Topic: Hardy Geranium Recommendations

[beejay]

I love hardy geraniums but only have a few. Am considering getting some more & would like to have any recommendations, particularly ones that flower over a long period of time. Thanks ever so.

[Obelixx]

Hi Beejay - I have loads of geraniums but am not very good about keeping the labels safe.   They all seem to repeat flower over the summer, especially if I remove old flower stems and tatty foliage.  I've got the standard ones like Johnson's Blue and Wargrave pink but also some with fancy foliage.  There's a golden leaved one with blue flowers, two or three blueish leaved ones with blue and purple flowers - one double.   I have bronzey foliage with lilacy pink flowers - not sure about that combination but the foliage is great in between flowering.  One of my favouries is geranium phaeum which has dark purple black splodges on its leaves, does well in shade and self sows too.  Another is geranium macrorhizum because the foliage is good nearly all year, is scented and goes bright red in autumn.  The pink flowers in late spring are a bonus.

[christine]

G. x riversleaianum 'Russell Pritchard' flowers from June, sending out long, trailing flowering stems then dying back to the rootstock in autumn.  (Graham Stuart Thomas described it as one of the longest-flowering plants in cultivation.)

Flowers are a sort of light magenta.   Mine is now a circle at least a yard across, and is covered in bloom - it's a joy!

[wardy]

The all have one thing in common which is longevity of flowering, suit all soils and situations and are difficult to kill  :)  They are good value for money plants and are easy to divide so you end up with lots for yourself and loads of giveaways

[montanum]

There quite a lot of Geraniums that flower for a long period of time - it greatly depends on what size you want!
 If you want large then most of the Oxinianum hybrids would fit the bill eg.Southcombe Pink, Claridge Druce, Lady Moore' A.T.Johnson etc. Another cracking good long flowerer with absolutley stunning large magenta flowers with a dark eye is G.Psilostemon.It is LARGE but if you support the flowering stems and do not trim it back it tumbles over the support and flowers continuously from early July until now when there are still a few flowers left on.  On a bit smaller scale there is G.Nodosum White Leaf which has a larger flower than the type. This will stand a drier spot and willalso flower well in semi-shade.  If you want something for a sunny bank I can reccomend G.Riversleaianum Mavis Simpson, masses of soft pink flowers on silverygreen soft foliage.  I could go on for ages but the above should see your collection GROW in all ways!
Good luck and if you have any more  questions about Geraniums I will try and help out.
Cheers

[RosieM]

Hi Beejay,

I would echo Montanum's sentiments, Psilostemon is one of my favourites, and one of the biggest. I also enjoy Geranium Sanguineum, it has flowered all summer despite being bashed and battered! For a good bright blue I don't think you can beat G.Magnificum.

RosieM