Perennial garden geranium belongs to the flowering plants from the Geraniev family. This is a popular unpretentious and attractive garden plant. Thanks to colorful flowers and a long flowering period, many gardeners use this plant in landscape design. This flower will decorate any garden or yard.
Origin of Garden Geranium
The homeland of perennial geraniums is considered to be South Africa. This flower was introduced to Europe in the 17th century. At the beginning of the 18th century he came to Russia, and in the middle of the 19th century many aristocrats began to grow it as a garden plant.
Perennial blooms with lilac flowers
Thanks to the efforts of breeders, more than 400 species of geranium were bred; they differ in color and shape of flowers.
Attention! Many inexperienced gardeners and flower lovers mistakenly call the plant pelargonium garden or street. The name is incorrect, although pelargonium also belongs to the Geranium family.
Descriptions and Appearance
Garden geranium - grassy, winter-hardy, well-branched shrub, the height of which varies from 10 to 125 centimeters. The bush holds its shape well and does not need to be formed. Leaves have a strongly cut shape. Their color, depending on the type, is silver, light green or dark green. Leaves are both small and very large.
The perennial has thin and brittle stems, which can easily be damaged by a strong gust of wind or heavy rain.
Geranium buds are located on the stems in several pieces and are often collected in inflorescences. Flowers are simple and double. On average, the size of the flower reaches 5 cm in diameter. The whisk is painted in a wide variety of colors. There is a hybrid geranium with white, pink, purple-pink or blue flowers, and there is also an orange type of flower.
Important! Garden geranium can grow without transplantation in one place for a very long time (up to 10 years).
The plant tolerates frosts and dry weather remarkably, has good resistance to various diseases. The plant does not suffer from weeds, it retains an attractive appearance even during dormancy, when it does not bloom.
Purple flowering bushes
Types and varieties of perennial garden geraniums
The most popular among gardeners are such types of garden geraniums.
Balkan
Has a powerful and long rhizome. Growing, rhizomatous perennial geraniums can form real thickets.
The flowers in this species have a reddish or purple color. The sizes of the flowers are not very large - in the open state, their diameter is not more than 3 centimeters. The height of the bush does not exceed 30 centimeters. The flowering period begins in early June and lasts for one month.
The most popular varieties of Balkan geranium are: tree-like Insversen, Spessagt and Variegata.
For information: flower lovers say that Pelargonium red Czakor looks no less attractive.
Variety Balkan
Blood red
Flowers of this species are simple and double, in appearance they are very similar to garden roses. Red-brown geranium can bloom profusely and grow without transplanting for more than 10-12 years. When growing, the plant is very demanding and needs to follow all the rules of care.
It is preferable to plant geranium sanguineum in partial shade, but it will also grow well in sunny areas, only then you will have to water it more often. The soil for planting this variety should be slightly alkaline or neutral.
Blood red
Marsh
It has medium-sized purple flowers, branched and erect stems, growing to a height of 70 centimeters.
The bush is quite dense and not very large. It begins to bloom in June.
Swamp green blossoms with lilac flowers
Georgian
This type of bush geranium is characterized by unpretentiousness in care, resistance to temperature extremes and drought.
The flowers of this species have a purple color, during flowering they cover the entire bush completely.
Georgian blossoms with lilac flowers
Undersized
This kind of geranium is especially popular among landscape designers. This plant is good because it is small - the bush grows up to 15 centimeters in height.
The flowers of this geranium are lilac-pink, small - no more than 3 centimeters in diameter. Leaf plates of a flower are painted in gray-green color. Flowering continues from early July to late August.
Stunted flowers in the garden
Creeping
Ground cover geranium has thin roots and graceful dissected leaves with small petioles.
Flowers of pale pink color, have an amazing aroma. In the size of the flowers no more than 3 centimeters. The flowering period begins in early June and lasts until the end of September.
This creeping look of geranium looks very beautiful. After the first frosts, the leaves acquire a pink-red hue and will soon dry up and fall off.
Among all the varieties of creeping geraniums, the most popular is garden Patracia geranium, whose flowers usually have a pale pink color, it looks very nice on flower beds and alpine hills, as well as the Blue Blood variety - a blue geranium with a purple hue.
Carpet of creeping
Geranium in landscape design
When mixed planting on flowerbeds and alpine slides, the flower goes well with other beautifully flowering and evergreens. Creates a backdrop and supports other lodging-prone flowers. Perennial geranium is considered a universal plant for the garden; gardening and landscape designers love it.
To create a beautiful border design around a flower bed or garden path, a magnificent geranium is suitable. To create attractive colorful spots on the garden lawn, it is better to use small-flowered garden geraniums, it will look like a ballerina. On the outskirts of shrubby plantations, blood-red geraniums will look beautiful. This look will organically look in a fruit garden.
Perennial geranium in the garden is an indispensable plant, its many species make it possible to choose the perfect plant for each individual case.
The plant combines wonderfully with various perennials and other "inhabitants" of the garden, it is perfect for neighbors:
- asters
- primrose
- roses
- host and others.
Additional Information!Due to the variety of shades of geraniums, as well as the height, which varies from 10 to 125 cm, street geranium perfectly combines with various plants and can be used to create a wide variety of compositions.
Transplant after purchase in open ground
After acquiring perennial garden geraniums, it must be properly planted in a permanent place of growth - in open ground. To do this, choose the right place and prepare the land.
Planted in the flowerbed
Site selection and land preparation
Garden geranium grows well in well-lit places, but it will also feel great in places shaded by other shrubs.
Outdoor garden geranium does not have any special requirements for the composition of the soil - the main thing is that it is well-drained and breathable.
Landing site must be dug up a few days before planting. It is necessary to introduce rotted peat, compost and some sand into the soil.
Landing
The process of planting geraniums step by step:
- The hole for planting must be dug 15-20 centimeters deeper than the length of the roots of the seedling.
- Lay a layer of expanded clay, crushed stone or small stones at the bottom of the planting hole.
- Pour a layer of nutrient mixture in the form of a slide onto the drainage layer.
- Place the plant vertically, spread the roots well over the entire surface of the earth.
- Sprinkle with garden soil and gently ram the soil around the stem.
- It is good to water a bush, and to mulch the earth around.
- When planting young sprouts, it is worth keeping a distance between the bushes of at least 40 centimeters for tall varieties and at least 25 cm for undersized.
Important!After planting, young seedlings must be shaded for several days from the active influence of sunlight and well watered.
Propagation of geraniums
Garden geranium reproduces very easily by growing seedlings from seeds.
Seed cultivation
Planting seeds and growing seedlings step by step:
- Collect fresh geranium seeds or buy ready-made ones at a flower shop.
- Sow in a seedling pot filled with nutritious soil consisting of peat and sand.
- Pour the plantings and cover with cling film.
- Ensure an air temperature of at least +25 degrees and timely watering.
- When seedlings appear, the temperature must be lowered to + 20-22 degrees.
- When two or three true leaves appear, the plants must be transplanted into separate pots.
- Landing on the street is possible only when the flower is strong and grows up to 10-15 cm in height.
Care
Despite its undemanding care, the flower blooms more luxuriantly and more abundantly, if due attention is paid to it.
- Watering mode
Perennial is watered regularly, as the top layer of the earth dries. Especially young plants need frequent watering.
During a drought, watering should be frequent (2-3 times a week). If the plant grows in bright sunshine, and during its activity the leaves drooped very much, after heavy watering they will quickly regain their shape.
- Top dressing
There will be undoubted benefits if you make mineral fertilizers during the period of active vegetation. For a good growth of the bush and bright green foliage, spring dressing is carried out with liquid mullein or diluted humus.
Note!For plentiful and long flowering, perennial need to be fertilized twice a month.
- Flowering perennial care
When the plant blooms, timely removal of faded buds is carried out - this will make it possible to bloom new. From time to time, it is necessary to loosen the soil and remove weeds.
Once a month, it is important to carry out preventive treatment with fungicides - this will help protect the plant from possible diseases. Once every two weeks it is necessary to change the layer of mulch around the bushes.
- Features of care at rest
During dormancy, preventive pruning of bushes is carried out - yellow, dry leaves, dead side shoots and broken stems are cut. This will improve the bush and will contribute to more active growth.
Note!In late autumn, complete pruning of bushes is carried out.
Winter preparations
Most species of garden geraniums have good frost resistance and therefore can winter easily without additional shelter of the ground part of the plant. However, some care measures will still be needed.
In autumn, when the bush withers and dries, all the aboveground stems and leaves are removed. To protect the roots from possible freezing, thick-layer mulching is carried out using organic components - garden compost, sawdust, tree bark, pine needles, as well as dry mullein.
By planting perennial geraniums in the garden, you can get a rather unpretentious and beautiful flower that is beautiful not only by itself, but also in combination with other garden plants. Using it, you can decorate any flower garden, house front garden, garden or summer cottage.
