Red Summer Flowers

If there’s one color that’s sure to draw attention to your garden I believe it has to be red. Let’s take a look at a few plants with radiant red flowers. Red zonal geraniums are a classic garden plant that does not go out of style. Calliope Medium Dark Red was an All-America Selection in 2017. The flowers are clusters of tightly grouped buds and when fully open display outstanding rich, deep, velvety red flower color. While there are other geranium colors, I like the red selections the best. Annual red salvia, Salvia splendens, is an outstanding bedding plant of which there are several series. These plants are well branched, have good dark green foliage and have numerous spikes of dense vibrant red flower heads. Annual red salvia will put on a tremendous show and hold their color without fading through the heat and bright light of summer. A red flowering plant I can’t get enough of are the Whopper begonias , a 2019 Mississippi Medallion winner. There are two red flowered selections. Red with Green Leaf displays large red blooms, complemented by cool green leaves; Red with Bronze Leaf Improved produces red blooms with shimmery, bronze leaves. These large begonia command awe with the big three-inch blooms. The Whopper series can handle the full of sun and intense heat of our Mississippi summers, as long as adequate water is supplied. Plants with red flowers are sure to be standouts in your landscape. I’m horticulturist Gary Bachman and I hope you join me next time on Southern gardening.