Geranium macrorrhizum 'Bevan's Variety'
Balkan cranesbill
- Position: full sun or full shade
- Soil: fertile, well-drained soil
- Rate of growth: fast growing
- Flowering period: May to September
- Hardiness: fully hardy
Clusters of small, saucer shaped, crimson-purple flowers are held on slender stems above strong aromatic, light green leaves from May to September. This is one of the most versatile and useful geraniums, as it will even thrive in dry shade. The deeply cut, semi-evergreen foliage also spreads quickly to form low hummocks that suppress weeds for most of the year. It looks lovely with strongly shaped perennials, such as bergenia, or polemonium, or planted en masse under trees, and is also valuable for hiding the foliage of spring bulbs as they die down. The leaves often turn red in autumn, too. - Garden care: Carefully weed by hand - hoeing can break rhizomes as these are very close to the surface. Lift and divide large colonies in spring.
Paeonia lactiflora 'Adolphe Rousseau'
paeony / peony
Magnificent large double maroon flowers
Eryngium planum 'Blauer Zwerg'
sea holly (syn. Blue Dwarf)
Dwarf variety with deep blue flowers
Iris sibirica 'Caesar's Brother'
Siberian iris
Intense violet flowers. Great in reliably moist soil
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 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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Vibrant magenta-red flowers held in clusters on long red stems and an excellent foil to late, white narcissi and tulips
Val Bourne - Garden Writer