Gorgeous Geraniums

Looking for an award-winning, heat-tolerant or cost-effective variety to grow? A geranium might be a good choice. Colors range from bright and bold to soft and feminine, some are scented, and they continue to be a popular choice for the home gardener. Here are five geraniums to consider adding to your production line.

Nano
“Low grow approved,” Hem Genetics’ Nano is a new series of geraniums that has a non-stretching, natural dwarf habit. Nano does not need PGRs and can be used in pots, beds, borders and packs. Growers can choose between seven colors and a formula, including white, salmon and red. With large flowers that bloom all season, its form stays compact.

For more: Hem Genetics, www.hemzaden.com

Pinto

Growers looking for a cost-effective choice for geraniums may want to consider this seed series from Syngenta Flowers. Pinto has won several awards, including Best Geranium (seed) for its Pinto Premium Salmon at Colorado State University’s 2011 Annual Flower Trials. The series has large flowers on shorter stems and is well-branched, vigorous and has a uniform growth habit.

For more: Syngenta Flowers, www.syngentaflowersinc.com

Great Balls of Fire
Southern growers and gardeners have probably battled Edema with ivy geraniums in the hot climate. But this new series from Dümmen is a trailing, heat-tolerant ivy geranium that flowers all summer. Available in eight colors ranging from white to burgundy, the series has big double flowers and strong foliage.

For more: Dümmen, www.dummen.com

Sunrise
New colors have been added to Selecta’s Sunrise zonal geranium series. Orange offers a bright, bold color that’s sure to grab attention, and Pink+Eye is a beauty with its bicolor petals. The series blooms early and has a medium-vigor and upright habit. Geraniums get up to 14 inches in height and spread, and are best for 4- to 6-inch pots.

For more: Selecta, www.selectanorthamerica.com

Daredevil
A zonal geranium from Proven Winners, Daredevil has won 48 awards, including Outstanding Rating at the Disney Trials and Best of the Best from the University of Georgia. Available in seven colors, its Mulberry variety is in the P. Allen Smith Platinum Collection. Resistant to deer and tolerant of heat and droughts, it is best used for containers and landscapes.

For more: Proven Winners, www.provenwinners.com