In the garden with Gerry Daly: Hardy geraniums

Geranium is one of the best plants for flowers in early and mid-summer and it is easy to grow in a range of soils, both in sunshine and in light shade. They occur in a range of sizes from 20 cms to over one metre, with many others in between. The widely grown Geranium x magnificum, is a vigorous grower with strong blue flowers in June, often seen in cottage gardens. The big success in recent years is ‘Rozanne’, a superb late-flowering, repeating plant that sprawls attractively to fill space but withers back to soil level in winter, very robust.

The tall blue-flowered Geranium pratense, the meadow cranesbill, is more of a border plant but fits in well with shrubs too. It has a tendency to flop over but it will still look attractive when in flower. There is a lovely double-flowered form of this plant called ‘Plenum Coeruleum’ with pale blue flowers, and the same toppling tendency. The purple double-flowered form is very pretty too. Another tall kind, Geranium sylvaticum, has pinkish purple flowers and it grows very well in light shade of trees.

The popular variety ‘Johnson’s Blue’ is very pretty with flowers of nicer shape than Geranium x magnificum and of a much lighter violet-blue, very lively colour, best used in a sunny mixed border, along with small or medium shrubs and other perennial flowers. It looks great with any yellow flowers, superb with yellow day lilies, such as Hemerocallis lilio-asphodelus.

Two related geraniums bring a real zing of magenta to the garden at this time of year. The tall-growing Geranium psilostemon is a parent of Geranium ‘Ann Folkard’ and both have bright red-purple flowers with a black eye. The red-purple is very strong and can bring a whole border to life when teamed with blue or pink flowers. ‘Ann Folkard’ has trailing habit but dies back each autumn to a central rootstock and gives no trouble. These look brilliant with blue flowers such as those of delphinium. ‘Patricia’ is another fine hybrid of similar colouring.

A lovely low-growing and long-flowering variety with brilliant magenta pink colour is Geranium ‘Russell Prichard’, especially attractive at the front of a border where it will bring strong colour for many weeks. ‘Mavis Simpson’ is a similar pale-pink flowered version of the same. ‘Claridge Druce’ and ‘Wargrave Pink’ have lots of pink flowers but they have a tendency to self-sow, which can be a nuisance. With white flowers, Geranium renardii, is a handsome clump-forming variety with soft, beautifully shaped leaves. Also with soft leaves, Geranium macrorhizum is an excellent, semi-evergreen kind. It has lots of small pink flowers but it is not a star in this respect.

The native bloody cranesbill, Geranium sanguineum, is a small-growing but long flowering kind for the front of a bed. There is lovely pink-flowered form of this species called ‘Striatum’ which is well worth having and a dark-flowered one called ‘Max Frei’ with rich magenta flowers in early summer and a scattering during the rest of the growing season. Any of these and other kinds can be planted at any time from pots. Make sure to water after planting until established in a year or so but after that geranium looks after itself extremely well. Some have good autumn colour as an added bonus.

To raise new plants, now is the time to begin with cuttings. The new growth has extended nicely at this stage but it is still soft and full of vigour. Quite a few plants grow well from softwood cuttings – roses, clematis and all kinds of deciduous shrubs, such as potentilla, weigela and philadelphus. The soft shoots are the best bet taken from the top part of this year’s growth.

Other shrubs can be taken now too but do just as well from cuttings taken later when the wood has hardened a little. However, many soft plants such as alpine plants and flowers root best when raised from soft cuttings. Aubretia, arabis and iberis grow well from cuttings now, using short soft pieces of the shoot tips. Others that take well now include paris daisy, osteospermum, fuchsia, penstemon, diascia and many more. Try it with things that have failed if you previously tried them at a later stage.

There is a big advantage to rooting plants early in the summer; they quickly make a plant that can be planted out. Most cuttings taken now will be big enough to plant out in the autumn, especially the softer plants such as perennial flowers.

Fruit, vegetables and herbs

Repeat sowings of vegetables sown early, such as lettuce and peas, could be made. Thin out vegetables that have reached suitable size, and control weeds early. Plant out Savoy cabbage and other winter varieties. Vegetables planted out have settled in very well.

Lawns

Lawns are growing strongly with the recent mix of sunshine and showers. Use fertiliser on a good-quality lawn, but do not use fertiliser or weedkillers if the lawn is being managed as a wildflower lawn and take off the mowings if they are heavy in wet-weather.

Trees, shrubs and roses

There has been heavy disease pressure, and if the rose bushes are susceptible, continue to spray roses against blackspot, especially in damper parts of the country, after the wet weather. Continue to tie in the new shoots of climbing roses for training later.

Flowers

If not already done, plant up pots and containers and bedding in beds and borders. Be sure to control the first flush of weeds among bedding plants. The rain will have encouraged a flush of seedlings and these will give a lot of trouble if they make growth.

Greenhouse and house plants

It is practically too late for planting greenhouse tender vegetables, such as tomatoes, chillies and peppers. They will be very late and the crop small. Use a greenhouse shading material now if the house is inclined to get too hot. Ventilate well during damp weather.

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