Geum chiloense Lady Stratheden

The Hybrid Avens or Geum chiloense 'Lady Stratheden' is a simple perennial with a dazzling flowering from spring to summer, emblematic of cottage gardens. It offers semi-double flowers in a bright yellow color that appears enamelled, animated by a large heart of green stamens. Bushy, hardy, and carefree, it also brightens up borders with its semi-evergreen light green foliage. Simple and robust, avens are making their way back to our gardens, in sunny, well-drained but moist and fertile soil.

Geums are herbaceous perennials of the rose family, very hardy, native to temperate or colder regions of the northern and southern hemispheres. The wild species Geum chiloense, native to Chile, has given rise to many remarkable hybrids, including 'Lady Stratheden', an old variety full of desireable qualities.

This variety forms a bushy clump and bears upright, semi-evergreen, light green, irregular, and finely velvety basal leaves, measuring 10 cm (4in) long. From May to July, this Avens displays, on thin, ramified, supple stems above the foliage, clusters carrying two to four semi-double cup-shaped flowers, 2 to 4 cm (1 to 2in) in diameter, slightly translucent bright yellow, animated with golden yellow reflections, and enhanced by prominent green stamens. This variety measures about fifty centimeters in all directions. Like many perennials with long flowering periods, this Avens is not very long-lived, so it is advisable to divide it every two to three years to keep it in the garden for a long time.

Hardy and very floriferous, the Avens is an easy, very accommodating plant, to be rediscovered for its simplicity and solidity. It appreciates sunny or semi-shaded situations and grows in ordinary, moist but well-drained soil. To fully enjoy its magnificent flowering, this lovely variety, 'Lady Stratheden', will ideally be placed at the edge of borders, flower beds, mixed borders, in rockeries, or even in pots. Its flower stalks will make beautiful bouquets. Requiring some space to develop well, it will be necessary to leave soe room around its base. It will marry wonderfully with other perennials with spring and summer flowering. By mixing several varieties of Avens together, sublime color harmonies can be created! In full sun, it will perfectly match Daylilies, Rudbeckias, Scabious, Shrubby Wallflowers, and Hardy Geraniums. In partial shade, it will go well with Avens, Lady's Mantle, Euphorbias, and Grasses.