2008 Perennial of the Year

A Blooms of Bressingham variety. There has never been a Hardy Geranium as versatile, heat- and humidity-loving, and long-blooming as 'Rozanne'! In garden trials at the University of Georgia, it outdid all others by a country mile. In Germany, a single plant exploded with color and airy texture to completely fill -- and spill out of -- a hanging basket! And at the 2000 Chelsea Flower Show, Adrian Bloom (of Blooms of Bressingham) declared 'Rozanne' "the Geranium of the Millennium"!

So what's all the fuss about? Well, first there's the bloomtime. Intensely-colored 1-inch blooms of violet-blue with a large white eye begin appearing on this graceful plant in early summer, and unlike most Geraniums (which fizzle when the temperature climbs too high), keep coming until early fall. Fantastic for bedding, borders, patio, and containers in the South and Southwest, where many Geraniums have short and unsatisfactory bloom seasons.

Then there's the habit. Open and airy as all Hardy Geraniums are, 'Rozanne' is more compact, managing to send up more flowering stems in less space than most others. As a result, you get a much bigger bloom show, and the plant looks lush rather than rangy. (How many other Hardy Geraniums would you care to show off, solo, in a hanging basket?)

This plant reaches 16 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide, with larger leaves and more robust growth than most Geraniums. Bred from G. wallichianum 'Buxton's Variety' and G. himalayense, its blooms look like oversized 'Buxton's,' and its wallichianum heritage gives it great vigor.

'Rozanne' is not particular about soil type, provided the drainage is good and it receives plenty of sunshine (light shade is fine in warmer climates). Space plants 18 inches apart. Hardy in zones 4-8.

- Wayside Gardens (link here)

We could use a few more perennial geraniums in our garden.

We have one very nice clump that we have had for many years.