Geum coccineum Red Wings

Geum 'Red Wings' is an avens with many advantages. It has a vivid red colour, enhanced by its double flowers, which enliven flower beds in summer. Its delicate habit adds gentleness to the garden. Rather hardy and accommodating, this floriferous perennial prefers sunny but not scorching exposures and also appreciates partial shade. It is an easy plant that requires little maintenance, and its flowers bloom from June to September.

Avens are enchanting plants. Their slender silhouette is ideal in a cottage or English garden. Their cup-shaped flowers are either single or double, but always light thanks to their delicate petals and their stamen-filled centre. They sway in the wind at the end of a slender stem emerging from a basal clump, composed of green, pinnate, dentate, and slightly villous leaves. This airy habit allows them to nestle in flower beds among their summer companions. Do not plant them too close together, as they like to have some space to grow. They thrive in moist, preferably rich, well-drained soil. A little deadheading is enough to remove faded flowers, and they readily bloom again. You can pick them to create lovely bouquets.

The particularly warm colour of Geum 'Red Wings' naturally fits into colourful summer flower beds. Its medium size (50cm (20in) in height) means it can be placed at the edge or middle of a flower bed, depending on the size of your garden. It will weave beautifully between lupins, yarrows, and speedwells, bringing lightness to your planting schemes. Mix it with other airy plants, such as grasses and heucheras, playing with a palette ranging from yellow to red.