Monday, March 01, 2010

Is "Rozanne" A Winner For You?

This will be the fourth season for the Rozanne Perennial Geranium in my garden.  On the recommendation of a friend and a garden designer, I purchased three of them at a high-end nursery (they were the only one locally that carried this variety).  They were expensive about $20.00 each and bloomed beautifully the first year weaving through my impatiens.  I cannot remember what type of winter we had that year but only one came back and my friend lost all three of her Rozannes.  I guess it was a good thing that we both purchased them at this high-end nursery because they replaced all of our geraniums free of charge!

I planted my new ones a little higher on the edge of the bed because I thought maybe they became too wet.  They all came back the following year (very slow to show in the spring) and bloomed throughout three seasons.  Two years later, it was named The Plant of the Year for 2008.  The Rozannes I purchased last year for my daughter's garden were $7.99 at Home Depot.

Rozanne has been around quite awhile developed in Donald and Rozanne Waterer's garden in Somerset, England (1990).  It was introduced to the public in 2000 at the Chelsea Flower Show in England.

Even though Rozanne and I had a bit of a rocky start, it is certainly a winner in my garden for its heat tolerance its weaving nature and the fact that it blooms continually through three seasons.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Eileen, I love all of the hardy geraniums and, as far as I am concerned, one cannot have too many. Some, it is true, do better than others so I am delighted that you have now successfully established 'Rozanne' in your garden. $20 for a geranium does seem to be a huge amount of money but at least the ones you lost were replaced.

Larry said...

Good morning! I picked up seven Rozannes at an end of season sale for a buck or two apiece perhaps four years ago. Apparently people were not aware of their stature as everything else had been picked over and not much was left (I had been observing for awhile). Do you cut them back mid-summer... a friend swears by this but I usually don't get around to it. Also a couple question regarding your comment on my crab apple post. Dis you use the heavy dormant oil spray and I get the impression it really helped to mitigate the defoliation? Thanks, Larry

Gatsbys Gardens said...

I have never completely cut back Rozanne but I do trim them lightly throughout the season. There is a geranium I do cut back completely Max Frei to get some rebloom.

I had used an Ortho Volek Oil Spray several years ago, mixed with water in a hose sprayer or Hudson Sprayer. It did work! You had to spray when it was above 50 degrees and not above 70's. You can see why I didn't always get it done because of the short window.

I do not have crabs anymore, but I have shrubs that have scale. So yesterday I bought a new pre mixed spray by Bonide that can be sprayed above 40 degrees and not above 90 degrees. We'll see if this works!

joey said...

Pretty photos, Eileen! I don't have Rozanne but several other varieties of perennial geraniums. Since mine get leggy, I do heavily prune them after blooming. But I do adore them. Happy March!

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Joey,

Rozanne gets leggy but in a good way. With just a little cleaning up during the summer it keeps blooming.

Eileen

Kinetic Fountains said...

Beautiful! I think I am going to give Rozanne a shot in my garden this year. Thanks for the inspiration

Becca's Dirt said...

It looks like Johnsons Blue Geranium which I have growing in my gardens. Rozanne is beautiful even if expensive. It was nice of the nursery to replace yours.

Gatsbys Gardens said...

It is similar to Johnson's Blue and Brookside but much more contained with a much longer bloom time. They are pretty inexpensive now compared to when I first bought mine. If you are near a Home Depot check there first, much cheaper. They have had them the past two years. Thanks for stopping by.

Eileen

Tammy said...

i love those with the pink impatiens. I want one.

garden girl said...

Rozanne's by far my favorite geranium. There are few perennials that can rival its long bloom period. Last year in my garden they bloomed from late May through November, and that's in mostly shade. I love how they weave in and out of other plants. Can't think of another perennial I've ever grown that blooms so long.

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

I added two 'Rozanne' last year after reading such good things about them. So far one has returned and I think the other is beginning to sprout. They do have pretty flowers. I hope I can find a couple at Home Depot, they were still pricey here but I found them at an end of summer sale for two for one.