Avens 'Mrs J. Bradshaw'
Geum 'Mrs J. Bradshaw' · Rosaceae
Semi-double flowers of pure scarlet on tall, branching, wiry stems, above rosettes of hairy leaves. A cottage garden plant since 1909.
- Size
- 24 in tall, 18 in wide
- Zones
- 5 to 9
- Light
- Full sun to part sun
- Flowers
- Late May to late July
- Pets
- Not checked
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around avens 'Mrs J. Bradshaw'
The planner designed this bed around avens 'Mrs J. Bradshaw' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 966 that suit those conditions, and says below why avens 'Mrs J. Bradshaw' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Avens 'Mrs J. Bradshaw' × 3, red
- 2 Winter heath × 12, pink
- 3 Carpathian bellflower × 5, blue
- 4 Brown-eyed Susan × 3, yellow
- 5 Foxglove beardtongue × 3, white
- 6 Silver sage × 1, silver leaves
- 7 Star of Persia × 4, purple
- 8 Spring starflower × 12, blue
Why this plant
- The only open bowls. The others are bells, daisies, spires and others. Shape reads at a distance, where colours blur.
- The only red.
Why here
- At the back. At 24 in it is seen over winter heath (10 in) in front of it, and has nothing behind it to hide.
- A step in the back row. Next to star of Persia (20 in) and foxglove beardtongue (3½ ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- 3 plants in one group. Massed, one kind reads as a single shape. Scattered, it would look spotty.
Why now
- In flower for 10 weeks. From late May to late July.
- Part of the bed's peak. With Carpathian bellflower, foxglove beardtongue and star of Persia in late June: 4 kinds at once. No week has more.
Planned as an English border: 5 of the 5 groups (100%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. The scheme leans cool (pink, blue and purple) and uses red and yellow for warmth, with white to calm things between them. The back corners are held by brown-eyed Susan and foxglove beardtongue, the tallest plants on the plan.
The planner's own design check: 10 Excellent, 7 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where avens 'Mrs J. Bradshaw' goes in a border
At 24 in it belongs in the middle of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium short (18 to 24 in). It is airy enough to see through, so it can also come forward and veil what is behind it.
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
A clean red for early summer, light enough on its stems to mix among other plants. Short-lived unless it is divided every third year and kept moist.
- Scarlet for early summer
- Cottage borders
- Cutting
What to plant with avens 'Mrs J. Bradshaw'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Lady's mantle: red against green, opposite each other on the colour wheel, in flower together for six weeks; happy in the same moist soil.
- Siberian iris: in flower together for four weeks, from late May; happy in the same moist soil.
- Globeflower: in flower together for five weeks, from late May; happy in the same moist soil.
Questions about avens 'Mrs J. Bradshaw'
Does avens 'Mrs J. Bradshaw' need sun or shade?
Avens 'Mrs J. Bradshaw' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).
It wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does avens 'Mrs J. Bradshaw' grow in?
USDA zones 5 to 9. It is hardy to zone 5, which means it survives winter nights down to about −10 °F (−23 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does avens 'Mrs J. Bradshaw' flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers late May to late July. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.
| Zone 5 | Late May to late July |
|---|---|
| Zone 6 | Mid May to late July |
| Zone 7 | Early May to mid July |
| Zone 8 | Early May to mid July |
| Zone 9 | Late April to mid July |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should avens 'Mrs J. Bradshaw' be planted?
16 in (40 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 18 in (45 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 24 in (60 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many avens 'Mrs J. Bradshaw' plants do I need?
At 16 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 7 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 8 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 21 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used three in one group.
Is there a native plant like avens 'Mrs J. Bradshaw'?
Avens 'Mrs J. Bradshaw' is not native to North America. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Gloriosa daisy: the same job in a bed and the same colour; 4 in taller, flowers late June to mid September.
- Golden Alexanders: the same job in a bed; 4 in taller, flowers early May to mid June.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
What flowers after avens 'Mrs J. Bradshaw'?
Avens 'Mrs J. Bradshaw' is over by late July. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Lilyturf: from early August to mid September, 16 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
- Ornamental onion 'Millenium': from mid July to late August, 18 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
- Japanese anemone: from mid August to early October, 3 ft tall.
What does avens 'Mrs J. Bradshaw' look like in winter?
Avens 'Mrs J. Bradshaw' holds some of its leaves into winter, more in a mild year or a sheltered spot, and they look tired by March. Cut the old ones off as new growth starts.
More Geum
- Avens 'Lady Stratheden' Geum 'Lady Stratheden'
- Avens 'Mai Tai' Geum 'Mai Tai'
- Avens 'Totally Tangerine' Geum 'Totally Tangerine'
- Prairie smoke Geum triflorum
- Water avens Geum rivale
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 24 in (60 cm) tall, 18 in (45 cm) wide
- Plant
- 16 in (40 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium short (18 to 24 in)
- Place in the bed
- Middle, or further forward: it is airy enough to see through
- Flowers
- Late May to late July; open bowls; red
- Leaves
- Medium texture, semi-evergreen; green
- Shape
- Upright, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 5 to 9
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Soil
- Rich, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Rosaceae
Not yet checked against an outside reference: its figures rest on general horticultural knowledge. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.