Boldly Coral geraniums is making its debut in 2022. Here it is a mixed partnership with Diamond Snow euphorbia, Superbells Watermelon Punch calibrachoa, Color Coded Orange You Awesome echinacea and Illusion Emerald Lace ornamental sweet potato.
Boldly Coral geraniums and Superbena Whiteout verbena make a stunning complementary partnership.
This Eastern Tiger Swallowtail has inserted his proboscis or drinking straw into the flower of the Boldly Coral geranium. Photos by Norman Winter
Go boldly into August with blazing Geraniums
The Garden Guy is ‘Boldly’ going into August with geraniums blazing. I could also say I am going into August with ‘Boldly geraniums blazing. It wasn’t too long ago that August and Geraniums in the South would have been the definition of a garden oxymoron. Boldly geraniums have changed all of that.
You might be wondering how that could have happened. Well, it is like horticultural science gone magical where Ivy geraniums and Zonal geranium were crossed, giving gardeners a supercharged plant. No longer do we have to be jealous of the West Coast where geraniums grow like weeds.
The Garden Guy is trying a new selection coming out in 2022 called Boldly Coral. This is where I teased with the reference to blazing. This color is a HOT coral. So vibrant it could have been called electric coral, it is impossible to go unnoticed. I am growing all of mine in mixed baskets or containers and with a variety of partnerships.
Boldly Coral, like the others in the series, will get about 12-inches tall with a 20- inch spread. I am using white partners like Diamond Snow euphorbia to give a blast of contrast. The Diamond Snow also gives a somewhat delicate texture even though it too is a trooper in the August heat.
My favorite white partner is the Superbena Whiteout verbena. The two together create some kind of complementary competition for exquisite beauty. In fact, as I looked through the lens of my camera it was like a wow as my eyes were opened to the nature that was revealed. I suppose I am leaving off the best part and that is this container also has Superbells Grape Punch calibrachoas creating a dazzling patriotic display.
There has been another surprise and that is the visit by both Spicebush and Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterflies. A lot of butterflies will visit non-nectar flowers to pause and bask, all the while keeping their proboscis rolled up like a hose. In the pictures I have been able to take the proboscis has been uncoiled if you will, and inserted into the flower. Perhaps geraniums like Boldly play a more important role than just giving us exceptional beauty.
Geraniums are considered heavy feeders, and this is an area that I am found lacking more often than not, except this year. I have been feeding with a water-soluble fertilizer every other week which is probably still on the short side considering the amount of rain and supplemental irrigation the containers have been receiving.
Another important aspect of geraniums is the removal of spent flower stalks. These plants are like little flower factories and removing the stalks is important. You can already see I am not talking deadheading or clipping. Once the flower stalk is finished blooming or has little left, then simply go to the bottom of the stalk, where it is attached to the stem and push it downward, snapping it off. You’ll be back in the flower business in short order.
Most of us treat geraniums as annuals but there are ways to save them, returning to the garden in the spring. If this is something you would like to explore, I urge you to go to Boldly Geraniums on the Proven Winners website where they give detailed options for keeping your plants for years to come.
Next year is going to be sensational for gardeners and you will want to put Boldly Coral on your list of must have plants. Follow me on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy for more photos and garden inspiration.
