Geum Bell Bank

Geum 'Bell Bank' is a magnificent English creation. Its spreading purple stems bear semi-double flowers with crumpled petals in a sumptuous deep pink, veined with purple. A pure jewel for a green setting!

Geum 'Bell Bank' is a hardy herbaceous perennial plant that thrives in full sun. It belongs to the Rosaceae family. It reaches 40cm (16in) in all directions. It forms an upright and dense clump of large, medium green, toothed, slightly hairy leaves, grouped in a rosette. From this semi-evergreen foliage, slender purple stems arise, bearing charming and delicate cup-shaped semi-double flowers in panicles from May to July, or even longer. The beautifully crumpled petals are veined with purple. The beautiful pink of the petals is darker at the edges than in the centre, with a large heart of yellow stamens. The flower buds modestly droop their heads, but proudly straighten up as they open. This entire range of sumptuous pink shades provides an opportunity for magnificent contrasts with the purple of the stems.

This beautiful cultivar was created in the 1980s by Geoffrey Smith (1928-2009), a famous English television and radio presenter, professional gardener, writer, and lecturer. After disappearing for a few years, it was rediscovered and reintroduced in England in the late 1990s by Dove Cottage Nursery.

Hardy and easy to grow, it is a versatile plant that can be planted in sunny or partially shaded positions, in ordinary, moist but well-drained soil. To fully enjoy its flowering, this splendid variety is ideally placed at the edge of borders, in flower beds, mixed borders, rock gardens, or even in pots. Its flower stalks will make magnificent pastel-toned bouquets. It pairs wonderfully with other spring and summer flowering perennials. In partial shade, it blends well with ferns, fairy flowers, Solomon's seals, trollius, euphorbias, heucheras, and Asian primroses. By mixing several varieties of avens together, one can create a harmonious colour scheme.