The longest day (in the northern hemisphere) has been and gone and what a glorious day it was! I managed to mow the lawn at last and remove some of the sprawling hardy geraniums that were getting out of control. I didn’t feel in the least bit guilty at digging one clump up and composting it as it was only a filler from a cutting. Having served its purpose it was now time to go. Hardy geraniums seem to self-seed all over the place so I am constantly pulling bits out and the pink ones quickly become quite large and messy so need cutting back, but they are easy maintenance plants and add colour for months plus the S&S leave them alone which is a huge bonus!
- Geranium himalayense ‘Derrick Cook’ is a compact form of Geranium himalayense. It has
pale pinkvery large white, saucer shaped flowers that are delicately veined with purple eyelashes. This one likes partial shade and the foliage is supposed to colour up nicely in the autumn. As I only bought it this spring I can’t yet confirm that aspect.
- Geranium sanguineum ‘Elke’ is an extremely pretty, low-growing cranesbill, forming masses of small, dark pink flowers in contrast with deeply divided foliage. Another newbie this year this one actually likes full shade so she is in a container in the courtyard garden, growing nicely in a pot along with a fuchsia. Awful photos, She really is a lovely pink, but for some reason I could not capture this one properly.
- Geranium ‘Orion’ bears large deep blue flowers with white centres from June to September, in contrast with mid-green leaves. This one grows around the ‘bird bath’ my large flat stone in the middle of the gravel garden. I really need more blues and this one has only just come into flower.
- Geranium sanguineum (Unnamed) grow in my gravel garden and along the patio. Loving full sun they flower for months.
- Geranium x oxonianum – I have a number of these in the woodland border and gravel garden, but I don’t know the varieties. They form large sprawling clumps of divided, veined, evergreen foliage, one with a lovely dark marking, from which open clusters of pink blooms appear in summer. It’s a robust perennial and flowers over a long period. Suitable for sun or shade. But be warned, in the sun they grow rampant!
- Geranium x magnificum has hairy green leaves that have a nice autumn colour. Masses and masses of large bluish purple flowers form when it starts to bloom, but sadly these don’t last for long, flowering in May and June. I have transplanted a couple of pieces to my new rose border in the ‘Wild Garden’ so I hope they take.
As always, if you want a peek over other people’s garden walls then please pop over to our host, the lovely Jon, AKA ‘The Propagator’ where you find links to many more wonderful garden enthusiasts from all over the world
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Cornwall in Colours 
The geraniums are so pretty and they always make such a cheerful display. My grandmother’s driveway was lined on one side with beautiful red ones and they’ve always been one of my favourites.
A lovely selection from your garden. Your efforts have been rewarded.
The S&S seem to think so!
Lovely geraniums. I sometimes feel I don’t appreciate them enough and use them as the chorus rather than the main stars. But the summer garden would be poorer without them.
They are useful here as the S&S leave them alone!
They are all so pretty, but I think my favourite is the oxonianum. I am impressed that you didn’t feel guilty pulling out a clump and composting them – I still feel bad when I do that. 😉
I’ve never seen a geranium I didn’t like 🙂
They are lovely flowers, I like the ones with the strong veining and the curly eyelashes! I think you need wide herbaceous borders for them to look really good where they can mingle with roses and taller plants and sprawl to their heart’s content 🙂
Hello, better late than never! Not sure what happened to your pingback. I often delete them if I see a comment too, perhaps i got trigger happy. I have seedlings of ‘elke’ hope they come true. I have added quite a few geraniums this year and based on your experience, no doubt I’ll be removing a few next year! Nice plants and like you say, unmunched too.
I’d just commented on Gill’s post that I was teetering on the geranium ledge, could she/would she push me over. Now she needn’t bother as you’ve 6 delightful ones to choose from. I’m especially fond of Derrick. He may find a place in my garden, thanks to you!
Derrick is rather lovely and has a nice large flower. I am on the lookout for ‘Mrs Kendall Clark’ a pretty soft LAVENDER-BLUE with SILVER veining.
Just image searched her & o, yes!
All lovely, Jude. I certainly wouldn’t be without them, and my first one, G magnificum, originally came from my parent’s house c1980 and has come through a couple of moves – for many years it was the only geranium I knew