‘Well, I love geraniums, and anybody who does not love geraniums must obviously be a depraved and loathsome person’ John Beverley Nichols.
Hardy geraniums or Cranesbill are popular perennials due to their resilient nature and the myriad of colours in which they are available. Fabulous low maintenance ground cover which supresses weeds and comes back year after year – what’s not to love?
The mind-boggling variety of these hardy geraniums can make your head spin, but here are my 5 top recommendations for your garden…
Geranium Clarkei 'Kashmir White'
A lovely fresh white hardy geranium whose flowers are veined with pink giving a subtle effect. The leaves of this hardy geranium are deeply lobed which creates a soft, wispy feeling in your flower bed. Over a few years this delicate summer staple will spread up to 1.5m but you can keep it in check by dividing it in the spring and planting in other places or gifting to family and friends.
These are a taller variety of hardy geraniums (growing up to 50cm in height) and when they have finished their first flowering, don’t be afraid to cut them down to the ground to encourage a second flush of flowers.
An absolute dream to grow in any moderately fertile soil except that which is waterlogged. This hardy geranium will grow in any aspect and prefers full sun or partial shade but will tolerate shade at a push.
Geranium 'Dilys'
You should buy this hardy geranium for the name alone! Named in honour of Dilys Davies (a member of the Hardy Plant Society) this is a wonderful deep magenta-pink perennial which is a low spreading, growing to approximately 30-40cm in height. This wonderful, compact hardy geranium with flower from early summer until the late autumn – a fabulous long flowering until the first frost arrives.
This little beauty is great in poor draining soils but again, avoid any waterlogged spot. What this hardy geranium doesn’t like is very dry soil so partial shade may be just the thing to keep it happy in your garden.
Geranium Rozanne 'Jolly Bee'
The ultimate in vigorous ground cover, this prolific hardy geranium flowers from July to October, making it a summer and autumn stunner!
Its flowers are purple and are accentuated by the white centre and purple veining which springs from the centre of each flower. The contrast between these lovely flowers and the fresh, green foliage, really does make it a wonderful hardy geranium for your garden or as a large container specimen.
This hardy perennial provides the ultimate ground cover, growing to 60cm in height and spreading by up to a metre in a couple of years. If space is at a premium in your garden, then pop these hardy geraniums in a big pot and watch the blue flowers cascade over the sides to create a cool accent on a hot summers day.
Geranium 'Ballerina'
If you are looking for a more compact hardy geranium, then look no further than ‘Ballerina’. This little gem grows to 15cm in height and sports the most delicate light pink flowers which are accented with deep purple veins.
It flowers earlier that some of the larger varieties with the first blooms appearing in the springtime and continuing to flower into the summer but remove dead flowers and foliage to encourage it to keep going for longer.
The dense ground cover hardy geraniums provide make them wildlife friendly, so plant in moist but well drained soil as part of a wildlife garden or alternatively you can pop this into a rockery or patio container – the choice is yours. Just make sure you keep it in a sunny spot as it prefers to bask in the sunshine.
Geranium 'Ann Folkard'
A hardy geranium that is also a climber, now that’s a bonus!
As well as providing great ground cover, this fabulous flower also works as a climber so you can have some fun with your borders. The bright green foliage provides the perfect backdrop for the dark-centred magenta flowers, and it will grow up to 60cm in height. This is another long flowering favourite and will keep going through the summer and autumn – just keep removing flowered stems and old leaves to keep it fresh and punchy.
Don’t worry about this leggy hardy geranium taking over your border though as it doesn’t put down roots as it spreads so it is easy to keep in check. You can also divide this one to share with friends and family – the plant that just keeps giving.
These are my personal top 5 hardy geraniums for your garden.
If you would like further advice or information about perennials or specifically geraniums for your garden, please get in touch.
