I bought this particular plant at the South Coast Garden Show in 2012. At the time, the vendor asked me if I was sure I knew what I was doing putting it into my garden, implying that it deserved its name. It's said to have a mounding habit, growing 6-12 inches tall with a spread up to 2 feet, which doesn't seem too monster-ish to me. In fact, I could use a few more monsters of this type - feel free to offer suggestions.
The flowers, described as pink on some growers' sites, read as mauve/violet to me. However you describe it, the color echoes that of the flower spike on the nearby Acanthus. The latter plant was sold to me as Acanthus mollis but I think it's probably Acanthus spinosus or possibly Acanthus mollis 'Summer Beauty', said to be a hybrid of A. mollis and A. spinosus.
G. 'Tiny Monster' is itself a hybrid of Geranium sanguineum and Geranium psilostemon. It flourishes in sun to part sun. Although most sites say it's suited to zones 4-8, the Proven Winners webpage says it will grow in zones 6a-10b. I'm in zone 10b and it's doing fine here. It's also considered to be attractive to butterflies and unattractive to deer and rabbits, although I can't personally attest to the veracity of either claim. The raccoons have ignored it, which is a blessing.
Please go to the danger garden webpage to see other gardeners' favorite plant selections for this week in August.
I gotta be honest and say geraniums have never been a plant I'm drawn to, I do however love the name and it certainly seems to be doing what you ask of it in your garden, in August no less! Nice fav!
ReplyDeleteI have to ask about the big green leaves to the right of the acanthus in the last photo, what are they?
That's Arthropodium cirratum (aka Renga Lily). I have several (actually 10 by my current count!) in different locations - they seem to handle whatever conditions I throw at them. They're a little sun-bleached at the moment but should green up when the weather cools and the sun is less intense. They produce an interesting spray of flowers in the spring. I got mine from Annie's via mail order.
DeleteI am, as you know, a big fan of hardy geraniums; and this one looks like a winner. I have a couple of varieties of G. sanguineum in my garden, but they have grown sparsely rather than forming big mounds. Last year I added my first G. psilostemon hybrid, 'Patricia,' and I have been thrilled with its performance. Although it is just in its first summer in the garden and doesn't have much foliage yet, it has been blooming non-stop since early June. Thanks, by the way, for the link to the fabulous Geranium nursery. -Jean
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