Sunday, June 7, 2009

My Garden is Smokin' !


While in Chicago, we toured many gardens, several of which I have yet to report on (and I will). There were a few things in those gardens that garnered quite a bit of attention, such as the fabulous use of Alliums of all sorts, the hillside of poppies, and the Geum triflorum, also known as Prairie Smoke.

I've grown Geum in my garden for several years now. I have the single orange, called 'Cooky' ...


...and the red 'Double Bloody Mary'...

Geum 'Double Bloody Mary'

Three plants of each are planted alternately in a rectangle. 'Cooky' is one of the first perennials to bloom in my garden in spring and just about the time it's done, 'Double Bloody Mary' starts in. If I deadhead 'Cooky,' it will rebloom in summer, after 'Double Bloody Mary' has finished.
It's as if one patiently waits its turn, neither wanting to steal the show from the other.

Last winter, as I was browsing through High Country Gardens' catalog, a different kind of Geum caught my eye. Geum triflorum - Prairie Smoke - looked pretty darn cool with its fuzzy heads and I had to have it. I ordered four of them and planted them at the very back of Max's Garden.


Geum triflorum in my garden


Less than a month after receiving and planting them, three were dead and one was thriving. I wrote to High Country Gardens to let them know and they immediately sent out replacements. All of them survived our brutal 2008/2009 winter and are doing well and thrilling me with their seed heads, just like those in Chicago. Though they spread from their roots, they also can be grown from seed, so I'm going to collect some of the seed this year to try and grow more.

Spring Flingers - I know several of you are wanting these for your own garden and High Country Gardens now has them at
25% off, so get over there already, before they run out!

11 comments:

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

I'm growing a guem--a true orange variety, which I love--for the first time this year. I was also very taken by the Geum triflorum at Lurie. A friend of mine grows it but says hers doesn't get as poofy as those at Lurie and she has no idea why. I'll be interested in how yours do! (I like High County Gardens. I ordered two zone 6 (I'm 5) Hesperaloe yuccifoliums from them, which I was so taken with in Denver, hoping to push its zone. One died and one is not quite dead yet. At least geum is in our zone!! :) (Can't sleep--mosquito bites are itching!)

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

Kylee, that Geum is really so interesting. Love the wispy aspect of its bloom. Wonderful!! High Country is an interesting catalogue. Got one not too long ago, it has some out of the ordinary plants.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Gosh Kylee, all of your geums are gorgeous. I will have to seek them out. My garden is yearning for them and of course I must obey my garden. tee hee...

Unknown said...

So pretty, I have a red geum Mrs. Bradshaw and it is lovely. But it has been it's best this year (#3) it takes a bit for them to take off I think. Most people have never seen this plant and I get lots of comments on the bright red blooms. Mine has been blooming for about a month, and will not bloom again, but the foilage is nice. I'll have to look for the other, and I love that garden company! I look at that catalog all the time.

Phillip Oliver said...

They are beautiful, I love those colors!

Bren Haas said...

The fuzzies are wonderful! I could set up my tri-pod / macro lens and play with my aperture settings for HOURS!!!!
I love the poppies you share as well. I recently added some poppies to one of my beds and it is doing well. I have had numerous blooms since adding it in April. I bought this poppy at WALMART For $3!!! Amazin.... this is gardening for TODAY! Cheap and successful!

Rob (ourfrenchgarden) said...

Hi Kylee

I grow 'Mrs Bradshaw' and am always really taken with the blooms. Wish it would flower all summer.

That Prairie smoke is really something

Muum said...

have not grown Geums before, love that seedhead, will have to keep my eyes open for it!

EAL said...

Yes, I think we all fell in love withe Prairie Smoke in Chicago. I would be the last t have success with it, but I am still tempted!

Sylvana said...

I got prairie smoke when I installed my rain garden. I found it easy to grow and fun! I don't have any other flower like it in my garden. And it sure does draw attention being planted right next to the sidewalk in front of our house.

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzen said...

I like those fuzzy heads very much, must see if they sell them over here too.

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