Six Interesting and Useful Hardy Geraniums
We are very honoured to be hosting the AGM of the Hardy Plant Society's Hardy Geranium Group on Saturday 11th June. Bookings are now open to the general public and this will be a wonderful opportunity for you to meet with some of the country's hardy geranium experts and buy some unusual varieties.
To book please print off the booking form here and return it to Tricia Newton of the Hardy Geranium Group.
For just £7 you can attend this full-day event, which includes admission to presentations and plant sale in the village hall in the morning and the garden in the afternoon.
We offer one of the widest ranges of hardy geraniums in the UK, with over 100 varieties on sale in the plant nursery for 2022. Most of these can also be seen in the garden.
To celebrate this event and to help you choose a hardy geranium for your garden, I have pulled together a list of six interesting and useful geraniums.
Geranium cantabrigense ‘Westray’ 15cm PBR
One of Alan Bremner’s excellent plants, ideal in tubs or at the edge of a border. The small leaves are almost evergreen and develop a reddish tinge in the winter and the bright pink flowers float above the foliage most of the summer.
Geranium ‘Patricia’ 75cm
G.endresii x G.psilostemon. This is an improvement on G.psilostemon, still has the large magenta flowers with a black eye but is lower growing so no staking necessary and I have found it almost sterile so no seedlings all over the garden. It flowers most of the summer and is very eye catching.
Geranium sylvaticum ‘Amy Doncaster’ 60cm
The G. sylvaticums are the first to flower in the garden, they make good upright clumps, will even grow in light shade and this form has strong blue flowers with a white eye. No vices at all and easy to grow.
Geranium phaeum ‘Stillingfleet Ghost’ 60cm
Found here but named by David Hibbert who had the National Collection. All G. phaeums are happy in shade, they make compact upright clumps and the pale grey flowers show up well in woodland and shady situations.
Geranium ‘Blue Cloud’ 75 cm
This has masses of very pretty starry blue flowers, makes a good clump and has no vices, especially good in the mixed border
Geranium nodosum ‘Silverwood’ 30cm
All the Geranium nodosum varieties are useful as they will grow in difficult conditions, shade and dry does not seem to stop them flowering most of the summer and this white form looks particularly good in shade where it will light up a dark corner
Just beware, all the Geranium x oxonianum varieties, good if you want ground cover under shrub roses or a similar position, but they seed and spread with great vigour in my garden!
