, in summer, or completely wet feet any other time.
Whew, Yotedog, given these guidelines, I'll do my best with the geums and keep my fingers crossed! I've admired them for some time in the gardening catalogs but never see them planted and wasn't seeing any mention of them in any of the threads, so I was wondering if there was something bad about them I didn't know. Now I know there isn't, just maybe one of those beauties that have slipped through the cracks or fallen by the wayside. I'm challenged (translated: stubborn) so we'll see what happens with mine.
Angie
I think Geums do very well in some of the cooler climes, and I, too, always wonder why I don't hear them mentioned. I suspect they are only a little picky here with our heat and humidity. Just plant them in different locations and find out where they thrive. There is no more beautiful flower in the early summer!
One more thing: if I plant those seeds, I'm not likely to get flowers this year. Right? I don't know if this a first-year blooming perennial or not.
Angie
Angie, mine flowered only in it's second year, but well worth the wait.
I used Mrs. Bradshaw last year with a coffee-colored Sedge, a small Physocarpus Coppertina (my favorite of these and I like them all), and Cotinus 'Grace'. The combination was awesome. I'd definitely use it with chartreuse, as well. We like that color up here in the PNW as we have so many shades of green and lots of shadier spots. Orange and chartreuse seem to add life to the garden.
Thanks again, Elsa and Katie. I'm anxious to try these beautiful plants and see what results I get. I'll post some pics if (no, when) I get blooms.
Angie
Angie - I have both the Mrs. Bradshaw and Lady Stratheden - purchased as plants over 15 years ago. Both varieties are doing well. They have moved around themselves in my garden according to where they like best, but some have always come back year after year. They are pretty maintenance free plants and I have never had to divide them since they tend to dieback and regrow, they may have reseeded themselves (like I said, I put them in the ground and they do the rest). I do pick some for arrangements every now and then, and then I deadhead them so that I don't have too many around. I have maybe 6 of each plants from the original two each that I planted. You'll like them. They are not invasive at all - unlike the Japanese anenomes that I grew near them LoL. It is hot and dry during our summers, so they can take the heat. Most of them are in an area where there is afternoon shade. A couple found their way to an area where they get late afternoon sun.
Dianne
Dianne: Thank you for this info. My seeds arrived today and I think I'll put them in a pot outside when the weather warms a little more. If I try to sow seeds indoors, they get leggy and generally don't make it. That's why I'm loving wintersowing.
Angie
Angie - you are on task!! I'm looking forward to seeing little forest of geums!
Katie: Keeping my fingers and toes crossed on these! Don't know why I haven't tried these before, other than as stated above, but you all have given me the encouragement I needed. Thank you, thank you.
Angie
I've had Mrs. Bradshaw for about 3 years, and just love it - gets a bit sprawly late in the season, but responds well to trimming, and the blooms go right until frost for me.
Not a great picture, but the Geum is to the immediate right of the daisy clump...
Very nice, 2zeus. Is that delphinium poking up through the daisies and poppies? Lovely, lovely. I'm so inspired by you and the others who've encourage me to try the Geums. I can't wait to see them bloom!
Angie
That is, yes, a volunteer delphinium that appeared in the midst of that garden, I don't know how, since all the rest of the delphs are on the opposite side of the yard. Beautiful dark blue, though.
Not beautiful, stunning! Nature does such perfect pairings, doesn't she?
It's in the midst of reds, too, a dark red daylily, the geum, then white daisies, and pink/red annual poppies which all reseed - perfect colour companions.
I noticed that. I think it's a wonderful combination.
The accidental combinations can be amazing, eh?
I'm glad I read this thread, as I have tried countless times to grow these, without success. Our summers are pretty humid, so from reading the above posts I can see why now.
I saw a ton load of them in front of a winery near Napa years ago, so they must prefer dry heat over humidity ???
Jasperdale, do you mean geums, or delphs?
Geums. Delph's do perfectly fine for me. Go figure !
If it's dry humidity, they won't flourish here, but I'm still going to make the effort. Thanks, Jasper, for this insight, too.
Dry humidity? Now I'm confused - I always thought humidity was the amount of moisture in the air, am I missing something here?
Jasperdale, I live in what's considered rainforest, you can't get much moister. I was out looking at the geum yesterday, and it's self-seeded in a couple of spots, so I'm going to move the babies and see how they do elsewhere in my garden.
Sorry, 2zeus. Posted this morning before my second cup of coffee! Dry heat, of course, is what I meant. You're not missing anything except my early morning pre-coffee jitters.
I'm determined to try to grow Geums now!
Yeah, I was wondering about that dry humidity too, but as I was on my first cup of coffee as well, I thought it might be an apparition.
What's my excuse? I'd already had two coffees by then....:)