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Geum totally tangerine5/30/2023 ![]() ![]() 'Flames of Passion' was introduced in 2003 introduction by Petrus Hendricus Oudolf of Hummelo, The Netherlands. Flowers are held on very slender dark stems so, as with ‘Tequila Sunrise’, you can get the ‘suspended in air’ effect too. ‘Mai Tai’ and ‘Flames of Passion’ are very beautiful single to semi-double-flowered avens. Perhaps I could do a bit of breeding and come up with it … There’s an idea. Shame there doesn’t seem to be a variety by that name. Yes, each variety is named after a cocktail! My cocktail of choice is a Cuban Mojito. In fact ‘Mai Tai’ and ‘Tequila Sunrise’ are two varieties in the Cocktails™ series of hybrids bred by Brent Horvath of Intrinsic Perennial Gardens in the USA. I also have Geum ‘Mai Tai’ and Geum ‘Flames of Passion’ plants. Like many sterile plants, ‘Totally Tangerine’ has a very long flowering season. It is a cross between Geum chiloense 'Mrs J Bradshaw’ and another species, Geum rivale. ‘Totally Tangerine’ aka ‘Tim’s Tangerine’ is a sterile hybrid cultivar with dainty peachy-orange flowers introduced in 2010 by Tim Crowther of the Walberton Nursery, Arundel. While I know nothing of the characters of either Mrs J Bradshaw or Lady Stratheden, the words gregarious, cheerful and happy come to my mind when I see the flowers named after them. The flower was named for the 1st Baroness Stratheden of Scotland, Mary Elizabeth Scarlett (1796-1860). It was also introduced to the UK in 1921 by the Baker’s nursery of Codsall, Staffordshire. ‘Lady Stratheden’ has yellow double flowers, again on green stems. This old variety has been gracing cottage gardens which was introduced to the UK in 1909 by the Baker’s nursery of Codsall, Staffordshire. ‘Mrs J Bradshaw’ aka Scarlet Avens has bright red semi-double to double flowers held high on particularly tall green stems. They are Geum chiloense ‘Mrs J Bradshaw’ and Geum chiloense ‘Lady Stratheden’. Two popular varieties of Geum chiloense, native to the island of Chiloe, off the coast of Chile, are named after women. Well, there are at least 50 species of Geum, and many, many varieties. Clumps may be divided every 3 to 4 years in spring or autumn. The foliage can look a bit worse for wear in winter, but fear not, a healthy plant will bounce back in spring. ![]() It’s a good idea to prune them back hard after blooming to rejuvenate the foliage, which slugs and snails don’t seem to trouble much. Geums grow well in moist but well-drained soils in full sun or partial shade. In some years, some of my early flowerers have given me a second less prolific flush later in the summer. I remove faded flowers regularly to encourage more buds. Geums range in colour from white to yellow to red, and both vivid and pastel mixtures of these colours including orange, cream and apricot.ĭepending on the variety, flowers are produced in a main flush in spring or early summer. The flowers of some varieties nod downwards gracefully. Flowers may be single to double, and are normally held well above the foliage on slim stems and sepals, which may be green of flushed brown, red or maroon. The leaves formed on flower stems differ somewhat, and are more sharply serrated in form. ![]() Geums have coarse bright green, lobed basal leaves which are evergreen or semi-evergreen. They are native to Europe, Asia and North America, and are fully hardy in the UK. Geums, also known as Avens, are herbaceous, rhizomatous perennials of the Rosaceae family that reach a flowering height of up to 30-60cm and width of up to 75cm. From a distance or against a dark background, the flowers actually appear to dance in the air! And no, I haven’t been at the cider ) ![]()
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