See Red with Your New Annual Flowers

Among the most brilliant red flowers is a new double carnation called Scarlet Luminette. It is a All-American award winner. Scarlet Luminette begins blooming early, and continues during most of the summer. It forms a low-branching plant up to 15 inches tall. Although it is more heart tolerant than many carnations, it tends to slow flowering during hot weather, but picks up rapidly when cooler weather returns. It has a light carnation scent, and stems are long enough to make it suitable for cutting.

Geraniums grown from seeds have become popular, and this several new varieties have been added. Among the red shades is Merlin, a vivid iridescent crimson rose, which is highlighted with an orange scarlet eye. It is free-flowering and develops compact plants. Red Elite, another addition in bright red, is an early bloomer that flowers well throughout the season. The "Orbit" series of geraniums is not new, but now includes a cherry red variety called Cherry Orbit.

Those who like the bicolor effect of geranium Bright Eyes, a red with white eye, can find a similar introduction called Jolly Red Wink. Orange Cascade is a new hanging basket geranium that may be grown from seeds. Flowers range from orange through scarlet and the variety was developed from a cross between ivy geranium and the common geranium.

There are two attractive new varieties of celosia. The Red Velvet produce large crimson heads in the cockscomb form. This year a new plume type celosia called Fire Dragon has been added. Both plants grow 20 to 24 inches in height and the vivid red flowers can be used fresh or dried. Petunias include some new red varieties. Among the "Ultra" series, which in itself is new, is Ultra Red. It produces bright, vivid red flowers.

Ultra Petunias are early flowering and compact growing varieties. The large, red flowers are produced as prolific-ally as those of multiflora varieties. Petunias with a solid color edge in white have gained popularity in recent years. A new variety with this color pattern is Cherry Frost. The deep red flowers are large, ruffled and in the grandiflora class. They maintain the edge color pattern better than some of the older varieties that changed markings as weather conditions and temperatures changed during the summer.

Among zinnias are some new red varieties ranging from vivid scarlet to pale pink. Two All-American award zinnia winners include Small World Cherry and Fantastic Light Pink. Small World Cherry produces compact plants with small fully double flowers up to two inches in diameter. It has good disease resistance and makes a good landscape display. Fantastic Light Pink produces large flowers on compact plants about 14 inches in height. Fantastic Light Pink is at the pale end of the red color range, while zinnia Big Red is a deep blood red of opposite intensity. The double flowers are good for cutting, being produced on plants up to 3 feet tall.

Another new red zinnia is Dasher Scarlet. It forms compact plants similar to the well known Peter Pan types. The three-inch flowers are produced on plants that endure summer conditions well. There is no need to restrict the garden to red shades. However, as many other excellent varieties in other colors have also been introduced to entice you this spring.

http://www.flowerpossibilities.com/varieties.html