The Red Geranium Project

I think of my garden as just another way to express my creativity, and I tend to choose plants and colors for "rooms" in my garden the same way I choose fabrics and colors for rooms in my home.

I'll never forget my first time in Europe, specifically Paris. Red geraniums were everywhere, in every window box, full and lush.

I was so influenced by the sheer simplicity and beauty of these geraniums, that I came home, had window boxes installed and planted them with red geraniums and white Bacopa.

However, I found that keeping them lush and full was a bit of a challenge. They do need to be deadheaded, as well as fertilized frequently.

Also, they tend to become ratty looking after a while, especially in the heat of summer.

I recently discovered a hybrid red geranium that stands up to heat, is full and lush, and absolutely gorgeous with velvet green leaves and deep blood-red flowers.

It's called "Big Red" geraniums by VIVA, and is sold by Home Depot!

Red geraniums are my choice for the pots and window boxes in Asti.

So when Home Depot got a shipment of VIVA "Big Red" Geraniums on Saturday, we bought as many as we could fit in the car and spent 6 hours planting out the pots scattered around.

This is what the old ones looked like from last year! Ratty!

Much better, don't you think?

I'm hoping these geraniums carry us to Labor Day and beyond.

Each pot received Miracle Grow soil and is watered by a drip system, keeping them alive in our absence.

I think red is a great color choice for the country.

It goes great with the white roses and purple lavender, which is about all that we can grow here, due to boron in the well water.

This is how I decorated this "room" in Asti.

Varied pots, some small, some large, planted with a combination of red patio roses, red geraniums with a few olive trees. Italian Cypress line the edges.