Every garden should have a few Geums! Known as avens, these are hardy herbaceous plants that grow from underground rhizomes. Most produce early-summer flowers in shades of red, yellow and orange, and many fabulous combinations of them all. These blooms are carried on thin, wiry stalks. Also, they usually have softly-hairy evergreen or semi-evergreen foliage. They will grow anywhere that is not in full shade, or in heavily waterlogged soil. Geums are related to roses — look closely at the flowers, which are very similar to cinquefoils (Potentilla) and strawberry blooms (Fragaria). However, the Geum’s growth habit, style and size is quite different from any rose! Geums came originally from wide stretches of the world, from Europe, Africa and Asia, through North and South America, and even New Zealand. The evergreen nature of Geums makes them perfect for filling gaps in the fronts of borders, where they provide year-round interest. They are good companions for hardy Geraniums, hardy ferns and ornamental grasses, as well as Primulas, Trollius, Epimedium, and Euphorbia.