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Wednesday 4 February 2015

2015 Perennial Plant of the Year .. Have you got it ?

I have been blown away with a head cold from hell ... strained my left calf muscle trying out the new treadmill, which is too hysterically ironic to believe right ?
Tie that in with a major medication change which is kicking my butt big time but you have to try long enough to see if it is better than what you have been taking ...
Sprinkle some cabin fever in with that because you are just too sick to stand going out in this winter weather .. so you press your nose up against the window and whine (I almost spelled WINE ! .. that is how bad this is !)

I thought OMG ... I haven't posted in so long I am going to disappear ... which logically for the kind of gal that I am, that is rather hard to do .. but at this point I am laying down on the floor playing with cat toys thinking this "bug" will never leave ... my calf muscle will torment me forever .. BYT ... the new treadmill is FANTASTIC ! another ironic twist of course.
And of course the usual full blown impact question we all ask ourselves at some point during winter, "will I never feel half way normal again ?" a stretch for me but it had to be asked.

Yet I digress ... this post is about the PP of the Year : geranium cantabrigiense "Biokovo"
I have had this plant for ages in my garden and it does do everything the "professionals" says that it does ...

I have it in DRY shade and it keeps on pumping itself out no matter how neglected it is.
The scent reminds me of something but I can't quite nail it ... I guess something woodsy perhaps.
It transplants too easily ... so you can place it any where.
Sometimes underestimated in value .. it seems too common ? .. but it actually is a pretty plant and fills in spots that tend to be bare because of difficult conditions other plants turn their noses up at.

I have to admit I wondered at the selection for this status .. too safe?
Why not a more in your face, here I am ! choice of plant? ..
But after thinking about it .. why not ?
I dread using the OVER-used phrase "workhorse" but it is kind of a staple plant, when you think of it.
Do you have this one in your garden ?

17 comments:

Barry said...

Joy:
I was of similar thought when I heard that this had been selected as the PPOY. I will take a perennial geranium over those silly pelargonium annual types any day, but I only grow one - G.phaeum 'Margaret Wilson' with her brilliant variegated foliage. It is true that they live up to the ubiquitous 'work horse' requirement that goes into this yearly designation, but I think I grow weary of the 'branding' that seems to be trying to beat us over the head every time we step inside of a nursery!

Jean Campbell said...

This plant is kind of a hoot to me because true geraniums do not thrive here except for the weedy wilding Geranium carolinianum that freely reseeds from year to year, disappearing with the first hot days. Its blooms are tiny, its seeds many.

rochefleuriegarden said...

I don't have it but it looks like a very useful plant.
This time of the year, we all tend to whine - it would be preferable to wine.

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

Sorry you are not feeling great)-: At least it is winter and you can rest up!!! You have a couple more months(-: I am babysitting so not getting out much either. I have weekends to catch up but a lot of time I end up babysitting. lol Oh well I have a few more weeks until the Spring arrives here. I am catching up just slowly. I had to get a new pump for one of my fountains and its sitting on the kitchen counter. I am dying to get it hooked up. So tomorrow looks like it might be raining so I will try to get out inbetween cloud bursts(-:

Country Gal said...

Oh I am so sorry to hear your not feeling well . Hope you get better soon on the other hand glad to hear you are enjoying your treadmill . I have the original geraniums that I plant in the summers then bring them in over winter that are blooming right now nice to have their colours in all this white we are getting out there . Lovely photos . Thanks for sharing , Have a good day.

Buttons Thoughts said...

Nice to see you still have your sense of humour intact:) Take care. Hug B

Rose said...

I hope you feel better soon, Joy! I can totally understand the treadmill problem--I started lifting small weights several years ago until I developed tennis elbow. And then I tried my daughter's elliptical for awhile, but it hurt my knees so bad I had to stop. I've almost decided exercise is bad for you:)

I hadn't heard yet what the PP of the year choice was, so thank you. I don't have this geranium, but it seems in recent years that the group likes to pick plants that have stood the test of time.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello sweetie you have convinced me to order your geranium after seeing how gorgeous it is .. some how I have never seen that one!
Yes overplay with what the PP is each year can be a bit annoying ;-)

Hello Jean .. I have to check your blog to see what zone you are in .. or are conditions just too dry and hot. Too bad the blooms are so tiny .. we need to see FLOWERS! haha

Alain hello there : ) I think this type would be very useful for you because they are shallow rooted and I know you have soil problems where you are .. Barry's geranium is a gorgeous one you might want that one too!

Cindee girl how are you and thank you! all that grandma duty is holding you back a wee bit girl .. you need some YOU time!! .. I have to get over to your blog and see the water feature with the new pump .. you have me curious!!

Hello Elaine girl .. thanks, it is a slow process but I am hanging in.
Oh my gosh to have blooms during this weather must be so cheerful : )
It was -17 this morning ... ugh !
At least it is sunny.

Hello Buttons girl ... I keep trying ... and thank you !

Rose girl, thank you : )
OMG ... talk about a catch 22 with you ? that is amazing .. I am lucky that eventually I will be back on the treadmill but wow .. you really have a predicament .. there is a bit of humor in that .. I think you see it too ;-)
Yes you are right ... plants that stand the test of time .. I just wish one year they would really push the boat out and pick something wild and crazy ? LOL

Carrie said...

Goodness me Joy, get well soon! What a rotten time you've been having xxx

I don't have your geranium but it is beautiful. Our garden is very modern\ minimal but maybe I could get one for the allotment...hummm..

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Take care Joy, this winter will all be over soon, and it won't come soon enough for me!

I have Karmina another type of your geranium, but it has not been a great bloomer since I brought it from my last house. I might just pull it this year and move it somewhere else.

Eileen

Jennifer said...

Sorry to hear that you are not feeling great. Too bad about the treadmill mishap! We are set to get more snow this weekend so there will lots for us all to "wine" about. LOL
I believe I have this geranium. I added at least 4 new ones last summer. They seem to do well in the dry shade and I have that in abundance. Feel better soon Joy!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Carrie girl I hope you are feeling much better soon too! .. I love the new allotment plan and seeing the pruning of the rose jogged my memory so thank you sweetie ! Take care !

Thank you Eileen girl .. this is the time when it really seems to be such a long cold winter .. we have had quite a few mornings at -24.
I think I may have Karmina some where myself .. but now I am set on trying Barry's with that variegated foliage!
Your winter garden back in December was looking really pretty!

Jennifer girl thank you !
I know you do some shoveling so I think a flask of hot mulled WINE would be perfect for you!! LOL
I am working on a little list of plants .. Barry's geranium is on it!LOL

Casa Mariposa said...

I have this plant, too, and it's super fab, although I think it's kind of stinky. Or maybe I just have a weird nose. Sorry to hear about your cold. Rottenness and misery..... Lots of vit C and rest. :)

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello Tammy girl ! Yup the "C" and my super micro-nutrient drink are great weapons against the crud ! haha
Yes .. it is kind of a weird almost stinky smell but reminds me of the woods .. or is that because I am standing under my tree when I move these plants around ? ;-)

Victoria Williams said...

I do have this exact plant and I love it. It grows in a shady spot in our garden, not watered more than once a week, and does very well.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello there K & V : )
Yes mine takes a lot of punishment too .. DRY shade and it keeps on blooming no matter what .. so it is a keeper!

Anonymous said...

Oh, I think I need some. It would look great in my secret garden project. What do you think...have you got a moment to take a look?
https://naramatablendblog.wordpress.com/2016/02/26/secret-gardenif-i-show-you-is-it-still-secret/