Hardy Geraniums

Chilterns do.

 

My experience with hardy geraniums is a bit mixed with good results with Claridge Druce but hugely invasive Geranium Phaeum currently over two feet tall and hiding the agapanthus which is trying to see the light!
They are a favourite but I find that I need to chop them down after the first flowers to keep them under some control.

 

I chop the tall leggy ones down and that gives a second flush of flowers and leaves too.. G.phaem likes deep shade and can be tricky. I have lost all but G.phaem Langthorns Blue. Claridge Druce is the one that generally gets a bit thuggish, but I divide and shove bits into any problem patch as it covers a multitude of sins and grows anywhere

 

Thanks Pete, will have a look.

 

No, I don't know who sells geranium seed either. Perhaps I should start up a mail order business. Most can be propagated by division, but others can't. Hmmmm - Geranium hornbeamii - is this my royal road to Chelsea?

 

I am now the proud owner of a lovely 'Johnson's Blue' geranium that daughter obtained for me. When I said I was going to try growing from seed I received an exasperated reply "Mother, you cannot grow hybrids from seed". I suppose I should have realised that but she's done all the RHS exams and I haven't! :rolleyes:


Hooray! at last I've managed to edit to a smaller size although I didn't intend it to be quite that small. And I don't know how the white border has appeared! :D

[ 29. May 2006, 12:18 PM: Message edited by: jjordie ]

 

A gift from Fran

Who will no doubt be able to identify it for the idiot who used a soft felt pen to label it :rolleyes:

 

Just a minnit, jjordie. Far be it for me to correct a RHS student, but I don't think that's quite true. I quote from the RHS Encyclopaedia of Gardening:

F1 hybrids are "first generation plants obtained from crossing two selected pure-breeding parents to produce uniform, vigorous and high-yielding offspring. SEED from F1 hybrids does not come true.
F2 hybrids are plants that result from self or cross fertilisation of F1 hybrids; they are less uniform than their parents."

So viable SEED is produced. My understanding is that there are fertile and infertile hybrids depending on the plants and the crossing combination. Johnson's Blue is a hybrid of G.himalayense and G. pratense.
Lovely photos and yes, division is the usual way to propagate. They will self seed I'm certain.

 

Perhaps I didn't quite say what daughter told me - which was that you couldn't expect the seed to come true - and is more or less what you have just said Hornbeam? And anyway after googling for ages there didn't seem to be anybody that actually sold Johnson Blue seeds.

Looking forward to seeing it grow!

Lovely blue geraniums Paladin - what is the name of that one?

 

See under second pic!

 

It looks like G.x magnificum, a hybrid of G. ibericum and G. platypetalum. Or it could be a variety of G.himalayense (Gravetye or Grandiflora)
Just about the largest flower you can get on a hardy geranium. Luscious!

 

Thank you Hornbeam.It's one of Frans specials and I fully expect a telling off for not taking better care of my plant list! :rolleyes:

 

Not going to tell you off - prolly my labelling - too pleased to see it in flower. The plant it was divided from, whilst in bud has not broken into bloom yet. It should form a nice clump - its geranium ibericum.

 

Thank you Fran...It's a lovely plant and I will be dividing it for other beds

 

Your welcome - how's the peony doing?