Grow This List of Perennial Plants
The Perennial Plant Association Picks Geranium Rozanne for 2008
The Perennial Plant Association offers a list of dependable perennial plants for gardeners. The Geranium 'Rozanne' is the 2008 Perennial Plant of the Year winner.
The list of perennial plants, selected by the Perennial Plant Association, may help gardeners weed through the multitude of perennial species and cultivars available at garden centers. Look for Geranium ‘Rozanne,’ 2008 Perennial Plant of the Year winner.
Geranium 'Rozanne' History
The 2008 Perennial Plant of the Year is Geranium ‘Rozanne.’ Blooms of Bressingham at the Chelsea Flower Show introduced this hybrid, of the Geraniaceae family, in the year 2000. The much admired plants man, Alan Bloom, founded Blooms of Bressingham. The Chelsea Flower Show is held annually in London, England.
Geranium ‘Rozanne’ Look, Culture, Maintenance
This plant has a jeweled violet and blue colored flower, highlighted with purple and violet veins pushing outward from the white center. The dark green foliage with a chartreuse marbling shows off a red color in fall. The leaf is deeply incised which gives the plant a light feathery look.
Geranium ‘Rozanne’ is zoned for 5-8. It does well in full sun but, in hotter climates, thrives better shaded from the afternoon sun. The plant reaches 20 inches high with a spread of 24-28 inches and likes to be planted in a moist well-draining soil.
A hair cut, cutting the stems down about 3 inches, in late summer will help encourage healthy growth. Disease and insects do not seem to bother this geranium.
Past Perennial Plant of the Year Winners
Other perennials that were winners and also have similar culture as Geranium ‘Rozanne’ include:
- Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’ 2007
- Dianthus gratianopolitanus ‘Feuerhexe’, also known as Firewitch 2006
- Leucanthemum ‘Becky’ 2003
- Phlox ‘David’ 2002
- Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’ 1999
- Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red' 1996
Geranium 'Rozanne' in the Garden
This geranium’s violet blue flowers can go well with plants with a pink or rose coloring. Other plants with a stiff structure like some grasses or iris may be interesting. Plants with an upright habit or thicker leaf such as daylilies, salvias or veronicas would contrast well and be good choices. The meandering habit of Geranium ‘Rozanne’ can, also, do well among a garden bed of evergreens.
For container gardeners this geranium’s adventurous nature can be an advantage. A flower box planted with cascading Geranium ‘Rozanne’ would be a dramatic beauty hanging from a balcony.
The Perennial Plant of the Year designation helps gardeners search for dependable perennials plants. The Perennial Plant of the Year selection judges use criteria such as suitability for wide-ranging climate conditions, low maintenance, insect and disease resistance and many seasons of interest.
