Geum coccineum Cocktail Sea Breeze

Geum 'Sea Breeze' is a recent addition to the beautiful 'Cocktail' series, developed for its semi-double, diaphanous flowers with vibrant colours on sturdy and floriferous plants from spring to summer. This relatively compact variety offers a more polished appearance in flower beds, as well as in flowering pots. 'Sea Breeze' bears semi-double frilly flowers in a luminous shade of orange. Simple and robust, avens are hardy and carefree perennials. Grow in sunny, fertile soil that is not too dry.

Geums are hardy herbaceous perennials from the Rosaceae family. They are native to temperate or colder regions of the northern and southern hemispheres. 'Sea Breeze' is a recent horticultural hybrid. This perennial plant forms a clump of basal foliage composed of erect, semi-evergreen, vivid green leaves. They are rounded, lobed, and finely velvety, measuring 10 to 15cm (4 to 6in) in length. Between May-June and August, the plant will produce up to 100 flowers. They bloom in cymes, on thin, branched stems. They are Bordeaux-red in colour, and appear loosely upright above the foliage. Each flower measures about 3cm (1in) in diameter, consisting of slightly translucent petals, animated by clearly visible veins, around a large heart of prominent yellow stamens. This variety reaches approximately 40cm (16in) in height and width. Like many long-flowering perennials, this avens is not very long-lived, so it is advisable to divide it every three years to keep it in the garden for longer.

Hardy and very floriferous, avens is an easy, accommodating plant. It appreciates sunny or partially shaded situations and grows in ordinary, moist but well-drained soil. To fully enjoy its magnificent flowering, plant 'Sea Breeze' on the edges of flower beds, mixed borders, rockeries, or even in pots. Its flower spikes will make beautiful bouquets. It requires some space to grow well, so make sure to leave room around its base. It will blend beautifully with other spring or summer flowering perennials. Its warm colour contrasts with the blue of delphiniums, perennial flax, and perennial geraniums. You can create sublime scenes with vibrant colours by mixing several varieties of avens together. In the sun, it will perfectly complement daylilies, rudbeckias, scabiosa, bush carnations, and perennial geraniums.