Pelargonium x hortorum Moonlight `Guido`
With its bright, orange-red flowers on contrasting, tan stems and with dark-toned leaves, Moonlight `Guido` has enchanted the jury and therefore received the honorary title of Geranium of the Year 2023.
The 2023 jury includes Patrik Vilsmyr from Mäster Grön representing 30 gardeners in Skåne, Björn Höjrup, representative of the processing industry, Jonas Samuelsson, Rönne Trädgård representing the Swedish growers’ union LRF Trädgård and Lotta Ahlvar, trend analyst with long experience from the fashion and interior design industry.
Geranium of the year over the years
To highlight the diversity of the geranium genus, a geranium or a group of geranium varieties is awarded the honorary title of Geranium of the Year every year. To receive the award, it must be a healthy and vigorous geranium with a high beauty value. In addition, the variety should show a different expression than what we usually see in geraniums. Last year we were treated to the voluminous Calliope L ‘Soft Coral’ and the year before that we were enchanted by ‘Astrid’. Read more about Geranium of the Year at www.aretspelargon.se.
THE JURY’S MOTIVATION:
With its bright orange-red flowers on contrasting tan stems and with dark-toned leaves, Moonlight ‘Guido’ has enchanted the jury and therefore received the honorary title of Geranium of the Year 2023.
To highlight the diversity of the geranium genus, a geranium or a group of geranium varieties is awarded the honorary title of Geranium of the Year every year. To receive the award, it must be a healthy and vigorous geranium with a high beauty value. In addition, the variety should show a different expression from what we usually see in geraniums.
History of the geranium
The geranium, Pelargonium x hortorum, originates from the southern African plains where it grows in shrub-like forms with thick, water-filled stems, which act as reservoirs during droughts. Strong sunlight, heat and dry air contribute to the fact that it thrives there. It belongs to the fist plants.
Pelargos comes from Greek and the word means “stork”, which refers to the geranium’s seed pod. The seed pod is long and pointed and resembles the stork’s beak.
The geranium arrived in Sweden in the 1800s and quickly became a beloved flower in homes. It is often associated with interiors from the same era, both in huts and castles. Today, there are thousands of geranium hybrids on the market and you can pick and choose.
Care
Moonlight `Guido` thrives both inside on the windowsill and outdoors, for example in the entrance pot, balcony box or planted in the border. Until the weather is mild and the nights are frost-free, the variety should be kept inside on the windowsill, in the conservatory or in another frost-free and bright place.
To succeed, do this:
– When you get home with your geraniums, they may need replanting. Look at the roots and see how they look. Choose a pot/box/pot with a good volume and a good quality soil. It is important to add nutrients to the soil, as geraniums develop best when they are well nourished. The easiest way to do this is to water with a weak nutrient solution at each watering.
– Water regularly, but always allow the soil to dry out slightly between waterings. It’s best to water geraniums in the morning so that they have time to dry out during the day. If this is not possible, watering them in the evening works well.
Watering in the middle of the day is less appropriate because much of the water evaporates immediately. Geraniums cope very well with drought, but they do not develop as well as when watered regularly.
– Geraniums love light and want to be in a bright and airy place. If you are planting several geraniums together, or planting geraniums together with other plants, be careful not to plant the plants too close together. They will grow together over time and will benefit from a little airiness at first. Always place geraniums in a bright position!
– Be diligent about pinching off wilted flowers, preferably before they set seed, although the seed pod itself is a beautiful and amusing decoration – it looks like a grosbeak. Geranium means big beak.
