Geranium × magnificum 'Rosemoor'
cranesbill
- Position: full sun or partial shade
- Soil: fertile, well-drained soil
- Rate of growth: vigorous
- Flowering period: June to July
- Hardiness: fully hardy
Dense clusters of saucer shaped, heavily veined rich violet flowers appear among deeply divided, mid-green leaves in one burst in midsummer. This vigorous plant quickly forms hummocks of attractive, deeply divided foliage that colours beautifully in autumn. It's an effective and low maintenance groundcover plant. Although it will take some shade, it flowers best in a sunny site. - Garden care: In midsummer rejuvenate plants that are beginning to look jaded, by removing old flowered stems and leaves. Lift and divide large colonies in spring.
Sisyrinchium striatum
sisyrinchium
Cup shaped pale yellow flowers
Delphinium 'Black Knight Group'
delphinium
Spikes of dark purple flowers with black centres
Achillea millefolium 'Cerise Queen'
yarrow ( syn Kirschkönigin )
Flat, magenta flowers on tall stems
Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae
wood spurge
Great for a woodland setting
Cornus 'Eddie's White Wonder'
dogwood
Fabulous autumn colour
How to get more flowers
Many flowering plants can be encouraged to produce better and longer-lasting displays with the minimum of effort. A plant produces flowers in order to reproduce and ensure the survival of the species. Once a plant has flowered and fertilisation has...
Read full articleMediterranean
Mediterranean gardens can take on various guises from the rustic and rambling to the formal elegance of an Italian courtyard. However, they all have key features in common, including the use of exotic, sometimes tender, drought-tolerant plants in pots and...
Read full articleHardy geraniums
Hardy geraniums, commonly called cranesbills, are the stalwarts of a garden – they grow without fuss and bother, they flower reliably and without the gaudy excess of other garden premadonnas. For this reason, they are often overlooked as things of...
Read full articleGet more flowers
Deadheading will prevent them setting seed and so use their energy producing a further flush of blooms later on. Plants that respond well to deadheading include annuals such as Ageratum, Alyssum, Antirrhinum, Calendula, Centaurea, Cosmos, Dahlia, foxglove, Californian poppy, sweet...
Read full articleChelsea Chop and other methods of extending the flowering season
Many gardeners who are happy, even gung-ho, with the secateurs when pruning shrubs and climbers are surprisingly reluctant to take the shears to herbaceous perennials. Maybe this is because it just doesn’t seem quite right to be cutting back all...
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The earliest dark-veined intensely blue geranium and this form doesn’t flag and flop like others - a bold, early mound of strong colour
Val Bourne - Garden Writer