Geraniums

The quest for plants that are easy to grow and flower for weeks on end always seems to lead back to hardy geraniums. Their sheer versatility sets them apart from other herbaceous plants and there is at least one variety for every garden, whether large or small, dry, damp or shady.

It is perhaps in the mixed border that they really show their worth, and they look especially good when grown with old-fashioned roses and other cottage garden plants. In the middle of a border their often lax stems help to blend the scheme together and avoid a contrived appearance. If planted near the front, geraniums billow elegantly over paths or lawn edges.

Some species native to Britain are very well-suited to growing in the garden, notably the meadow cranesbill, G. pratense, and the bloody cranesbill, G. sanguineum. Geraniums from other countries were introduced to Britain as early as the 16th century. These plants were originally grown in physic gardens, but it was not long before they found their way into ornamental gardens.

Hardy geraniums should not be confused with their cousins the pelargoniums, despite the fact that these are often mistakenly given the same name. The name geranium comes from geranos, the Greek for crane. This is due to their beak-like seed capsule, hence their common name, cranesbills.