I must admit that my eyes begin to glaze over sometimes when I see the avalanche of new plants that come out each year. It's hard for us in the horticultural trade to keep up, I don’t know how you gardeners stay informed about the latest burgundy shade of million bells, the new and improved hosta or the very chic, must-have dwarf Weigela.
When the Perennial Plant Association announces their Perennial Plant of the Year, however, I do pay closer attention. Why? Because their choices are always good. Past winners include Calamagrostis acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' (Feather Reed Grass), Leucanthemum (Shasta Daisy) 'Becky,' Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm' and Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage). These are all great performers in the garden that continue to impress gardeners all over North America.
I haven’t been a big fan of perennial geraniums over the years and I’ve tried various types with limited success. They seem to grow well initially but then fade away over time. The one exception in my garden has been the so-called groundcover Geranium cantabrigiense 'Biokovo.' This one is so successful I need to cut it back twice a year!
I’d love to hear from any of you who are perennial geranium enthusiasts. Let me know which types have grown well for you as I’m always looking for feedback straight from your garden.
The 2008 Perennial Plant of the Year is the perennial geranium 'Rozanne' and like its predecessors it has a lot to offer the gardener looking for a hardy perennial which has appeal over a long period of time.
Like so many other good plants 'Rozanne' came about as a chance hybrid in someone’s garden, Rozanne and Donald Waterer’s garden in Somerset, England actually. A natural cross between G. himalayense and G. wallichianum 'Buxton’s Variety' was noted by the owners back in 1989, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The outstanding feature of 'Rozanne' is its ability to bloom prolifically the first season and its long flowering period, from June through to October, unheard of with most geranium cultivars. The precocious nature occurs because the plant does not produce seeds. Without the hormonal urge to develop seeds the plant continues to produce new flower buds.
It also doesn’t need a cold period, as many perennials do, to flower so it gets off to an early start, producing a steady supply of large, violet-blue flowers about 6 cm across. The foliage is a deeply cut deep green, lightly marbled with chartreuse. In the fall the leaves turn a pleasing bronze colour.
'Rozanne' will grow 50 to 60 cm high and wide. It would make a terrific mid-border plant in a mixed shrub and perennial bed, and given its long blooming period why not try it in a container on your deck?
It’s hardy to Zone 5, so in the colder areas of the valley winter mulch would be a good idea.
For more information about 'Rozanne' and past very "garden worthy" Perennials of the Year visit the association’s website at
www.perennialplant.org
